The Front Lines are Drawn
Matthew Vixen looked out the window at the object that had grabbed his attention like nothing else. It was a ship. A ship that looked to be out of the history books he would read when he was recuperating from his open heart surgery. The ship was long, with most of the hull painted black, however towards where the hull meets the boat deck, a thin gold bar of paint ran around the entire length of the ship. Above that, the paint job was white. From the top part of the hull all to the way to the roof of the third tiered rectangle of state rooms, on top of this roof stood four smoke stacks big enough for two train engines to fit in side by side. These funnels were painted black with a large red bar around the top of these. Thick ropes were tied to the funnels, making sure that they were secured to the deck. The ship was too far away, but Matthew had a hunch on what ship it was.
Mel or Mew had stopped to turn around, however a smile was on her small muzzle. "So… you found it? You found your way home, as we said, you will go home being carried on the back of Legendaries… that is the Legendary." Mew giggled and zoomed away, passing over Becky's head as she walked down the stone staircase, her nine tales flowing behind her, she was dressed already in her traveling cloths again, but she was smiling.
As she came up on Matthew's right side she only breathed in deeply. "I must say, they sure know how to clean cloths, I mean, a mud stain that was on the back of my vest is now…. Wow… is that?" her question hanging in the air, for she had just seen the ship out in the bay that the window over looked. A bay that seemed to be naturally protected from the brute force of the elements of the ocean, due to it having an almost mouth like appearance with the land closing around the ship, leaving only a thin amount of maneuvering out of the bay.
"That, my dear friend, is a ship thought to be lost at sea, The S.S. Legendary. A ship dedicated to every single legendary, built to help appease the legendaries to allowing the ship company to travel the ocean, you know the old myths, they name one of their first ships after a legendary, usually Lugia, or Ho-oh or even Mew… but this one. This one was to all of them, the grandest, most luxurious of her time… but hard times came twenty years ago and they had to sell her, they tried to keep her out of the scrap yard but in the end they had to give her up. However, during the trip and her final voyage, an angry storm came up and supposedly sank her. The skeleton crew was found in five life boats, all that were left for mortals of her grandeur. But now… we know we know what became of her." Matthew was all starry eyed, looking at the ship, even though he was now part fire type, he couldn't throw away a childhood love, his knowledge of ships would always remain, he knew that.
Becky only sighed and had left halfway through the speech, but Matthew didn't realize it. He was paying too much attention on the Ship. She soon found Ethan, he was standing on the front steps of the castle looking around the flat lands around the castle, and beyond that… the rolling green hills, the sky was a deep blue, but to the east, grey clouds looked like they were coming. "So… what have you been up to? I see you woke up early."
Ethan looked over at Becky and only giggled a little. "Let me guess, Matthew is staring at the Legendary still? I advise you to just enjoy the weather and train a little bit in your Ninetales form. He won't be coming until lunch… Celibi told me, so take it easy… now if you excuse me… I have to find Eve and Dark Wing. Kyle is with Moltres talking about who knows what; he is a little draconic now so he needs to talk to some of the legendaries." With that he disappeared into black mist.
Becky only sighed and got onto all fours and a moment later a Ninetales trotted away to try and train somewhere. She soon by her thinking accident stumbled upon Entei who seemed to be just sitting in the middle of one of the valleys. When she saw Entei she stopped and bowed her head. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were…"
"Please no need to worry, I just was waiting for you to come… but… Why did Mew have to take that ship out of hiding now? I can tell you, that seem to be a weakness, don't worry he'll come… about…" At that moment another Ninetales stumbled into the meadow at a full run, he seemed too looked a little out of breath and a little worried.
"So sorry… I guess I lost track of my own time… I still cannot believe that you saved that ship." Matthew had come into the valley now as well and with that, Enti only shook his mighty head and with a roar charged without warning right at Matthew.
Matthew without thinking jumped to the side and crouched with a growl he raised all nine of his tails and at the tips small fire balls began to form… they then turned a ghostly blackish purple. He then let them loss and they surrounded Enti, only the Pokemon shook his head and they disappeared.
"Good response time is excellent, I must teach you to prepare for the unexpected… since you and I are fire types we will not hurt one another, we will only allow us to grow stronger in the fire for the battle. Come, let us continue." With those words Enti charged again.
All around the Island, the legendaries began to train those that had come with Matthew, Ethan, and Becky. With concerning to Kirk, Dirk, Freda, and Robert, all full humans, they were taught about how to try and see who would help in the up coming war. They were given more important matters, matters that would try and help them gain human support around them. All of them were being trained, differently true, but all with one goal in mind, the coming war, the war that would decide the fate of not only humans, but all Pokemon and Hybrids or Morphs. This included the legendaries, strangely, their highest hope and concerned were not with Matthew or Becky, but a ten almost eleven year old, by the name of Ethan Vixen, an Umbreon Morph or, now turning into Hybrid. He had a connection to the element that had corrupted Dark Tail and they feared that Ethan would fall as well, and take more then him with the ride.
Each and every day for a week, and with Celibi, it seemed more or less a month or maybe more… or less. But since it was with Celibi, the inhabitants, excluding Ethan and most likely the other legendaries, couldn't tell how long their practices were, and no matter how hard they asked the others, they would tell. Not even Ethan who was spending more and more time on his own, but usually Matthew noticed that their also was a legendary missing as well. Of course due to the strain of all the practicing and fitness runs, he was most of the time too tired to see where everyone was.
Suddenly, after a time, of which Matthew for the rest of his life would never fully understand how long it was, or took. They were all gathered together. Everyone in what seemed to be a restored part of the town that the castle at one time most likely protected. In the plaza was a statue, a female Ninetales morph. She was holding a stone sword, that even though she stood without the pedestal about ten feet tall, Matthew and other Pokemon could tell that the sword was important, behind her, a small boy, Vulpix Morph, both of them were showing their Pokemon traits, nine tails on the female with ears, muzzle, and paws, both hind and fore. Her dress was a simple one, but flowing, the color was the same as the stone. Around her pointed ears was a ring of flowers. Behind her, the boy was wearing the smock of a blacksmith, as well as thick pants and a loose Blacksmith's shirt. Behind him were six tails curled liked the Vulpix of that day. His hair was curly and his ears were big and triangular, like the female.
Mew only hovered around the statue. "This is it. Today is the day that the legend of old will come. 'Upon the back of the Legendary, generals of old yet new will come. With them comes the last hope to a land at twilight. With them shall be a song of many, they shall command, yet only against the darkness of man and Pokemon. Succeed and al Kanto will see Mew, fail and never again will they see the sun." Mew looked around at the gathering. "The time is now… on board you will find your weapons and armor that will be guides for you making more. Dark Tail will use to weapons of old because no one know about them. But you all do, as well as attacks and smartness use these and Dark Tail will not be able to resist something that will doom him. Disobey us, and you will indeed fall. Remember these words and all will be fine in the end." Mew then smiled and giggled.
The group, who were once strangers together for a nice cruise, is now what would become leaders against the coming tide of darkness and evil. They felt the wind change and they knew that something was happening.
(Vermillion City, coast line)
The Coast Guard Vessel was cruising at top speed, having received a distress signal from a ship that had been outbound from Cinnabar Island. This was unusual, and mighty strange, ships don't radio distress and stop replying, especially if the frequency was still registering. None the less, they were on the way to investigate this strange occurrence.
When they reached vessel in question it checked out fine and safe on the outside, no sign of a ruptured hull or grounded… but still, they didn't like it. As they reach along side the vessel, a dark haze almost cloud began to spill over the sides of the ship, the radio operator, seeing this began to radio to the port an S.O.S. they were unprepared for a hostile ghost Pokemon onboard a brand new ship, but she stops mid-sentence as she looked out over the ocean. "Night… Cinnabar Island is shrouded in an eternal night… MAYDAY, MAYDAY, we are being boarded…. We…." The line went dead.
The port authority looked over at some of his colleagues and looked fearful… he was superstitious and he didn't like the sound of what he had heard. "Close the port, and make sure no ships come in, OR out. I want to make sure that we have trainers and the G-Force out here to stop these ghost attacks NOW." He was overstepping his bounds, but because he had removed his headphones to allow the listening in of the entire room, the others just as scared rushed to activate their protocol.
However in hast to follow the emergency orders, they didn't notice a single life boat slip into the harbor, hiding beneath the cover of a tarp, were Dark Tail and Dark Moon.
(Meanwhile, Sliph Co, Saffron City.)
The guard behind the security desk only blinks at seeing the CEO Giovanni enter the main building. He sits up a little more in his chair and gives a nod. "Working late tonight sir?" was all he asked.
"Yes, and in fact I am expecting some guests, so let anyone with the password…." With this he slips the guard a piece of paper, inside was not a word but money. The guard knew right away what it meant, he smiled and he pocketed the money.
"No worries sir, I'll stop the press and even the Elite for you, you have been so very kind to my family." He smiled for indeed he was telling the truth; of course he wondered why his guests were always dressed in Halloween costumes. But he never questioned an order.
The CEO only grunted and left for a bank of elevators and inserted a key attached to retractable key chain that was clipped to the inside of his business suit. This was a tan color and smartly tailored.
Two different locations, same time as when Mew and the Legendaries were getting ready to sent the group on their way, and not a moment too soon, plans were being set into motion, a direction that had as sure of an unsure outcome that not even Celibi could decipher all the twists and turns ahead.