Here's chapter 6 guys, hope you like it. And here's a small apology for not putting in how tall my first Chimera was, I got an idea about them that you will see in the future that got some ideas from an obscure Poke manga and a popular one. And for a gift I'm going to try to finish up a new 'first' story for Attack on Titan by Christmas Eve. So Happy Holidays and for now; on with the show!
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"Have you heard what Good Jacquelin said to Good Sylvestre to make this match happen?" One woman in a green Ballroom gown asked the group she was with. The rumor mill had been running wild since lunch, with each hour that passed causing the rumors to grow more outlandish. The field was full of groups that had come to see the resulting fight, some to watch; some to take support their chosen champion, some to watch the opposition and some to choose a champion.
"Didn't Good Jacquelin make a comment against Good Sylvestre's manhood?" A purple haired woman with blue eyes in a blue ballroom gown said as she hid a blush behind a small fan with her right hand and scratched the chin of an Eevee on her right shoulder with her left hand. She was one of newer inductees and like many were wondering what this battle would turn out.
"I heard Jacquelin insulted the queen herself!" A knight with red hair and black eyes said as he looked around the training field, his Teddiursa standing by his side. The field was in a valley on the opposite side of it from MT. Silver, protected from sight by the work of Casters the Team had. Battles like this had been said by his elders to be a thing that was once used to settle disputes and wagers made between two parties. This might be something very interesting; battle was where who you really are is shown. But he had to wonder. Did either of them deserve my sword and Loyalty?
"No, I heard it was an insult against Good Sylvestre's skill." Another knight with a flower in his hair said as he looked around at the different groups of Knights and Ladies. He personally hadn't chosen a side in the power struggle taking place, but perhaps the fight would show him who to trust his honor to. His eyes landed on the opposite end of the field, where Jacquelin was holding court with a mix of Ladies and Knights as he sat on a throne, his weapon a sword in a scabbard on the back of it, while his chosen partner, a Shiftry and a Knight Stalker by his side. A special golem stood before him, it was a nine foot tall wooden golem shaped like a knight in full plate armor with a great sword with a green gem where the blade met the left arm. Its right arm was a four clawed hand with a gem in its palm, ready to hold its prey before it was taken apart by its blade. This was his Grand Sword, a weapon that had served him well and would defeat whatever foe it faced.
"Good Jacquelin, perhaps the coward has fled the mountain rather than to face you in combat, for who would dare to fight one such as you." One of the Ladies cooed as she fluttered her eyelids at him, causing him to flash her a broad grin.
"Indeed, I always knew that one was a craven fool! For those who would face me in battle come away with more scars then they started with…" Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a commotion at the entrance caused all eyes to turn to see Slyvestre walk out to the field, his Nuzzleaf wearing green gauntlets, a Knight Stalker behind it as they walked out of the mountain. A deep pounding was heard as a nine foot form walked into the light. It was a wooden canine with three heads with hanging fangs, each with a green crystal on their tops. Its four legs each ended with savage looking claws that were the source of the pounding. Jacquelin could only stare at this beast of a golem, when had Sylvestre even dreamed of such a thing? Looking at the doorway back into the mountain he saw the figure of the knight's brother with a proud smile on his face, him then. Still, nothing could take his Sword.
Sylvestre drew his blade and his party took their positions alongside him, waiting for their opponent to come before them.
"I have come at the agreed upon time, do you stand before me as agreed or do you run from battle." His voice was hard as it called across the field, his eyes meeting Jacquelin's from where he stood. Jacquelin eyes hardened and he got off his chair and drew his sword from its scabbard on the chair. He walked forward, his Pokémon and his two Golems following. When he was ten feet away he stopped and gave the ritual response.
"I am here at the agreed upon time! I stand before my foe and am ready to fight!" He cried as he brought his sword before him. They stood there for a minute before Sylvestre shot forward while his Nuzleaf shot at the Shiftry, its gauntlets glowing as two green energy leaf-shaped blades formed in its hands and moved closer to its opponent, using its blades to slice through the razor sharp leaves the Shiftry threw from its hands. Sylvestre started to stab at Jacquelin aiming at his chest, while Jacquelin was able to move his sword barely in time to block the strikes. As the four of them dueled the canine golem ran at the Knight Stalker and dodged the green spheres it shot from its hands and jumped at it, forcing it on to its back before it tore the center gem out of the Knight Stalker's chest with its center head. While this was happening the Knight Stalker Sylvestre had brought moved backwards, shooting seed shaped green energy bullets from its head at the Grand Sword causing it to fire green spheres from its claw to intercept the seeds, that coupled with the orders Jacquelin had given it.
As Sylvestre was striking with his rapier, he was keeping an eye on the greater battle while Jacquelin was barely able to keep his eyes on his Shiftry. Sylvestre thoughts flew as he stabbed at Jacquelin.
"Nuzleaf, Leech Seed! Hunt Cerberus Energy Ball at the Shiftry! Knight Stalker keep at range!" He bellowed his command as he darted out of range of Jacquelin's sword, giving his opponent a breather. Jacquelin let his enemies orders flow through his mind and eyed the battle and shot toward the remaining Knight Stalker, let his decision on how to counter the moves decided upon.
"Shiftry, take it and use Solar Beam! Grand Sword, charge Hyper Beam! Target the Hunt Cerberus!" He cried as he started to glow pink and accelerated at the golem. The Knight Stalker raised the arm closest to him and shot green spheres at him, he met it with his sword sliced through the first sphere and dodged the others. When he reached the golem he sliced his sword straight through its body and its center gem, destroying the golem with one glowing slice.
While this had happened Sylvestre's Nuzleaf had shot seeds from its mouth at the ground around the Shiftry. Within seconds of the seeds hitting the ground, vines burst from the earth and wrapped around the Grass type, with the vines glowing red as the energy it was using to charge the move its master ordered was sapped from it while it was immobilized, leaving it open for the trio of energy spheres shot from Hunt Cerberus's three mouths, the damage and the energy drain caused the Grass type to pass out. Jacquelin glared at his opponent, he would lose the battle but if he could take out the new golem and the Grass type, then that might save some face if he made the final bout him and Sylvestre alone. He noticed his Grand Sword's gems glowing, its Hyper Beam was fully charged Nuzleaf, he had to take it out, and if he was to strong and killed it then it would be an 'accident' on the field. Then he saw the gems on the Hunt Cerberus's gems start to lose its luster, it was open to be destroyed.
"TARGET THE CERBERUS, FULL POWER HYPER BEAM!" Jacquelin cried as he shot toward the Nuzleaf and prepared an overhead strike on the Pokémon.
"NOW! RECHARGE AND REFLECT" Sylvestre cried out as he intercepted Jacquelin before he reached his target raising his Aura for the first time in the battle and started to strike at him, causing Jacquelin to block the blows he could. He saw the final moments of the battle through the strikes, his Grand Sword stabbed forward with its sword, releasing a yellow-orange beam at the Cerberus, while at the same time the Nuzleaf had turned toward the canine golem and dispersed the energy swords and raised both hands at the golem before it shot a green beam that restored the gems luster before a white glow covered the Hunt Cerberus moments before the beam hit! The beam was reflected back at twice its size and covered his Grand Sword in an explosion that caused the golem to disappear from sight. When the explosion died down the Grand Sword was destroyed, the largest piece that remained was its sword arm.
Jacquelin looked over the field, he alone stood against Sylvestre's forces. He saw the Nuzleaf resummons its energy blades and the Hunt Cerberus take a position to form a triangle with Sylvestre and the Nuzleaf with him in the center. He looked around and decided how he would salvage something from this mistaken battle. Slowly he put his sword down.
"I surrender and take back my words and doubt I cast on you O Knight. As one who has just been in the position that you were in I see now that retreat is the better option when capture is likely to serve our Queen we must run." Jacquelin voice rang out over the field as the spectators cheered for the bout they had witnessed.
"May what you gained from this lesson help you in servce to our Queen Good Knight." Sylvestre said as he put his rapier back in its scabbered and walked toward his downed golem, as Jacquelin recalled his Pokémon and walked toward the mountain, causing most of the spectators to follow after him. Virgil had a smirk on his face as he passed by Jacquelin who shot a glare at him as they passed. I'll need to talk with her about rebuilding my Sword and improvising it. Next time I will put your beast down! Jacquelin swore to himself
"So the argument was about how to serve our Queen best, no wonder it came to blows!" The woman in green said with a laugh as she entered the mountain.
"The veterans did say those two were among the most loyal of all those from home, so the reason isn't really a surprise if you think about it." The knight with a flower in his hair said as he walked with a group of fellow knights.
As the others entered the mountain no one noticed that the woman with the Eevee or the knight with a Teddiursa walk over toward Sylvestre who had reached down and was rubbing his Pokémon's head with his back toward them while his brother was channeling some of his aura through the crystal on the central head.
"What do you two want with us?" Sylvestre said when he sensed the two people coming toward him and his brother.
"Only to give congratulations to one who fought with honor and to question how your golem carried out a plan Good Knight." The knight next to her answered Sylvestre as she shot him a look at his words.
"That is the result of some of my own research; the ability to program at most three separate combat plans into the Golem with no negative. I will be presenting this as a gift to the Chosen at the next Celebration, I think the queen will like it." Virgil said as he turned and looked at the two people and their Pokémon.
"Indeed, the gift of increasing our golem's strength for all would be of great value for our Queen, I'm sure she will praise such a noble gift." The woman said as she looked at the Caster before the knight next to her interrupted.
"You fought a battle against Jacquelin, but how to serve the Queen wasn't the only reason, why did you?" The knight said as he looked eyes with Sylvestre and held them. Sylvestre merely looked him in the eyes and decide to speak plainly to the people before him.
"In truth Jacquelin has been a thorn in my side ever since our escape from the Homelands. And I merely turn and insult he gave me back at him and left him an opening to choose the fight, he took it I finished it." Sylvestre said as the knight before him looked at him.
"And it proved a perfect trial by fire for my research, a perfect ending for it." Virgil said with a laugh in his voice.
"You used tactics ability to get your foe to make a mistake and took it, I, Knight Nicolas would entrust my might to no other." Nicolas said as he and his Teddiursa both bowed before him.
"You used your ingenuity to create a way to increase our strength. If you would have me I, Roial would learn from you." Lady Roial said as she curtsied to Virgil as her Eevee jumped from her shoulder.
Virgil and Slyvestre looked at each other and Virgil gave a small laugh.
"I'm always one to pass on what I know and I think my brother could use another warrior to his cause." Virgil said as he smiled gently at the Lady.
"I would but I have a counter offer, join me on a Quest our Queen has given me to make up for my failure. If afterwards you still think I am worthy to follow then so be it." Slyvestre said as he held his hand out toward the Knight, who after a moment took it.
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Bonnie had a smile on her face as she quietly breathed as she slept. Her head was on Lilith's lap as Lilith gently rubbed Bonnie's hair. After they had finished their supper Lilith had led Bonnie and Serena to their room and had spent a few hours telling Bonnie about some of her past Contests as she decided on what to wear, and told the two how her cousin singing during a duo performance had sparked a Poké-Vision idol career and shared a music video she had made, playing it on the room's TV. Bonnie had loved it and tired herself out copying the dance moves on the video before Lilith had changed her into her pajamas. Lilith moved her free hand through her long black hair and smiled down at the girl, maybe this job would be more fun then she thought it would be.
"She's something else isn't she Lilly?" Serena said softly as she walked out of their bathroom drying her hair. Lilith smiled at what Serena had said, Bonnie truly was something else. Bonnie was a child that seemed to pull at your heart and make a place in it just by being herself. Even Serena and herself were starting to be drawn in, like the Lady said, some people you just clicked with, like you've known then your whole life, but the girl was unblooded. Checking the time as she put Bonnie into one of the beds she motioned to Serena to follow her out of the room. After they left their room in the Center and closed the door Lilith couldn't keep quite any longer.
"Yeah she is, but I can't believe the people around here. I just can't stand how people here don't teach their kids how to defend themselves. Since I've landed here I've seen more people without a single weapon in a single day than I would in a year back home. A child her age should at least be graduating to a Blunt Iron by now! It's like they are ignoring the fact that a Chimera could spawn anywhere at any time, I mean I've heard of some attacks in Kalos, so why are they so arrogant?!" Lilith said crossly as she scowled at the possibility that Bonnie could die because she couldn't defend herself. Serena just sighed at what her friend said as they walked towards the lounge to meet up with Ash and Clemont. At dinner Clemont had been worried about how early they would need to be at the Contest hall so Lilith had volunteered to tire Bonnie out so she would sleep and meet up with Ash and Clemont later, Serena had come along to take a shower and help with Bonnie.
"I felt the same thing when mom and I moved here, but over the years I realized that there's a reason beside arrogance, at least in Kalos. That's something I learned at my first festival here, and boy is it quite the story." Serena said as she walked, finally coming to a table where Ash and Clemont were talking with their backpacks next to them, a sword in a scabbard and shield before Ash and twin two sided axes before Clemont, prompting a smile from Lilith at the weapons before Clemont. So he knows the value of a good defense, I knew there was something about him I liked. She thought to herself, her good mood not noticing the word she thought.
"There you two are, I was just talking to Ash about the attitude most people have about weapons here in Kalos. I'm ashamed to say I was a bit in that camp for a while until a Chimera attack when I was around Bonnie's age." Clemont admitted as the girls sat at the table.
"Yeah, the 15th Siege really changed how I felt about a few things too. But what was that reason you were talking about?" Ash said as he looked at Clemont who stippled his fingers together and sighed. Whatever reason it sounded like he wasn't going to like it at all
"Clemont, you were born here in Kalos, right? So you know the story of the Weapon, the Emperor and the War better than me right?" Serena said as she reached into her bag and brought out her own weapon. Since they were both doing maintenance she might as well as she got out a rag and started to polish her Nagata's body.
"The what, the who and the what?" Ash asked as he started to polish his shield.
"The Weapon, The Emperor and the War is the story behind a lot of Kalos's culture and history, it's a bit complicated so let me start at the most important part. Until one thousand years ago a two thousand year war was fought over who would rule the region. Why this started was because one man had united the region as its emperor three thousand years ago. During the end of his reign a Chimera horde attacked, killing many Pokémon and humans. To fight back a weapon was created that killed the Chimera, but somehow it caused the deaths of a lot of humans and Pokémon. The weapon somehow scarred the region for centuries and with the Emperor as one of the victims and he 'supposedly' didn't have a surviving heir the war began over who would succeed him. And until fifty years ago, there was not a single Chimera born here between the mountains and the sea." Clemont said as he explained.
"So the wars were the reason for the Treaty not being followed here, but I thought that was one of the Unifying Treaties? And born here, why would you have such a distinction?" Ash asked in wonder.
"The actual wording allows the Defense Treaty to be followed, it just doesn't enforce it. And the born thing is about a rumor I've heard about before. Couriway Town is the farthest official settlement to the west, the league has a fort a few miles farther west as the stop off point for expeditions over the mountains, a lawless region full of resources and is said to be the home of Rating 100 Chimeras." Clemont said with a sigh and gave a bitter smile when he saw Ash stare at him in total shock while Lilith just went white.
"Rating 100?! WHO the hell could let ONE evolve that far, let alone more than one!" Ash exploded as Lilith and Serena stared at Ash in shock. Clemont just gave a bitter smile at the reaction his words caused.
"I said rumored to be, you know how it's believed that Chimera hordes when their Alpha dies they all fight to either lead or eat the weaklings among it, right? A horde's Alpha was defeated around twenty years ago and they all just retreated on mass. The 'Alpha's' corpse was given a Rating of 50 and unfortunately it wasn't the last horde that attacked where that happened. According to data the league released, the last 5 recovered Alphas's each had different core DNA, thankfully we've yet to see a Flying Horde." Clemont said, not noticing the looks Ash and Lilith sent him at that revelation.
Lilith only looked at him in suspicion, not saying anything as she watched Clemont work. He has to be a gym leader like that photographer, maybe of the Tower, but what happened to led to him being with Ash, that's what I want to know. Lilith thought to herself as she went over what she knew about Clemont. It would explain what he and his sister were doing around the Tower when Ash was 'expelled' from it.
Ash kept silent as he stared at Clemont, his past friendships giving him a thought that he was sure was true. Gym leader or related to someone high up in the local League, that's the only way he could get data about Chimera genetics. Ash said, remembering times on his trip through Unova when Cilan got paperwork from the League when they were traveling together about a horde a Chimera Hunter destroyed they had helped.
"So the Alpha was reclassified as a Beta, and given its strength they said that its Alpha must have a Rating of 100?" Serena asked as Clemont reached into his bag and pulled out a cloth.
"Yes, and the whole region is lucky that there's never been a flying horde. The base last I heard has a few Flying types doing patrols in the area. Thankfully Lady Olympia is a powerful Oracle, and more than one Horde was prepared for and stopped. And with Snowbell City and Anistar City both have a gym so if the fort is ever breached the trainers there will be able to reinforce and stop any hordes that break through. " Clemont said as he slowly polished one of his Axes.
"Say, what grade is Bonnie in anyway, once she got the explanation she breezed through the problems." Lilith said as Clemont seemed to grow angry and gained a scowl.
"Bonnie should have graduated from the 9th grade by now if those bastards hadn't ruined public schools back for her." Clemont said with anger as Lilith started to look concerned.
"Who are you talking about?" Lilith asked as she started to worry, people tried to interfere with Bonnie's education, that was worrying.
"That's the thing, we never found out. It started two years ago, and what was worse was it was the second anniversary of mom's death too." Clemont said as he looked at the weapons on the table.
"Your mother's death, wait the Chimera attack you talked about? And how old is she, she's not ten yet so how old is she?" Ash said with a start as he looked at Clemont who jolted and looked at Ash for a minute before he adopted a sad expression on his face.
"No that was another one. Mom…..she died defending Bonnie from a Chimera while I was away at school. That was what inspired me to learn to wield my axes; I never wanted to lose anyone ever again. Mom said I had a habit of always moving so she stared to train me with two fighting sticks, I add the axe blades for some extra fighting power. And currently she's about eight years old." Clemont said as Lilith reached and squeezed his shoulder. He sent her a small smile.
"So you two lost your mother when Bonnie was around four years old, how'd she handle it when it happened? Does she remember it?" Lilith asked in worry, traumas when you were that old left scars people needed help to heal, she knew this personally.
"No thank Arceus! She had been knocked out and Mom was killed when what she was fighting got a lucky hit in. But Bonnie saw the Chimera that did it and she was a wreck for a year, but dad came through and got someone from the Anistar gym to come and have a few sessions with her. The woman was trying to become a psychiatrist and was able to help Bonnie deal with her fear, but dad wanted Bonnie to wait a few years to learn to fight with a weapon so the most she does is meditation and weight training. She wants to be able to defend herself, but I don't know how to help her." Clemont muttered as Ash adopted an inquisitive look.
"You know, I have an old training knife, I could give Bonnie a few tips on using a blade." Ash said as he leaned back, missing the look of thanks Clemont sent him.
"And giving what she was during before, she's limber so I could teach her some foot work, 'You always need to be able to move about the battlefield to stay alive', at least that's what a friend of my teacher told me once." Lilith said as she smiled at Clemont.
"Thank you, thank you both. But about Bonnie and public school, it started out innocently enough, some boys started to call her names. Bonnie is surprisingly thick skinned, so for a month dad and I never even knew about it until they tried to get physical when I was around, and luckily for them I didn't have my axes and I already had my backpack arm prototype ready and I just had it pick them up and throw them into the river. Then her teacher told us someone had stolen her tests from the teacher's office, and then something caused the mainframe to crash when she sent the tests in electronically. I had learned a bit about computer hacking by then and I designed a closed system for the school. Dissecting the software on the old mainframe I found a virus I tracked down to a hacker in Kanto called Happy Grandbull." Clemont stopped when Ash started to laugh so hard he had to rest his head on the table.
"Wait, your ElectoMkaer? Happy was cursing you for months after you attacked!" Ash gasped through his laughter, causing the others to look at him.
"You know Happy Grandbull?! Your friends?!" Clemont exclaimed in shock that Ash would know a hacker of Happy's statue.
"Yeah, Happy's a mercenary first and foremost but I count Happy as a friend. They've got their reasons for how they live their life, but someone used one of Happy's viruses to take down a school mainframe, a virus that costs at least a million Pokédollars at a minim." Ash said after he stopped laughing causing the others to look at him in shock.
"What? Who would go to such lengths over one girl?" Serena voice shook as she stared at nothing. Clemont looked concerned at the direction the conversation was going.
"The kids who picked on Bonnie were also paid, a hundred dollars every time and two hundred when they attacked us. There were three of them, they did it for twenty days, a total of sixty six thousand Pokédollars to bother my sister." Clemont said flatly as the girls shared a look with Ash.
"Was it getting worse or better since she switched to home schooling?" Ash asked as he frowned. Something about this was ring a bell, something about the money spent was reminding him of a saying an old friend of his, 'You have to spend money to make money', but how would anyone gain anything from this?
"Yes, home schooling here gives it to their local Nurse Joy and she grades and records it on a closed system so no one can hack or destroy the system. But I'm worried about her social skills might be suffering from it. This journey might be good for her to learn to trust people again." Clemont said as he started to polish his other axe. He was so caught up in it and not thinking about Bonnie's past he didn't notice the look Lilith was sending him, a smile and her eyes had a sense of understanding the need to protect his sister. Serena suddenly clapped her hands together causing the other to jolt.
"Well enough hard topics, how about a few lighter ones?" Serena said brightly as the other just looked at her and Ash just smiled at his old friend.
"Serena's right, enough doom and gloom. So what are the rules and regulations for the contests and are costumes aloud?" Ash asked as he started to put his sword and shield away. Lilith just released a sighed at the question.
"Costumes for the people are required, we're each giving a room to get ready in and thankfully I packed some of my best. The rules say I have to use two Pokémon, one the appeals round and one for the battle round, I'm still a bit concerned over which of my Pokémon to use for what round. My girls love to perform and I don't know which to use." Lilith said as she pouted her lips and closed her eyes as she leaned back, thrusting her chest out as she did so. Clemont just blushed at this and this time Serena saw it, causing her to smirk.
"Well, why don't you sleep on it, and giving the time we should hit our beds. Anybody ask Nurse Joy to wake us in the morning?" Ash said as he got up from his chair, the others following him back toward their rooms. As the others made small talk Lilith jolted when they left the lounge, she realized that she had followed him without question, only the Boss inspired that kind of loyalty, another point for him being who she thought he was, now how to get a blood or hair sample to test it, wait that could work. She walked behind her…friends and smiled, this would work.
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A woman with an hourglass figure with red hair in a high ponytail in a purple business suit that was opened to reveal a hint of her cleavage and wearing a red gemstone on an chocker around her neck walked through a darkened hallway, the window that took up one wall showing the lights of a city in the dead of night. She held a report in her hands that she read as she walked through a doorway with a plate with the words 'Mai Solani: Vice-President in charge of Internal Security". She walked into a large office with a large window across one side of the office, on the other bookcases filled with tomes. As she sat behind the desk an organic blade was at held to her throat. She kept her face expressionless as she calmly put the report down and looked out over the room.
"If you're here to kill me have your Pokémon do it. If you're Shadow then let me see you." She commented dryly. The blade made no move to move closer or away from her neck, as still as ice.
"Release her Scyther. The way you caused this meeting to happen was not in your best interest." A voice echoed mechanically as the blade moved away from her neck. A portion of one of the bookcases rippled as a human in black pants, black boots, black shirt, black gloves and a black helmet with a black visor where the eyes would be appeared. Twin swords were over his shoulders, and a belt of Pokéballs was around his waist. After the blade was removed from her neck a Scyther walked to stand by its trainer as he moved in front of the desk.
"My apology for the threat, but I needed to contact an experienced mercenary, most speicificly I need to contact you." The redhead said commonly to the person before her.
"Mai Solani of Silph Co; why do you require a mercenary? And please give me a reason not to end you here and now." The voice question as the figure before the desk loamed and leaked a sense of menace at her. The woman behind the desk gave no sign that she was anyway affected by it, only staring impassionedly at him.
"You can drop the act. Even giving how I arranged this meeting, I know based on what I've read about you that you won't kill possible employers before they tell you why they want to hire you, and if you disagree with why they want you then you warn them before you try to kill them. As for why I want your services, this should be the reason why you will do what I want you to." Mai said as she removed a folder from her desk and threw it before him, opening to show papers and pictures of men in white plate mail with a symbol of a Pokéball on a shield before a sword on them. Other pictures showed the men guarding people in lab coats as they examined killed Chimera in the wild, one picture showed Karen of the Elite Four ordering about the men. The man and the Pokémon went still and the man picked up the picture with Karen in it and the malice he released increased tremendously. Mai gave no reaction then lifting one of her eyebrows.
"I thought that would get your attention. I have no idea who they are but let me be frank with you; ever since Team Rocket tried to take over the company I cultivated a… ear so to speak to the local underworld. For the past two years these people have always been there, those who know of them stay out of their way, more so since Karen replaced Agatha but recently they've begun to…consolidate power within the city's range." Mai spoke as she turned her chair and looked out over the city. Not hearing anything from her 'guest' she continued.
"Varies small gangs of hoodlums that handled the local vices have begun to take orders from these people. Officially Silph Co has no legal standing to take any actions at all. However, the last time something like this happened in the city it was the prequel for Team Rocket's assault. While I was looking into these 'Knights' Karen commands my research usually ended with you destroying their bases and assets. I have no idea of the history or reasons for your war, nor do I care about them." Mai said as she locked her eyes on the visor.
"And what do you care about?" He countered harshly as he looked over the other papers from the folder. Turning she noticed a black collar around the Scyther's neck, not commenting on it she looked at where the man's eyes would normally be.
"I care about keeping my position in this company. I care about keeping said company productive, after the Rocket's raid on the company we spent a year investigating the loyalty of our employees and the impact that had is still rippling through this office. And if said company would be protected by employing a mercenary on a crusade then so be it. If I can stop another raid then it would be effort well spent on my part." She said resolutely as she folded her hands before her.
"But what would I get out of this besides knowing where to strike against those I have been fighting? Why shouldn't I just cut away someone who knows that I am fighting said war?" The mercenary asked as his right hand moved toward one of his swords
"Sliph Co has the confidence of the Kanto League. We are one of the few organizations allowed to research Chimera's legally and request information on them. And I do not want you to do anything that you wouldn't do on your own. Merely change your focus to Saffron City for the imminent future and let me know when you have made any progress against our…mutual foes. In exchange I will let you have copies of any of our Chimera research that you desire, anything that has to do with any of the Black List Chimera's that the Leagues shares with us. As a Chimera Hunter, I believe that that would be worth your weight in gold." She said as she got up from her chair and walked to the window, not noticing Shadow move his hand away from his sword.
"All data the League shares? Including specifications on identified mutation and core DNA and spawning theories kept from the general public? And your invitation for this meeting?" Shadow inquired as he turned his head to look at her.
"ALL data about Chimeras; and my own thanks and that of the company, unofficially of course. And my personal word that I will not knowingly pass the knowledge to them." Mai answered as she looked at him in the windows reflection.
Shadow's head only looked in her direction before he recalled his Bug Type and picked up the folder. He thumbed through the pictures until he saw another picture of Karin, this time it showed her with her Vileplume killing a Chimera to the cheers of civilians. Shadow stood still, closed the folder and took it, walking toward the door, stopping just before it.
"I'll get back to you when I give them their first cut. But one thing before I leave." Shadow said as a flash of light from a vent behind the desk caused Mai to whip around to look at it as a hurt Espeon crashed through the gate to the floor before a Rattata cloaked in flame shot out of the vent, dispelling the flames as it hit the desk and jumped onto Shadow's right shoulder.
"Next time you have a guard watching you, make sure your guard hides better." The words caused her to look towards the door, Shadow and his Rattata had disappeared. Of course he would have had another Pokémon out when he met her, it seemed he had truly earned his reputation in Kanto's underworld.
Mai walked over to her Espeon and crouched down before it and started to pet it as it looked at her with a pained expression. She merely smiled at her Pokémon, having it guard her meetings from the ductwork was a way to always have an ace up her sleeve, it seemed this time someone had out beaten her hand. Better to be beaten by someone who wasn't after her life then one who was, and sometime defeats help you to grow and gain strength, next time she would have a stronger hand to play.
"You better be as good as he said you are Shadow. Come on girl, let's go home and I'll drop you at the Pokémon Center in the morning." Mai said as she picked up her Pokémon and walked out of the room. All she could hope is that the new card in play ended up against her opponent, and that he didn't discover where exactly her personal loyalty was.
Shadow stood on top of a building looking at the Silph Co. building. He was of two minds about what to do next. Ever since I saw that branding on that monstrosity all those years ago when Mark led us against that thing I knew I would have trouble sooner or later when I went underground. But I never thought of the chance for one of them to have infiltrated the league itself, let alone the Elite? She's not being honest in why she wants to set me against them here in Saffron, and that necklace she had on had the light of Aura, was it like my suite, a way to protect against Psychics reading your mind? How would a modern executive even get something like that, does she know what it does, was it an inheritance, dare I take the chance that she doesn't and this isn't a trap? I've spent years fighting alone; having any help would be good. He would have continued brooding but he felt something rubbed his face through his helmet.
He turned his face toward his Rattata and scratched it under its chin; this little guy had help him out of a lot of jams over the years even before he had become Shadow.
"I'm all right partner, just thinking about our next move. With Karin as one of our enemies we need to be extra careful; she has the respect of the people and the authority of the League itself. Maybe we should see just what their after here in Saffron City." Shadow mused as he looked upwards. If they are planning an operation here, what would be the target? Although Karin's alliance does answer some questions, like how the scum I've given to the Jennys always die in captivity or 'escape'. Or how they always have patrol schedules to let them slip by the League's security. Karin must either get them from them or give it to them, I have to account for that for the future, I need information, that place in proximity to Lavender Town should have what I need.
"We're flying partner, want to ride the wind with me?" He questioned and saw his Rattata's smile full its face before he released a large bat-like Pokémon.
"Noivern lets fly! Our destination is Lavender Town!" Shadow called out as he got on his Dragon with his Rattata still on his shoulder. Noivern gave a cry as it jumped from the building its wings and training swiftly taking it and its trainer out of Saffron City.
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A boy of about fifteen walked through the darkened hallways of a mansion, priceless artwork and statues along the hallway showed the wealth the person who owned the building had. He had brown hair in a loose style, black colored eyes and was wearing a black vest over a white shirt and black pants. By his side walked a strong looking black furred Absol. He and his partner had just comeback from their customary after dinner workout and were heading to the kitchens for a few sandwiches. Tomorrow he had his lessons on business, his sensei was coming to help him with his staff work and test him on the last kata he was taught, the life of a noble just wasn't what people thought it was. So many expectations to meet drove some people to either break or find ways to deal with the stress involved, to become what their families wanted some killed their dreams but unfortunately few of those born into this life ever mustered up the courage to escape it and their family's expectations, but she had found it.
He walked toward a door to a sitting room and saw it was open partway, the light from it stabbing into the hall and heard voices from within, he signed his Absol to wait where it was as he moved closer and listened to an argument between his mother and uncle.
"…so you lost them?!" His mother's strict voice demanded as he heard a fist hit a solid surface in the room. He loved her but she was a person who prided the rules and obligations above all else, woe to any of their staff for not living up to her impossible standards.
"Cool it sis, you were the one who wanted us to back off on hacking the Center after they got the brat we hired to do it. And the gym's entered lockdown, no one in or out and we don't know where she is." His uncle was the person the family had to look after their properties around the region but he thought that his job was actually quite darker then he let on. So mom and my dear uncle are talking about someone connected to a gym. Is this that project they've been working on for the last five years?
"Damn it brother! You know the only way we would get her is if she has a break down and the judge we paid off rules in our favor in a custody hearing! If she can become a junior Trainer then that would be closed to us!" His mother's words caused him to start to really worry about this conversation. A kid can become a junior trainer if they graduate from ninth grade and are under ten years of age. So a kid they need custody of, could they have found Auntie's child?
"The only good thing about this is that our brat of a sister died leaving the girl! And that we found them while at least one of them is still young enough to mold." His mother's voice said frostily as he started to feel light headed, his thoughts running wild. His aunt was dead, and she had children, a daughter?! And they wanted her for some reason?!
"The older brat has to be the wrong gender, but enough about our issue. How about you give me a report on our shipping? Did they hit our cargo ship again?" His mother asked as he heard someone sit in a chair. What cargo ship? The family business is in construction.
"Well about that, they did. It was like the other raids. They put the crew asleep, put the crew in lifeboats and sunk the ship. When I got the report about it I sent one of our… faster assets. They dropped a diver into the wreck and the cargo was already gone, no idea where it ended up." His uncle's voice had a growl to it that his voice only had when he was practically mad. He gritted his teeth, this was looking bad. What assets and cargo is he talking about, what had they gotten the family involved with?
"We have to get a handle on this sometime soon. The special clients are starting to talk about our reliability. And the money to fund those journeys is starting to be threatened." His mother's voice sounded exasperated. Time to move, he signaled to his Pokémon and they moved silently through the halls, his uncles voice echoing after them as they left the area.
"We put a bounty at all the Hubs, nothing. We don't know where they go with the cargo, where they get their information from and what they are. Besides the methods I would think they have to be multiple parties involved. The cost to increase our guards or more Pokémon would unfortunately offset any profits the cargo would generate, not talking about the secrecy issue. However we were contacted by a curious individual who represents a third option…."
Later he sat in one of the sitting rooms near the kitchen with a plate with the remains of a few sandwiches on it on a table next to his chair as he went over what he had overheard going over it in his mind his thoughts racing. If mother and uncle's project was to get custody of one of my cousins and are doing something illegal and trying whatever this cargo is I need to look into it. I could take a look around the garages, tell a few lies about looking for my own transportation, if the cargo was illegal then the port they used couldn't be one of the main ones. So that leaves an off-road vehicle to transport it, a hidden port or the shoreline itself. But should I do this, I might end up destroying everything my family built over the years. Am I brave enough to do this?
He sighed and put the plate down and let his partner happily eat the remains as he got up and walked around the room. He stopped before a panting of four people. A man with black hair in grey formal clothing sat in a chair with his right hand holding the left hand of a woman in a red dress with platinum hair with an a smile on her face. Three teenagers were behind them, two girls and a boy. The boy had a lopsided smile on his face with a black jacket over a red shirt and blue pants. The girls were twins with the only difference being their hair and eyes, the one on the right had blond hair and a glare and the left had black hair with a smile that lit up her face, both in red dresses that went to the floor. He hardened his eyes and put his hand on the blond haired twin, to chase her dream his aunt had left the family, she had shown bravery and he would to, he would find the truth and decide where to go from there.
"Master Clyde? Your mother requested that you get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight." A voice called to him from the doorway. Time to let sleep claim him, he could get a handle on this issue tomorrow. And maybe he could go talk to his grandmother about his aunt.
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The mountain side had an assortment of animals and Pokémon along the shrubbery, with a troupe of Mankeys and four Primeape were scrounging the grounds for their breakfast, while a herd of Nidorina, Nidorino and Nidoran munched on bushes while a flock of birds were eying a river going down the mountain looking for fish while a Spearow was eying them hungrily for its breakfast as the sun rose over the horizon. One of the flock noticed the shadow the Flying type was casting on the river and screeched, causing the flock to split apart and the Spearow to fly after one them. It noticed its purser and flew higher, hoping to lose its hunter like when the Spearow hit and tor off part of one of its wings, sending the bird crashing into a pit on the mountain. Flying into the void after its meal, the Spearow entered a chamber of glowing crystals and openings deeper into the mountain. It paid no notice to its surroundings and focused on the bird it had hunted, it was trying to move on a raised glowing crystal in the center of the chamber. Deciding to finish it flew at the bird and opened its mouth before shooting a thick purple liquid from its opened beck at its prey, hitting the birds head, melting it and part of the crystal it was bleeding on. As the Spearow landed on the crystal to eat its meal, it didn't register that the crystal had lost its glow when the attack had melted part of it. It was so engrossed in its meal that it didn't notice a large stinger suddenly thrust at it, spearing it in the side and destroying its heart.
The creature that had killed the Flying-Type had an insect with a carapace covered oval body with four legs on the sides of its body with two wing coverings on its back and two stingers on the front segment lower half, with two multifaceted eyes on the upper part of the segment and a mouth with no lips on the front part of the segment below a long sharp looking horn. It brought it's kill to its mouth and ate the Spearow and turned its stingers toward other glowing crystals shot multiple small white needles, destroying the rest of the glowing crystals. More creatures like it along with others without horns came as the crystals were destroyed. The creature which killed the Spearow raised a stinger and pointed upwards, singling a surge of the creatures flooding out of the chamber.
A Rattata horde led by a Raticate had been forced out of their former territory were racing over the mountain, hoping to find a new home when a beam of energy hit the center of the horde, causing an explosion! The Raticate stood back to its feet, it was missing a few whiskers and had one eye closed and looked over it minions, most of them had been hurt and some were seriously hurt. Hearing a noise behind it turned and saw five of the creatures from the cave without horns with one of those with horns in front of them. The horde started to growl as the creatures before started to move toward them. The Raticate gave a screech as lightning covered its body and it shot at the creatures, the horde following their leader and attacked the creatures together, the Rattata's fangs glowing as they ran at them.
A group of creatures like the horned ones without the stingers with two carapace covered hands in their place pulled silk bundles towards the hole, a large scaly tail was poking out of one on the larger bundles. They passed a group of creatures without stingers and two large closed yellow flowers in their place with a large yellow flower on its back. A horned creature led them toward a cliff face with a town in the distance. As the creatures with flowers stood on the cliff face the flowers on their sides opened wide and the flower on their back released a golden pollen that caught a wind and blew towards the city below.
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The sun shined down upon the river a small round blue insect with four legs moved along the surface of the water, not noting a shadow in the trees along the river before a spiked tail shot out and speared it through; bring its dying body towards its body. The corpse had just stopped twitching when the insect Chimera with a broken mandible spat a glowing white liquid on the body and ate the Water type in three bites, feeling the choices of what to take, it choose three and devoured the rest as fuel. The burning changes began after that, a sack forming in its front segment line with glands to heat the water it held to channel through veins lined with glands to heat the water leading to openings formed at the centers of its pincers, its legs gaining the blue ovals oil glands and finally a horn grew on top of its head which soon start to release a sweet scent.
The primitive mind of the Chimera felt the changes finished and still it need more strength, more power to get revenge on those who had maimed it, strength to rule. But it could range farther now, hunt for more power and gain it. Move out of the tree line it picked up speed, not breaking stride when it reached the water its legs hit the water surface and stayed above the liquid and moved over it. It dashed across the water, its new mutation letting it move over the water as easily as earth. It had felt power across the river and sought with its new abilities it could find it.
When it reached a small island in the middle of the river it stopped and drank from the stream to fuel its new sack and then it moved stealthily through the trees on it until it was able to look across the remaining water while still being hidden by the foliage and let its eyes see the far shore. Its eyes saw many shapes it hadn't seen drinking from the river and its hunger intensified when it saw a particular tasty looking blue quadruped with a tail tipped with a four-pointed star leading a pack of smaller blue quadrupeds. There was something about the larger one that sang to the Chimera, it had something it needed. It suddenly realized that the large blue beast was looking in its direction, had it sensed it, no there was no way that was possible. Suddenly the blue beast howled and ran into the trees away from the river, the creatures drinking bolting every way and the others in its pack following it! It stared at where the blue creatures had been for a second before it ran out of the trees and over the water; it wouldn't let its prey escape.
Once it reached the opposite shore it ran into the trees, looking for any sign of its prey. Finally it saw a trampled down grass path and ran along it, following the trail. It ran through the woods, finally looking through the trees to see a mountain in the distance it ran toward it, the path leading toward it. After a few minutes it realized it had lost the pack, it would find them again and now it needed to feed so it walked toward a tree and cut it down with its claws and started to eat it. After a few minutes of feeding it heard roars and moved to find the source of the noise. After a while it found the source of the noise, a clearing it stopped short of entering, staying in the shadows of the trees to look at the source of the noise.
The clearing before it was a battlefield with the attackers being six black and grey furred quadrupeds three feet high being commanded by one of their own kind who was three times their height behind them near the tree line. Their target was another Chimera, also a quadruped. It was an equal to the Bug Chimera's 6 foot height; it had white fur on a lean lupine body with a horn between two eyes over a muzzle. The most shocking thing about it was the mane of fire around its neck and on its tail. Its right back leg looked broken, one of the creatures trying to get at it jumped at it with its mouth open but it shot a blast of flames from its muzzle at it attacker, sending it flying back against the mountain. The Bug Chimera slowly moved to just behind the larger specimen and started to heat its water sack, it shot two streams of boiling water at two of the attackers and sent opened its mouth and shot sticky balls at the larger one that formed webs connecting it to the ground, holding it in place as the other four split their attention, two of them running at where it had attack from and the other two attacking the Fire Chimera.
When the two running at it were within striking range they jumped at it and the Bug shot its two pincers and grabbed them, firing the last of its water point blank into their necks, boiling holes straight through to the other side of their necks, breaking their spines. . While it had dealt with those attacking it the Fire Horn had lunged at one of its attackers speared one it through its eye to its brain, killing it before biting down on the neck of the other one, shaking it until its spine broke. The larger one finally shook off the webs and saw the state of its forces and barked a command that sent the two the bug had first attack running, the larger one crying out before a wave of sand blocked the two Chimera's sight, when the sand was gone the black beast was gone. Turning toward the Fire Chimera its mind went over the battle, the beasts were able to wound and almost kill the Fire because they fought together, perhaps that was the power it was after. Somehow it knew how to tell the Fire it wanted it to join it.
The Fire Chimera looked at the Bug, wondering what it would do next. The bug looked at the beast before it used one of its pincers to throw one of the corpses at the beast before it started to eat the remaining corpse. The Flame Horn stared at the Bug before it spat a white glowing liquid onto the throne corpse and started to eat it, feeling all its legs gain muscles as its broken leg gain began to heal and felt its fangs start to change. After it finished with its meal it picked up one of the others and carried it to the Bug Chimera and dropped it before the Chimera and bowed its head before its new leader. The Bug Chimera looked at what the Fire Chimera was doing and took a bite of the offering, and realized something was changing about it, that it could feel the burn within its head as it ate the corpse.
As the Chimeras fed on the corpses of the defeated pack, they were watched by two humans and three Pokémon. The first person had a vulpine like black mask with what looked like red fur covering his head, a black cape that hid his arms. He was with a man with dark skin in a red armor on his chest, red gauntlets with red gems on the back of the hands on his arms, red shorts with an armored belt and red reinforced looking. The Pokémon with them were a female and male Pyroar with saddles on them with black gems on them and a Zoroark that was wearing black gauntlets on its arms and a crown with a black gem on its head.
"So what was the big problem the seers foresaw to the city my friend, the pack, their target or the new Chimera?" The red armored warrior asked as he crossed his arms and smirked, a hunger to fight starting to shine in his eyes.
The cloaked figure revealed he was wearing black gauntlets with multicolored stones around the wrists as he put a hand on the earth and the eyes of the mask released a blue glow. After a few second the glow died down and the figure seemed to sag with relief.
"The signs are clear, the danger has passed my brother, come let us go home, we should make good progress before nightfall if we leave now and escape the notice of others thanks to my friend." The voice from the mask was masculine and the figure stood up and walked to the female Pyroar as the Zoroark fell in behind him, the black gems all the Pokémon had on starting to glow.
"Shouldn't we deal with the Chimeras? The Bug type looks particularly strong and acted smart, it might become a threat in the future." The red warrior questioned as he walked toward the male Pyroar as he looked at his companion.
"You remember the orders the chief gave us, find what the sign pointed to, then return and report. If it becomes a problem the City Guard will deal with it if it happens. And you know what the chief would say if he was here." The masked male answered as he climbed into the saddle.
With a sigh and a shake of his head the red armored warrior got on the male Pyroar, which started to run away from the field of carnage, the female following as the Zoroark jumped into the trees, shooting after the riders. While for now they would not seek battle, not knowing about the threat to the region that their actions would let bloom.
Unseen by the riders leaving the forest a 9 foot tall humanoid form stood farther up the mountain in front of a cave, it had a hunched over reptilian looking body with bulging muscles, red stone like skin and three eye above a muzzle full of metallic fangs and metallic claws on its three fingered hands and feet. It glared down at the two Chimera feeding on the pack, the flame horn and the others should have been its food, and the interloper hadn't even killed the horned one. It had killed the large grey one's spawn and left them for the flame one to feed on and then the pack had followed the trail it made to see the flame one eat the corpses and attack in anger as all weaklings would do, it was just their weakness made bare. And finally it would have eaten the lower fire chimera and gained its strength for its own, hurt as it was if it survived it would have been easy prey.
It needed to deal with this but how to kill the bug, it looked strong and all it had were those scum it thought as it looked back into the cave. At the back of the cave were 11 six foot tall humanoid creatures fighting over which of them would eat the remains of a grey corpse. They had grey skin, three eyes with a line over each above a muzzle. Their bodies had lines that ran from the back of their hands to their shoulders. Their feet had four claws and a heel spike that let them grip the floor Finally one of them with a scar on the right side of its face tore off a grey leg from the corpse and brought it to 4 weaker looking ones huddled together in the very back of the cave in the darkness, but the hunched one sight could see it feed the others. That one of its spawn was a disappointment, feeding the weak, protecting them instead of eating them, when it was born it devoured all twenty of its siblings and its mother. A commotion at the corpse caused it to see one of them with its middle eye dead use another of its siblings as a club to beat off the others. That one was much better than the scared one it was both strong and merciless, a proper member of its brood. The weaklings were meant to be eaten by the strong, what would it gain from protecting, and what's worst that one would probably… The hunched chimera went still and looked back down at the two Chimera with a sinister looking grin; perhaps it finally had a use for them.
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P A /bardofworlds for special rewards for all patrons
Blunt Iron: A blunt copy of a weapon, made for training purposes and sparing matches
Unifying Treaties: Documents that united the Regions of the world in a loose alliance and peace, creating international origination to keep said peace.
Chimera: Horde: Organization: Hordes of Chimera are led by a specimen that has shown that it is more powerful than the others in the horde, called the Alpha, with its lieutenants if horde is sizeable past a certain number called Betas. In the instances where the Hordes master is immobile, the leader of the hunting party is called the Beta while its lieutenants are Gamma
Chimera: Core DNA: The original DNA of a Chimera, able to identify original Type
Psychic; Oracle: One who is able to divine the future; Leagues train them to worn of disasters that might affect them
Junior Trainer: Required to graduate the ninth grade and being under ten years of age, children are able to own and carry up to 3 Pokémon
Hub: Locations where Dark Quests are posted and information is traded
Black List Chimera: Chimera that have gained an infamous reputation, bounty's are much higher than general Chimera, the head must be shown to official for bounty to be paid