Chapter 1: Bonds
It had been about three weeks since Jaune had last seen Darkrai. Little did the young man know, the legendary pokemon had stayed nearby. Interested in the hunter in training, he would observe the young boy. It was currently about 7 a.m in the morning and a tired Jaune still in his Pancham onesie yawned. On his back and waist were his fathers old weapons, Crocea Mors.
Jaunes father had returned home and had begun teaching Jaune the many ways pokemon help Huntsmen and Huntresses fight. Garret Arc stood at a whopping 6'6 and wore a simple blue shirt with brown pants, opting to wear no shoes as he stood on the soft grass of his front yard alongside his Aggron. On his back and waist were a longsword and shield. On his wrist, a black band of some kind with a rainbow colored stone.
Garrett's Aggron to other pokemon and hunters/huntresses would be an intimidating figure. It stood a foot above the average height of normal Aggrons. Above its left eye, there were three scar marks that ran over the left side of its face. Embedded in the hole behind its right horn was a metallic colored stone, upon closer inspection one could see swirling metallic energy.
The armor plated creatures body was covered in scratches and scars all mementos from its journeys with Garrett. Despite all of that, the Aggron's armor was polished and exhibited a vibrant metallic sheen under the sunlight. This was certainly an alpha creature, one that has seen many battles.
Jaune and Aron sat down watching their fathers and listening intently on the advice that Garret was giving. Right now Jaune was learning how to establish a link with his partner Aron.
"You see Jaune, pokemon are not just a Hunter's partners. But they are part of our very souls, and vice versa." Garrett said as he walked up to his Aggron and held out a fist for a bump that the large steel pokemon returned. Jaune watched as Aggron and his fathers aura began to emerge from their bodies. Garretts, aura was a holy white and Aggrons a robust refined grey.
The two auras emerged from the feet and crawled up their bodies outlining them and bathing them in their color. Jaune and Aron watched as the two auras met at the fist bump, it was in this moment that the two younglings felt a shift in the air.
A gentle wind was generated by the connection of the two auras in front of them. The two energies then became one as they both were bathed in the light. Upon this, Aggron and Garrett both turned towards a collection of boulders.
Without a word Aggron opened its mouth and fired off a powerful Flash Cannon. Jaune covered his eyes as the backlash of the wind blew back. "Our minds have become one, and so has our vision. Right now I can see what Aggron sees and he can see what I see."
Garrett, then demonstrated by attempting to kick Aggron in the head from behind only to have the large pokemon gracefully(for its size) duck out of the way.
"You can even use pokemon moves." Garrett said as Aggron used Metal Claw. Jaune watched as his fathers hand also gained a metallic shine.
"Although I'd advise you be very careful, remember we are humans so take care in what techniques you borrow." His father warned with a stern voice."Though two separate species, we are one family united in friendship and bonds to face the darkness known as the Grimm."
The two fathers then turned towards their sons. Garrett sat down, still glowing and made eye contact with Jaune. "Now then, place your hand on Aron and recite the aria that I had taught you. You will feel a shock at first, but trust in Aron as he trusts in you."
Jaune turned his body towards Aron as the two partners locked eyes. Aron, let out a happy chirp announcing that he was ready.
"Two lights amidst one darkness, we shall stand against it together. Though separate we are whole, your hands my will, my hands your will. Here is my oath, together we shall become all the good of the world." Jaunes eyes snapped open with a grayish shine, he could feel Arons strength coursing through his body.
It was an odd feeling, it was as if the wind was rushing against his back. His body felt weightless, almost as if he was being uplifted by the strength of the bond that he shared with Aron.
Suddenly he could feel his blood stop, his body jolted in place almost as if an iron coating was covering him. In his heart he felt a presence, something that wasn't there before. As he placed his hand over his heart, it felt as if strings pulled on it.
His eyes slowly drew away from staring into the open space and locked onto Arons. The tiny metal pokemon stared back at him with its head tilted to the side.
Aron, felt it as well the connection that they both had. That little tug in his heart that told him his trainer was nearby.
"Ye-!" Jaune yelled out in excitement taking a step forward to embrace his pokemon. But, as soon as he took the first step he fell to his knees. His body began to tremble, he could barely stand and felt as if he was being crushed under his own weight. Jaune gritted his teeth as Aron ran over to him in worry.
"Ar, ar!" The small metallic pokemon chirped as Garrett and its father walked over. Garrett knelt down by his sons side.
"How does it feel? Since your bonding with a rock/steel type the first contact would be feeling the weight of rocks and steel." Garrett said to his son. The young boy was struggling, the power something that he was not used to.
"This is where it starts. You have to learn how to control your strength that you have shared with Aron." Garrett continued as he placed a hand on the ground, with Aggron following suite. Jaune and Aron watched as their fathers pressed down on the ground creating a small crater.
"Your first pokemon, will be the most difficult to bond with. But, after that you will find it easier to bond with the others that come to join you." As he stood up with a smile he stared down upon his son who was trying his best to get up.
"Don't worry Jaune, it takes time to get up. I remember it took me about thirty minutes back then." Garrett said.
"W-w-w-wait! How…..long….am….I...gonna...be….like….this?" Jaune strained the words out of his mouth as his dad chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well…."
(Two hours later)
"Is he still out there?" Joanna asked in worry, her husband stood next to her with his arms crossed.
"Well at least he isn't burning the yard like Alicia did with her Charmander." Garrett replied as Joanna chuckled.
"Or like how that one time Serena and her Squirtle nearly flooded the house."
It was always extremely difficult for Jaune to learn something, this was something that Garrett understood all to well. Jaune from a young age though willing to work hard lacked many of the qualities of talent that his elder sisters had.
Thirty minutes was actually a very, very fast time to connect with your first pokemon. There have been times in the heat of battle where a hunter would bond immediately when it was for the survival of both parties. In truth, Garrett had lied to his son earlier the reality was that he and his Aron(Aggron now) had bonded immediately.
His father had created a life or death situation in order to force Garrett to bond with his Aron. Back then thinking about it, Garrett could remember vaguely about how he almost died. His own father and his Aggron had attacked them forcing them to bond in the heat of the moment.
It was a cruel but effective tactic, something that the Arc clan had been doing for centuries. Passed down by their family, after leaving the Arc clan and releasing his title as heir he swore that he would never do such a thing to his own children. Recalling life with his family was still something that was uneasy for him.
"The weak shall be discarded and the strong shall flourish." The words that his grandfather had beaten into all of his grandchildren and children.
Breaking from his thoughts his attention turned back towards his son and his sons Aron who was cheering him on.
Aris his oldest daughter, had only taken 32 minutes to bond with her Bagon. The other six had taken time from the 33-40 minute marks. Yet after two hours here Jaune still was trying to complete his connection.
There was a way, something that Garrett could simply say that would probably make the connection go over smoothly. But that was not an option, he did not do that for his daughters and he certainly wasn't planning on playing favorites with his son.
Jaune would go through this process the same way his daughters did. The older man frowned as a lightbulb went off in his head. Perhaps, he could help Jaune but not in a way that would give him any sort of advantage. Perhaps he would have to revert to the old ways for Jaune to grow. "Do you remember what my father did to me to trigger the connection?"
Joanna, flinched when she heard what her husband had just suggested. "Absolutely not, why would you even suggest something like that? We told ourselves that we would never ever, do anything that your 'family' did again."
"I know, I know it's just…...you know how difficult it is for Jaune." Garrett said as Joanna softened her intense gaze. She stared back at her son, knowing that she couldn't coddle him forever.
She also knew for a fact that Garrett was absolutely nothing like his family. He wouldn't hurt Jaune. For a brief moment when she stared into the yard, she swore that she had seen the shadows shift underneath a tree near Jaune. "Must've been my imagination?"
"But regardless Joanna, you know I will never ever hurt Jaune. But this might be the only way for him to ever grow." He then grabbed a hold of his wife's hands and carressed them. " I will only do it if you agree though my love."
"I…..I know, but still." Joanna steadied her voice. She had always been more protective of Jaune, because of how he was. But she knew that right now, Jaune needed this to grow if he was going to continue on this path. She locked eyes with her husband, her hazel eyes met his cerulean ones and she nodded.
(Jaune)
"Damn it! Why is this so hard?" Jaune for some reason whenever he felt that the connection would click, it would come apart.
"Ar…" Aron gave sad chirp as his trainer gave him a strained grin.
"Don't worry Aron, I got this it'll just take me a while!" As Jaune spoke sweat was pouring off his body. He was tough, he could at least say that much about himself he would get this done today no matter what.
A couple of meters away, Darkrai sat in the shadows observing the boy watching the phenomenon that he had seen in the past. "This boy, he has a strong will but he lacks natural skill."
Darkrai, slinked deeper into the shadows when he heard the door of the house open. The man from earlier the father of the boy stepped forward an emotionless gaze on his eyes. His Aggron stepped forward and picked up its child.
"Ar! Ar!" Aron shouted as its father picked it up. The Aggron merely growled forcing its son to submit and become quiet.
"Aron? Dad? What are you doing?" Jaune asked as his father stepped about thirty feet away from him. Jaune, was taken aback from the look on his fathers face. His father had always smiled in front of him, never once disciplined him. But right now, his fathers cerulean eyes seemed hollow and distant.
"Jaune, you're weak and if you don't master this bond and move right now." Garrett raised his right arm, a ball of metallic energy began to gather in front of his hand. He was charging up a flash cannon. "You will die."
Jaune couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe it, but he had heard his fathers voice. He had never heard or seen his father like this before, he could feel the energy of the attack rise.
"Move Jaune, come on you have to MOVE!" Jaune tried to force his body to move but it just wouldn't. He could feel it, his father was very serious.
Off to the sidelines the dark observer chuckled inwardly. It rose its right hand and began to communicate with the boy. "Very well, I shall help you but just a little. The rest you will have to do yourself boy."
"What? Darkrai?" Jaune asked in his mind out of surprise as he felt an energy move him just slightly.
Garrett Arc, merely watched as a booming echo resounded as the metallic energy burst forth from his right hand, the silver energy flew forward ripping through the air.
"AR!" Aron broke free from the grip of Aggron and ran to intercept the attack. "I'm coming to help you Jaune!"
Words that only the pokemon in the vicinity could understand as it charged forward with an Iron Head attack ready to intercept. It was in this moment that Jaune leaped forward embracing his Aron, a gray energy swirled around Jaunes right hand.
"Metal Claw!" Garrett thought to himself with wide eyes as he watched his son.
"RAH!" Jaune roared as the Flash Cannon soared towards him, raising his right hand he slapped away the Flash Cannon. Everyone watched as the attack flew off into the direction of the house and destroyed the top portion of the roof before going further and creating an explosion somewhere.
Glass, and wood could be heard breaking as Garrett realized what had just happened. "Oh shit, Jaune your mother's gonna kill me!"
"GARRETT YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
(Thirty Minutes Later…..)
"Ouch, ouch Dad your Flash Cannon still hurt my hand." Jaune said as Aron laid on his lap napping. Garrett on the other hand had a medkit and was tending to the bruises on Jaunes right hand.
"I'm still impressed, I had only shown you Metal Claw once, and you were able to use it in that moment. Make sure not to use it too often though, we Hunters use weapons for a reason." Jaunes father lectured as he nodded. "You could've merely drawn Crocea Mors in that moment and used the shield to block the attack."
"How much of your power was in that Flash Cannon dad?" Jaune asked.
"Do you really want to know the answer to that?" The older Arc asked as his son nodded. "I had used only about 5% of my total power."
He was telling the truth, that Flash Cannon at most would've only created a ten by ten crater. It wouldn't even have been that deep, but the fact that Jaune was able to swat it made Garrett proud of his son. Jaune on the other hand gulped at hearing his father say that he only used 5% of his total power.
"Now we will have to begin working on training your body alongside Aron to be able to withstand the bond. Steel types go by the saying 'The best offense is a good defense' and so I will teach you my fighting style. Your sisters were all different from me and your mother so we had to outsource." Jaunes father then ruffled his hair.
"Good job son, I'm glad that you're just like your old man." Garrett replied as Jaune nodded happily not knowing what to say. He made his father proud of him, and that in itself was its own reward.
Filled with pride Jaune couldn't help but have a cheesy smile on his face. Although he began to think about Darkrai. "Was that my imagination? Or did Darkrai actually help me?"
Pushing the thought away, Jaune decided to glance over at his dad who stared off into the forest blankly. "Hey Dad."
"What is it Jaune?" His father replied still staring off into the forest. He swore that he had seen something lurk around in the shadows. A loud snort could be heard from Aggron as it stomped its right foot forward. Garrett, quickly stood up placing his hand on his sword and shield.
"Dad? Aggron? What's wrong?" Jaune asked worried as Aron woke up and the sounds of motorcycles and trucks could be heard coming from the forest.
"What's all the commotion?" Joanna asked as she stepped out from the house.
"Jaune, take Aron and go inside the house with your mother right now." Garrett wasn't asking, it was a command and Jaune understood immediately and went inside the house with his mom. Jaune and his Aron watched through the window with his mom.
"White Fang? What are they doing all the way out here?" Joanna said to herself as Jaune started to remember the name. If he had recalled correctly, as his father put it they were a group of faunus that had gone rogue.
Three white vans and four motorcycles pulled up as a man walked forward. He seemed to be a dog faunus of some sort. He had a type of pole-arm placed on his back, and wore a white armored hoodie that had holes for his ears to stick out of.
"Hello human, the names Morado. I am here with my associates to kindly ask to search your premises for something." The man said as a Houndoom stepped forward next to him. A bunch of White Fang grunts, about twelve in total stepped forward.
"Really now? Can I ask what it is you could possibly be searching for? After all if something dangerous is on MY property I would like to know." Garrett replied as he crossed his arms. Aggron then stepped forward and locked eyes with the Camerupt the two began to stare one another down.
"H-h-h-hey boss look at that Aggron."
"A larger than normal Aggron, with three scar marks on its left eye. A tall blonde built man with a sword and shield. B-b-boss this is the 'Iron Sentinel' Garrett Arc." One of the grunts stammered out as the rest took a step back.
"They say that his Aggron was able to stop the charge of a Goliath and rip it in half." Tabitha then coughed loudly making his grunts all shut up.
"Anyways, back to business the things a secret so 'Iron Sentinel' mind letting us look around?" He asked as Garrett shook his head.
"Sorry, I'm gonna have to ask you to politely get off my property." Garrett said with a firm tone. Everyone watched as he flexed his right bicep as metallic gauntlets appeared on both his arms.
The ground underneath Aggrons right foot shattered as the two activated their bond. Garrett had heard recently about the White Fang and their shenanigans. Though he felt pity for them, he would not let them desecrate the home he built for his family.
"HAHA! I don't mind a good fight! Fine then beat me and we'll leave Iron Sentinel!" Morado yelled as he pulled out a red spear, on the shaft one could see many buttons.
"Houndoom Flamethrower!" Morado yelled as the pokemon leaped forward and spewed out a stream of hot flames.
"Aggron Protect." Garrett commanded as his large bulky pokemon moved with grace unbefitting of such a heavy creature. An emerald force field appeared as Aggron held out its right arm. Out from behind Garrett appeared bringing his shield down with the intent to smash the skull of the Houndoom only for a spear head to burst from behind said pokemon.
Garrett raised his shield easily blocking the attack. He placed his shield arm at his side and locked eyes with Morado. Aggron from behind him let out a deafening roar as pressure could be felt placed upon the shoulders of the grunts.
"Stay back grunts. He's too much for you guys." Morado stepped forward with his spear, as he twirled it one could hear the sound of the twirl echoing, and getting louder. A sonic boom was heard as a projectile was launched from the twirl.
"A semblance that creates sonic booms? Interesting." Garrett slapped the soundblast to the side with his shield and charged forward.
He jumped up as Aggron came charging covered in metallic energy charging forward with an Iron head attack. Morado jumped forward as well thrusting his spear forward as his Houndoom charged forward with a Giga Impact. Garrett blocked the attack with his shield.
As he blocked he redirected the attack to force Morado to the right, in doing so he brought up his sword and brought it down on Morado who twirled in the air dodging the attack. He widened his eyes as Garrett suddenly appeared above him and rose his shield arm.
Garrett's semblance as Absorption Impact. He could absorb damage or shock and transfer it into tremors of power or bursts of impact.
"Rah!" Garrett roared as he slammed his shield arm that began glowing into the stomach of Morado.
While that happened the two pokemon collided creating a large explosion. The grunts watched as Houndoom was sent flying into one of the vans denting it. At the same time their leader Morado was sent flying towards them creating a crater in the ground.
"Yeah!" Jaune yelled as his Aron chirped happily. Joanna on the other hand sighed in relief, at least Garrett didn't use his axe form he would've caused more damage to their home with that. Also Aggron ended things quickly thankfully.
Houndoom, got recalled to its pokeball as Morado stood up clenching his stomach. A line of blood could be seen leaking from his mouth.
"Heh, to think you would end it that quickly. Fine we'll leave." Morado said as his grunts helped him into a van and they drove off.
(Two Hours Later)
"Alright, today has certainly been an eventful day." Garrett said as he blocked a strike from his son. They were currently going through forms of sword and shield fighting, eventually he would teach Jaune how to fight alongside his pokemon.
Jaune blocked a strike from his father and nodded his head. "Yeah, but you beat him so easily dad! You looked so cool in the air!"
"Haha! Thanks son, don't worry you'll be cool one day as well." Garrett replied as Jaune nodded his head happily.
In the darkness, Darkrai still kept watch. This family was certainly interesting, perhaps he will visit the boy later. For now he shall stay in the shadows silently watching over the boy.
Sorry that took so long guys. I had somethings to take care of, but plenty of time over the holidays to write and so I was able to pull this out. I felt like its going to be a while until Beacon comes so I decided to have some fighting. This gives you an idea of what to expect from this fic.
As always R&R