Pokemon: The Lord of the Elements

Hey, everyone! I won't lie to you when I say that this chapter has a direct tie-in with my background story, Pokemon: Mythos. For starters, it will be heavily concerning May and Dawn's discovery of the mythology of the Flower Knights, who serve one of six beings known as the "Elemental Lords." Their primary function, as stated in the last chapter, was to "protect the beauty of the world." While that concept was indeed meant to philosophically vague, there is also a sense when which that oath was rather simple. They were meant to defend life, nature, and love, and supposedly held to that task for a rather long period of time, which will eventually be covered in the Mythos.

However, long before they were simply an Order, as the Mythos will explain, they were a military branch of a certain kingdom and people called "Sylvanae." As a kingdom, the Sylvanae, otherwise known as "forest dwellers," broke apart during a time that only the Mythos can truly cover, but the Order survived. As I will explain, the Order survived under a chieftain of the broken Sylvana Kingdom, but more or less became lonely wanderers who would only form together as an army under their chieftain's call. At that point, the Order accepted both men and women into their ranks, but there were always more women due to concept that the Order was traditionally Amazonian.

This chapter will cover the final days of the Knightly Order of Flowers before its own disband, but explains a certain role that created a rather great importance in the role of the Flower Knights. The point in time described in this chapter takes place long after the continental divisions of the pokémon world, but still at a point in which legendary pokémon would have still battled each other to the point of world annihilation despite their declining activity. Give or take, fifty thousand years before the start of Ash's journey. It was also a point, however, in which the Mew population had heavily declined enough (along with growing distrust of humans) that they had given their role of being the "guardians of the world" to the dragon-type pokémon.

In any regard, before I will cut off here before I wind up spoiling too much. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave your reviews!

(Warning: This chapter has highly dark concepts to it, including mentions of immoral sexual activity, (you'll see what I mean,) character death, necromancy, and forms of cruelty that may not be suitable for younger readers. Reader discretion is advised.)

Chapter 14

Dragons of the Withered Flower

Of all the tragedies the world has endured since the Great Cataclysm at the end of the War of Tears, it is the Drakadam War, the War of Men and Dragons, that is the worst. It began as tragedies often do: it began with a woman; and she was the queen of Summerland. Now this queen had a certain husband who went to war, and he was mortally wounded upon his return home. Yet, he continued onward until he came to his queen at Mount Necros, where he succumbed to his wounds and died. And so the queen was turned to grief, for her husband was the trueborn king of Summerland, and there was no family that could replace him. But fear and desperation caught her spirit, for she knew that the lords of Summerland would kill her and fight over Summerland until there was once again one ruler over it, as there was no heir.

And so, before the king's body turned cold, the queen called for a necromancer of Mount Necros, hoping that the king's spirit could return to his body just long enough to impregnate her and so she could say goodbye. But when the necromancer called into the Spirit World, it was a spirit of evil that answered. And so the spirit entered the king's body and slew the necromancer. When the queen saw what she had done, she attempted to flee, but the spirit caught her, and used the body of her dead husband to violently take and know her. But when the spirit used the last warmth of the king's dead body to give seed to the queen, it rode that seed into her, and filled her. And so the queen conceived, and that evil spirit became the spirit of the child within her, and that spirit took her mind so she might not kill the child.

But the evil spirit saw the mind of the queen, and worked magic to enslave the minds of others so they would claim to be witnesses of the king and queen's union. And when the lords of Summerland saw that the queen was pregnant, and that there witnesses to vouch for her union with the king, the land was saved from civil war. But after the queen gave birth to her child, a son who was named Malromos, for his eyes were as black as night, she threw herself from the high tower of her palace and died.

And so Malromos grew under the care of the strongest lord of Summerland, who was named the king-regent until the boy was old enough to rule. So the evil spirit slept within the boy while grew so he might not be slain. But when the king-regent intended to seize power for his family by marrying his daughter to Malromos when the two came of age, Malromos learned of the plot through the evil spirit's work of magic. But the boy stayed quiet on the knowledge until he was older. And when he was approaching the age to take the throne, the boy took the regent's daughter and murdered her in the bed. But the Malromos made it seem like a lesser lord had assassinated the regent's daughter, and the regent, in anger, went to war. But as the regent fought, Malromos seized the throne, and declared the regent a traitor to Summerland. So the other lords of Summerland raised their banners and destroyed the army and family of the regent. Those who survived, Malromos enslaved.

And so the evil spirit within Malromos awoke, and Malromos often took pleasure in destroying the lords of Summerland around him and making people his slaves. Often he would send soldiers to burn the crops of any village or city that displeased him, for he demanded that every town pay him tribute in their crops and livestock. He took no one from Summerland into his army, fearing betrayal, but rather raised an army of mercenaries from other nations and regions that were bought by his great wealth of both coin and food. Thus Malromos earned the hatred of the people of Summerland, yet completely destroyed any chance for rebellion as long as Summerland's lords were eliminated. With his slaves, he ravaged Summerland for resources in order to build monuments to himself, and he did not care who was to die in order to build those monuments. He built many brothels for his mercenary soldiers, and ordered them to violate the women of Summerland as they saw fit in order to provide him with more slaves. Men, he worked until they died in exhaustion. Children, he would sometimes sacrifice to himself, as he declared himself a god. And when he did not sacrifice children, he would sometimes make them perform gladiator fights against pokémon for his amusement.

Cruelty to pokémon Malromos loved most, for he loved nothing more than to starve them and make them fight for scraps of food. And he would send women and children, unarmed, to be brutally killed and eaten by those starved pokémon. It was said that his cruel laughter was heard all across Summerland, and both Groudon and Kyogre delved deeper under the earth to escape that laughter. His reign lasted for six years until the outcry of humans and pokémon alike in Summerland was even heard by Rayquaza. Yet Rayquaza did not know the extent of the evil done in Summerland, for he still trusted Men, but he felt the ravaging of the earth. So he sent an emissary to beg Malromos to cease taking so many resources in Summerland. Now the emissary that was sent before Malromos was a Latias, and when she was deeply troubled in her heart when she came before the king of Summerland. For when she saw the palace of Malromos, it was a palace of human blood and bone. Yet, she still came before the king, and she gave him Rayquaza's message.

"My lord and master bids thee cease thy pillaging of the earth," Latias cried. "Doth thou care so little for the peace and safety of this world that thou wouldst see it destroyed? I beg thee, turn away from thy evil and help to heal the world thou hath wounded!"

But Malromos laughed, and did not heed her warning. Twice more in that year did Latias come to Malromos, and twice more did she give him Rayquaza's message. And the second time she came, he laughed. But the third time, he did not laugh.

"Thou ask for peace on this earth, doth thou not?" Malromos scowled. "Very well. I shall give thee the peace thou so desperately desire. I send this message back to thy master! Tell him, I, too, want peace. My peace. Tell him, the world is mine to do with as I will!"

And so Malromos took a spear, and crying out, threw it at Latias. And his soldiers drew their weapons and attacked the dragon pokémon as well. Thus Malromos slew Latias, and sent her head back to Rayquaza in answer. And when Rayquaza received the head of Latias, he was filled with terrible resolve, and made war on the whole of Summerland. Thus began the Drakadam War, a war that the world should never have had to suffer. All the dragons of Summerland took part in this war, and, filled with terrible wrath, slaughtered humans without mercy. Had they only attacked the armies of Malromos, who was then called the Dread Lord, the war would have ended sooner. No person in Summerland had love for the Dread Lord, but they gave up that hatred for protection from the enraged dragons. And so the war lasted until the end of his evil reign.

Now in the seventh year of the reign of Malromos, and late in the first year of the Drakadam War, word had spread across the world of the violence that took place in Summerland. At that time, the empire of Titan reigned supreme in the region of Ostruma, and made its capital city in the western mountains near the sea. The city was named Amonthril, the City of the Silver Hill, for it lay under the glorious shadow of Argentia, the forbidden mountain, and its road led west into Obcidia. Now the king of Titan was called Ramdir, and he had an advisor he loved as his closest friend named Fos, who was renowned for his wisdom as well as being said to be accomplished in the ways of magic.

One day, Fos had been caring for the small pokémon who lived in the shadow of Argentia, that forbidden mountain, and the earth shook beneath his feet. And when Fos looked, Zygarde came out of the side of Argentia, and was filled with rage. But Fos ran quickly to save the small pokemon who lived in the foothills of the mountain and the city, and maybe to calm Zygarde of his rage, for was destroying the land. Now when Fos approached the enraged dragon, he cried aloud and held a jewel above his head.

"Hear me, great Dragon of Order!" Fos wailed. "Why dost thou wreck the land so? Hath my people and offended thee, or the little ones here? I beg thy mercy for them, and beg thee to listen. Will thou not let me try to amend our evil for thee?"

And when Zygarde saw the man and the jewel, he ceased his rampage upon the mountain. Yet, the eyes of Zygarde were filled with rage, as well as sorrow, and the growls of his voice were deep with hate. But after a moment, Zygarde regarded Fos, and spoke.

"Human," Zygarde growled, "why dost thou render me? Thou hath called me by my title, but I do not know thee. I would strike thee down, but thou hast an authority that stilled my heart. Speak! What hast thou done to calm me? I shall not keep quiet for thee long."

"I am Fos," the young man said. "And my authority to speak to thee is not my own, but a part of the sacred oath my forefathers made to Ho-oh long ago. I am the bridge of friendship between pokémon and humans."

"Then thou art a blind and deaf emissary of this world!" Zygarde mocked. "Hast thou not heard?! The War of Dragons and Men hath stained the world with innocent blood in the Summerland. Why should I not destroy thee and thy pitiful race?"

"If what thou say is true, then thou hath every reason to kill me and my people," Fos frowned. "But I beg thee to allow me to take up the oath of my forefathers, and bring peace once again between pokémon and humans."

"I shall allow thee a chance to prove thy words," Zygarde growled. "But if thou art found to be false, I shall kill thee and take the jewel in thy possession."

So Fos took Zygarde into the city of Amonthril and before King Ramdir. When Fos told Ramdir of the Drakadam in the Summerland to the south-east, the king wept bitterly because of the evil that had been done. Yet, the Titan Empire had its own recoveries to make, and Ramdir could not provide support to the dragons of the Summerland. But when Zygarde began to fill with rage once more, Fos intervened.

"Spare this city, great dragon of order!" Fos begged. "I know of an army that could be of thy service. Use me and those who wilt follow me, but spare my king and home thy wrath."

"What army, human?" Zygarde growled, anger still in his eyes, but Fos turned to Ramdir and knelt before the king.

"I ask, my old friend and king, that thou wouldst give me leave to go to Argentia," Fos bowed his head. "There, I shall show Zygarde the army I spoke of, and uproot the Dread Lord of the Summerland from this world."

"Wouldst thou abandon the kingdom thou hast sworn thy life to?" Ramdir asked with a heavy heart, reluctant to let his old friend go.

"To defeat the darkness to the south is to defend the people and pokémon of this land," Fos answered. "It is my duty to leave thy side and fight this evil as thou hast commanded me."

"Then go, my old friend," Ramdir spoke sadly. "Do thy duty, and return to my side when thou hast finished."

"Nay, my king," Fos raised his head to look Ramdir in the eyes. "For when I do this, I will take an authority that shall put me at odds with thee. Therefore, I ask that if I return, thou wouldst give me leave to retire to the southern mountains and hills by the sea."

"If that is thy wish, I shall not withhold from thee," Ramdir nodded. "Now leave, and may Arceus watch thy steps."

Therefore Fos left the city with Zygarde and they went up the forbidden mountain. Now three had passed when they came to the summit of Argentia, and Fos held aloft his jewel at the peak. And when the jewel met the light of the sun, a fiery rainbow appeared before them and Ho-oh came forth from the blaze.

"Who hath summoned me from my watch over this world?" Ho-oh demanded, his eyes ablaze with the same fire as the rainbow he came from.

"I have," Fos answered, and bowed before the rainbow bird before speaking again. "To uphold my duty to protect the world of men and pokémon alike, I have called upon thee to make good on thy pact with the servants of the Sylvan Elemental Lord."

"Proof of thy lineage thou have," Ho-oh nodded, "but why should I aid men? Have they not corrupted themselves and made war upon the dragon-kind?"

"Indeed, the sons and daughters of the Summerland hath brought ruin on humanity," Zygarde growled. "They are surely to be wiped from the world!"

"Then thy kin shall fall with us!" Fos cried. "If thou wouldst not heed the call of the Elemental Lords, wouldst thou heed the call of the bond between Sato and Giratina?"

But Ho-oh fell quiet and landed before the pair. And when the eyes of Ho-oh met the eyes of Fos, the great rainbow bird examined the heart of the human before him. And after quiet counsel, Ho-oh spread his wings once more, and fire came out from them.

"Thou art either wise or cruel to call upon such names," Ho-oh cried to the heavens. "But the name of Giratina, I shall not ignore. Yet, I shall not put aside my anger against humanity."

"Then take out thy anger upon me," Fos stared at Ho-oh. "I invoke the call of the Order of Flowers to take up the sword against the evil worked in the Summerland. Let me avenge the dragons of the Summerland, and pokémon across the world."

"Then I shalt call the Flower Knights to thee," Ho-oh relented. "But for thy punishment, I require the blood of thy kin."

"I have no kin," Fos frowned. "There is only me."

"Not so!" Ho-oh answered. "For thou hath a cousin from afar in the west. Shalt I take your blood, or hers?"

"Then take mine," Fos said firmly. "I wish no harm upon her."

"Thou hast chosen wisely," Ho-oh nodded, "for she shall bear two lines that will either see the world break, or help to reshape it. But thy life remains thine for now. When it is time, I shalt take it, and my anger satisfied. Yet, when thy life becomes mine, I shalt take thy jewel as well, and grant it to thy cousin. Therefore, go, and prepare ships and food. For I shalt gather the Flower Knights from all the corners of the world, and they shalt be the greatest army the world hath ever seen. Look for their coming in four years, and thou shalt have thy army."

And so Ho-oh went his way, and Zygarde, being satisfied that his kind was to be helped, went away also. Now it was late in the fourth year of the Drakadam War when the Flower Knights and their pokémon had fully arrived to the call of Fos. When they set sail southwards for the Summerland, the number of Knights were two hundred thousand, and their pokemon were counted six for each Knight.

It was in the fifth year of the war, the twelfth year of the reign of the Dread Lord, Malromos, that Fos landed upon the shores of the Summerland with the Flower Knights. Green and silver were the colors of their banners, crimson was the color of their swords, and it seemed that the sun followed them wherever they marched. Where they went, it was as if they brought the very wrath of Arceus with them, and death quickly took those who did not flee at the sight of them.

Now it took the Flower Knights a year to wipe the Summerland clean of the filth of Malromos, and they surrounded the capital of the Summerland and put it to siege. But for all their strength, the Flower Knights had taken their toll; for they had lost many to the mad and evil devices of the Dread Lord, and the dragon-kind of the Summerland refused to help them, distrusting humans. But Fos thought cautiously on the matter and resolved to starve the defenders of the capital fortress out. It was by the end of the sixth and final year of the Drakadam War, the thirteenth year of his reign, that Malromos resolved to break the siege with all his strength; for he had taken many provisions from the people of the Summerland during their long oppression and had not been starved much, and had heard whispers of some dissent amongst the Flower Knight. Some of this dissent was caused by complaints from Knights who felt too far from home for too long, and others were caused by jealous rumors of Fos taking a beautiful Knight he had fallen for to his tent.

And so Malromos struck fast and hard against the Flower Knights in the dead of night to try to break them. Many on both sides fell that day, and it seemed that victory would go to the Dread Lord, but a great roar sounded above the clashing armies and Rayquaza appeared to them alongside Ho-oh, with a legion of the dragon-kind at their backs. Thus the dragons and Flower Knights drove back the army of Malromos and entered into the fortress-city. But even as they entered, the Dread Lord came forth and did battle with Fos. The two struggled against each other long and hard, neither giving an inch, but the demon that possessed Malromos drove harder. Fos, understanding his strength was fading and that the demon could not be overwhelmed by force alone, therefore, used his own magic that came from his jewel; he cut down the demon with his power, and as Malromos fell, Ho-oh swept down with his fire and struck down Fos as well. Thus the Dread Lord and Fos perished that day, and the Flower Knights disbanded, having lost their last chieftain and no known heir to replace him.

…

Hey, everyone! Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. It was a tough write, but fun to come up with this piece of backstory! Anyway, please leave your reviews. For the next chapter, I plan to get back to May and Dawn, and the story of them trying to piece together the information they got from the book this chapter goes into. Have a good day!