Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Beacon of Hope

by 1Glimmershine

Niles, a human turned pokemon, is thrown into the unique and unpredictable land of Yandor, an unforgiving land filled with pokemon. Unbeknownst to him, he was summoned here for a mission of utmost importance. However, that mission is just another one of Yandor's many conundrums that he must face. How will he and his future allies survive Yandor's inescapable perils? OCs welcome.

16. Beware, Beware, Relationships Abound

Lore of Yandor #16

Oh boy, now this is a rather ill begotten topic: the ever misfortunate impure types. This frankly insolent label is not one I enjoy covering. Regardless, I must, as it is imperative that we all understand what it implies. Impure types can be one of two things: pokemon that alter their typing or gain another through evolution. However, for one to be given the denomination, they must be a citizen of a province for their newly gained typing. To provide an example, let's consider the torchic line. Under normal circumstances, one would expect them to be a Croudorian since they are born under the primary fire typing. Howbeit, this is not always the case. Because of blazikens gaining the fighting type, this technically allows them to gain Tesparia citizenship. Thus creating a situation where a torchic and combusken, pure fire types, can live in Tesparia. These pokemon, blaziken included, are considered impure types in that province. Whilst this began as a way for high-class and royalty to stand one step higher, it has since become an official term much to our chagrin. Honestly, I don't understand why Kuroi never replaced the term with a more respectful one. Just don't go around using it willy-nilly, it's best kept on paper.

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City Library

The dimly lit library was walled with palm wood bookshelves: a plethora of literature filled the shelves. Circular tables, that could seat at least 6 pokemon, were spread out about within any large empty space. Most congregated near the entrance with the librarian's desk overlooking them. There is a second floor with two obsidian staircases leading up to them, where more adult-oriented books were located.

Sitting alone at one of the tables at the front right side, was Rukous. The girafarig's eyes were briskly panning the words of a book that he had propped up against a wooden block. He was attempting to not acknowledge Court, who was approaching him with haste in his walk.

What possessed him, the boisterous loudmouth, to choose the quietest place when given free time? Whatever, as long as I don't say a word, he'll get bored and leave and I can continue my enjoyment in silence. Rukous thought.

Court hopped in a chair next to him and looked over at him with a wide smile. "Sooo, what sort of stories are you a fan of?"

No response, Rukous kept his attention on his book.

"If you're confused as to why I'd be here, well, I'm not really here for stuffy books," the totodile elaborated. "To be frank, books aren't really my jive, but I've always been curious how they appeal to others. It's one of the few forms of entertainment I haven't clicked with, which is a shame."

A free more seconds of awkward silence staggered by. Rukous only became more focused on the pages.

Court clicked his tongue, offering a prying smile. "I was hoping you'd have some tips and tricks on how to enjoy reading."

Rukous stretched his neck, still choosing to give Court the silent treatment. Court audibly scooted his chair closer to him and tried to peek at what he was reading. As soon as Court's blue scales came into Rukous's vision, he skirted further away.

Court frowned and scooted over to him again. "Come on, Rukous, all I wanna do is cheer up a fellow teammate!" He jubilantly exclaimed.

The wordless chase of squeaking chairs continued until Rukous was halted by the table leg. He let out a dragged out sigh as he gazed up at the ceiling. I'm going to regret this, but I suspect that I have no choice.

"Look Court, I'm sorry if this seems rude of me, but there are pokemon that prefer some alone time," he remarked, sounding aggravated. "Believe it or not, social interaction is not everyone's MO."

"I know that," Court said, resting his arms on the table. "Except, don't you think that at least a bit of talking and having a good time with your buds can provide the greatest memories?"

"I won't argue with you on that subject, since it's a matter of personal preference," Rukous asseverated, facing away from Court. "If you wish to have an energetic conversation with me - look elsewhere."

Court tapped a claw against one of his golden yellow spikes. Guess I should just be clear with him.

"To tell the truth, I sought you out because of your rather bitter attitude last night," Court explained with concern in his tone and face. "I only wanted to brighten your morning with something more pleasant to think about."

Rukous leaned on his hoof upon the table, a defeated expression flying to his features. He's not going to let it be isn't he? Might as well not fight it.

"Please just keep it civil and preserve the tranquility of the library."

"Of course, of course, I can totally manage that." Court grinned, well aware that he most certainly can't. "As I was saying before, I'm genuinely interested in giving books a fair shot. I tend to struggle to stay engaged past the first chapter or so."

"Then you must not be approaching them with the right mood," Rukous stated as a matter of fact. "Judging by your nigh constant liveliness, I suspect that your mind feels too dulled when forced to focus on reading. Due to the unmoving state, your attention span will have your eyes pulled towards anything else that isn't the pages until you finally put the book down. To summarize, I highly doubt you'd ever be able to properly enjoy literature in its finest form of ink on paper."

"Nerd…" Court commented smugly before crossing his arms and pursing his lips. "I can still have fun listening to stories told through music or even on stage in theatres! They should just do that for every book for handicapped pokemon like me."

"To create a theatrical performance for every piece of literature would require insurmountable effort and resources," Rukous chided, frowning at his inconsideration of obvious logic. "Furthermore, live acting usually fails to include all the intriguing and thoughtful details that authors put in their story. They often overblow the drama and romance to keep your attention. That is why I keep to the books, since they allow me to observe and mull over every word I read; fully engrossing myself with the world and characters. That is where the joy in reading lies, as well as the complementary peace and quiet."

A lopsided frown formed upon Court's face. "That sounds awfully like too much thinking, and my brain reserves thinking for lyrical genius," he remarked in a joking manner. "But, I don't know, couldn't you add more spice to it?" He tapped one of his spikes in though as a wide smile slowly grew. "Like say… throwing in musical intonation for every sentence!"

"How so? I can't see the purpose of such an unconventional method." Rukous shook his head. "Authors don't write with the intention of their words being sung. Surely, it doesn't translate well."

"It would further highlight each word, preventing reading from ever being a snoozefest! It could go something like this…"

"Please don't-"

~The conclusive battle rages on~

~Our grand and glorious savior rushes forth~

~Multi-strikes emboldened by their grace…

~One slash, two slash to win the race!~

Rukous sprouted a smile conflicted with amusement and embarrassment. He's certainly not terrible at what he does. Although, this is attracting the wrong crowd…

~Neither falter, stakes made true…

~Light and darkness, a clash cuts through…

~Between their souls, conflict arose…

~Both wield hope, only one may shine~

~One slash, two slash to purify the brine!~

Before he could continue, the librarian, a simisage, made their looming presence known with a snap of their yellow fingers. Other pokemon glanced at Court and Rukous with a mixture of annoyance and attentiveness.

"Very beautiful, but this is not the place for song or dance, young man," the simisage chastised. "You're disturbing the other patrons' peace of mind. If you wish to suddenly break out music, take it to Acron."

Court rested his lute by his side. "But you admit that it was-"

"Our apologies, sir," Rukous interjected, a droplet of sweat forming on his cheek. "We'll be taking our leave now."

He quickly shut the book and left his chair. "Court, please do not bother anyone further."

Court put his lute on his back and followed Rukous out of the library.

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City

Rukous glared daggers at Court. "There's a time and a place…"

"Yeah, I intended to keep it down low but I sort of got swept off my feet by the performance," Court admitted, adding in a nervous laugh. Then, he pointed at Rukous with a teasing grin. "Though, don't think I didn't notice the speckle of enjoyment you showed for a brief moment!"

Rukous let out an annoyed grunt. But a faint smirk fought its way to his expression. "I cannot lie, you impressed me despite it being improperly timed," Rukous belatedly confessed. "You are more of a wordsmith than I had you pinned for. That's something I can respect at least a little bit."

"So you agree that it can enhance the experience of reading then?"

"No. It's quite unnecessary for my tastes."

"Oh… I'd bet that with a few more verses, I'd have you convinced!" Court claimed with confidence. "Although… the lyrics were entirely off the top of my head, so who knows how much longer I'd have kept it going."

Rukous's eyes widened, genuinely impressed. "All that, just in a split second of thinking?! Wow, meanwhile, most authors I know stop at 'The' for a hot minute."

Court threw out a coy look with a shrug. "Eh, it's a different mindset," he stated before smiling warmly. "All creators' imaginations aren't made equally. So long as you're proud once you reach the end, nothing should ruin it for you; regardless if it took you eons or milliseconds."

Rukous entered a relaxed state. "You know, Court, you're not as bad as I had thought initially," he reflected. "Still troublesome and loud, but I get that it's merely differing perspectives that set us apart. Just, please avoid bursting my bubble in the future, I do value my alone time."

"Well, hopefully your bitterness has been alleviated for the near future. I don't want to see our team at arms with each other again…" Court's head drooped low.

"I do feel better," Rukous assured, although his expression remained neutral. "Albeit, life isn't so simple, it'll never be without conflicts. Nonetheless, I do appreciate that my sour disposition did not deter you from me. But I do want to say my goodbye to you for the time being." I wonder where Lulu is…

"See-ya Rukous!"

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Eskor Province: Mightfrost Gym

Everything you would want to improve your prowess at battling was present inside the gym: dummies, targets, treadmills, you name it. In the back, there were a few ice themed, rectangular arenas. Standing across from each other in one of them, is Sheila and Sornos.

Sheila scanned the gym, appearing very unsettled. "Why's there like, no one else here?" She asked no one in particular.

She palmed her fist, gesturing towards Sornos with a competitive glint in her eyes. "Not that I'm complaining, we can go all out without consideration until one of us is out cold! Heh."

"Heck if I know, Eskorians tend to avoid violence like the plague," Sornos remarked with a frown, folding his arms across his chest. "I suppose training for something you'll rarely, if ever, engage in is unnecessary in their eyes. It's quite pitiful really; a whole province shaken to the core by the lowest amount of aggression."

"That's why they have mercenaries to face the perils for them!" Sheila vigorously proclaimed, raising a fist with a proud smirk.

"We can't protect everyone," Sornos replied in a tone that presented no sympathy. "The lack of self-defense is costly for anyone."

"Whatevs, just be glad that there'll be no witnesses to this butt whooping I'm gonna deliver you!" Sheila boldly taunted, her long toes gripping the icey floor. "New blood over old bloo-"

Sornos launched a rock at Sheila's chest, causing her to recoil back in pain. He purposely held back from using the Stone Edge at full force, not wanting to harm her too much. She gawked at him in fury, clutching the spot where it had left a welt.

"I hadn't even gotten into my cool battle stance yet!" She exclaimed, clearly offended at his lack of respect.

"Your enemies will often afford you zero time to prepare and smack talk," Sornos admonished, making sure to come off as disgruntled as possible. "Always be on guard or you'll make for a rather lousy merc."

"Lousy huh? I'd say not immediately keeling over to a super-effective attack isn't lousy…" Sheila rebutted, puffing her cheeks out.

"Quit talking and pay attention!" Sornos lept at her, fangs bared.

She slid to the side as he flew past her, missing his Crunch. While he was still midair, she retaliated with a ball of flames from her gullet. It collided with the side of Sornos's face, singing his fur and making his eye flinch. Once he landed on the icey floor, he shook the pain away.

Not wasting any time, he sprinted towards the salandit with a chop ready. However, he stumbled halfway there, his talons not finding security on the ice. This allowed Sheila to jump over him, using his shoulders as leverage to gain extra height for her next attack. She lobbed a ball of venom downwards before he could catch some stability. It found its mark on his backside and he clenched his paws in reaction.

"Who taught you these tactics?" He rubbed his back with a groan. "A beginner shouldn't be showing me up like this…"

Sheila also appeared puzzled. "Uh… I don't know, maybe the comics did?" She answered, although she quickly returned to a cocky expression. "Or maybe you still have rust to shake off!"

"I feel that you have dissolved what rust I had left." Sornos cracked his neck. A serious look crossed his face. "You clearly have the basics at least, so it's time to give you a proper example of how precarious type disadvantages truly are."

He slammed his foot onto the floor, causing a crack to rapidly flow over to Sheila. Before she realized, a large sharpened stone erupted underneath her, flinging the lizard into the air and back fist onto the ice, landing right under Sornos's vision. She groaned in agony, finding it difficult to move her muscles.

"O-owww, ok. You made your point…" She lifted her head for a moment, though it felt like lifting a ton of metal.

She smacked the ground in frustration. "Man, type matchups are so lame!"

"It's a fact of life, you must deal with it," Sornos coldly said in a derisive tone. "A majority of pokemon will not honor you with a fair fight…"

"You could've told me that without stabbing my asshole with a rock…"

His expression shifted in revulsion. "Do me a favor and never use stab and asshole in the same sentence again."

"That's literally what you did! I meant nothing weird about it, bonehead," Sheila asserted, actually being genuine.

"In any case, lessons are better learned when experienced firsthand," Sornos informed. "Even if it is hypocritical of me, wearing a mercenary scarf once more…" He lifted his scarf up and gazed into its maroon sea.

"I've been meaning to ask, why did you even retire?" Sheila queried, biting the inside of her lip. "You haven't given the impression that you resent this lifestyle. So… did you just leave your old team behind because you didn't get along or did terrible events befall them?"

Sornos scowled. "Them, tch," he scoffed, scorning at the memory of his old team. "It was not them that got dealt an unfortunate hand."

"So something happened to you then?" Sheila ascertained, sympathy in her words. Did they slight him in some way?

"This isn't a topic I wish to speak further on," Sornos huffed, his temper turning sour. "The past serves no point other than to weigh down on me. Curb your curiosity before it sees us separated."

"...Geez, so sorry for being interested in your past…" Sheila rolled her eyes with a frown. Why's he gotta be so salty about it? He'd really just abandon us purely because of an honest question?!

A vicious look sprawled across his demeanor. "Cut the snark, my life is of no concern to anyone," he ridiculed, shooting his hand out to her. "Get up, I know you've got more than enough in you for round 2."

Sheila smiled. "Whatever you say, grumpy," she teased, gripping his hand for assistance to stand up. "I'll just blast the answers out of you!"

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City: Smoothe Waves Cafe

Nilsine was sitting alone outside of the cafe, enjoying the refreshing afternoon coastal breeze of Jono's beach. Business was slower than usual for the cafe due to the upcoming nightly prismaball grand finals. So most pokemon wanted to get extra hours of rest in. Regardless, Nilsine liked the solitude it provided since she needed time to think.

Though, that loneliness would be changed by Lulu, who had noticed the brooding delphox at one of the tables in the shade of an umbrella. Lulu briefly considered leaving her be, but decided that they both could use some company for at least a small amount of time.

The murkrow sat across from Nilsine and looked at her with concern.

"I know that you probably weren't looking for conversation," Lulu surmised. "But, no 'mon should have to enjoy some delightful tea without company." Rare is it to find myself trying to interact with higher class; however, she doesn't strike me as the typical snotty noble. She's definitely going through a hard time, facing that alone isn't recommended.

Nilsine just noticed her new company and was surprised when her pupils raised up to see Lulu. "O-oh, I-I don't mind it," she stammered with a weak smile. "Far be it from me to reject a warm welcome from my teammate."

Lulu firmly nodded. "Right, we have yet to properly meet outside of the battlefield," she mentioned, offering a friendly and prominent smile. "For a fresh start this time, my name is Lulu, an upcoming great detective I might add!"

"You may call me Nilsine, and I have… nothing more to my name," Nilsine acclaimed, all emotion in her voice subdued. "I'm but only a villain in your triumphant story."

"Heh, well don't count yourself out like that," Lulu rebuked with encouraging energy. "You're an Eternity member now. This is a chance for you to redeem yourself from that sinful life, and you best not squander it. It's not often that one is given the opportunity after all. That triumphant story can be just as much yours as it is ours."

Nilsine shook her head. "Your confidence in me is unwarranted," she denied, gripping her white furred chest.

With half-lidded eyes, she peered into the herbal liquid within her cup. Her mood shifted when she pondered her reflection, becoming downcast. "Many times have I had the chance to change and turned away." It's only different now because my hand was forced…

Lulu focused her eyes on her, scrutinizing every feature upon her form.

"By your scars, distinctly jagged in shape, I'd say those "chances" were hardly obtainable."

Nilsine's fingers shot up to the scar, she raised a brow. "You do possess the keen eye of a detective, that's for certain," she inferred before a pained look formed, which quickly transformed into a deadpan gaze. "Except, these scars came about when it was too late for me to run."

"So you refer to a time before your bandit days?"

"Indeed, as I said previously, my mistake was not noticing the bad omens with my family."

"You held close what you loved most, a forgivable mistake as any."

Nilsine's eyes squinted in grief. "Forgivable…" she murmured, dark clouds culminating within her thoughts. "When is bloodshed ever redeemable? I may not have spilled the crimson rivers, but I opened the gates for them. For all the criminals who got executed for petty crimes in the past, why do I still run free?"

"It's what Vermex decided was fitting for you," Lulu shrugged. "I'll be up front with you, it isn't what I would've done, so I understand the confusion at the notion."

"Vermex perplexes me," Nilsine exasperated, furrowing her brow. "A part of me deigns to think him as stark raving mad as Skorge. His philosophy is exactly why we were able to weather the storm for so long."

"Scrahahaha, he could very well be in the loony bin with Skorge, just more proficient at feigning his attitude," Lulu quipped, trying to bring the mood up. "Believe me, my parents have regaled me with many tales of miscreants they indicted. They come in all forms."

"Teh, but that's just me recalling my brother's incessant rambling about how Vermex and the COY are ruining our lives," Nilsine added, mildly amused at the notion. "Yandor would be up in flames by now if they didn't exist."

"I suppose the facts speak for themselves…" Lulu surmised, clicking her beak.

"Besides, Vermex has always been a hero in the past," Nilsine remarked, crossing her arms. "I can't argue with his reasoning for letting me off easy. Can't question a man like him."

"In any event, it is my opinion that you should fight for yourself," Lulu suggested, becoming serious. "I'm out here risking life and limb because I told my parents that this is what I wanted. Some of my allies will push you down, but that's another portion of the process."

Nilsine frowned. "It's not them that's making this difficult." She hugged herself, her expression glum. "Their distaste is not without justification. Especially for that girafarig…"

"Be that as it may, once you demonstrate that you can be trusted, I'll be in your corner. I'm certain the others will follow that sentiment."

"So you say, so you say…" Nilsine took a sip of her tea. She set it down gently and gazed over at the ebbing waves upon the beach. "We, as sapient beings, will decide for ourselves what is right. That's not to say your words don't offer me slight comfort in this dark chapter." It's going to take more than words, however. Nothing feels different, even with her support.

"Well, let us relax and finish this tea in the solace of silence for the time being."

"As we should."

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City Plaza

The city square, at the center of Jono, was bustling with crowds of pokemon. Most are browsing the nearby shops, others are walking/sitting and chatting. Half of them are tourists from other provinces: half are waiting for the prismaball game. Since the stadium is connected to the square just a couple yards away down a path centered on the junction. Further advertising the game was some appropriately colored banners with either the Specters' or Jetstreams' emblem emblazoned on them. They hung from lampposts, street signs, and outer walls. In the middle of this junction were some benches surrounding the perimeter of a monument. The monument is a marble tower, scaled to be about 20 feet tall, with Rayquaza curled around it like a vine over a pillar.

Imperia was currently resting on one of the benches, scanning about the area.

I was told by some cheerful voice that they wanted to meet me here, and yet, they left me waiting awkwardly around all these folks.

A rambunctious group of non-native pokemon walked near her shouting "WOOOOO! SPECTER SUPERIORITY!" and then "THIS IS THEIR NIGHT TO WIN!"

One of the rowdy bunch, a sableye, turned to face Imperia. Their strange and inconsistent motions was a telltale sign of their drunken stupor.

"Heeey dude, Specters or *urp* Pissstreams?" he questioned, his words barely understood through the slurred speech.

Imperia frowned disapprovingly. "Prismaball is a brutish sport that I have never found myself fond of," she reluctantly responded. "Bother someone else with your intoxicated imprudence."

The sableye made a gesture as if he was throwing something. "Pssshhh! Leave it to a nobleman to not know the difference between a good time and a wooden dick up your ass," he rudely slandered, continuing forwards with his friends. "Whatevah… just leave this killjoy to their dull life, boys."

They laughed in a resounding chorus as they downed their alcoholic beverages, leaving Imperia alone.

Dispreciful oafs like those have me missing my daddy subjugating them without recourse. Had there been a guard nearby, I'd have had them swifty and justly dealt with! No matter, not like they're worth the effort. They're beneath me, their words mean naught all… I know how to have fun, like uh… um… ah forget it Imperia!

"Sorry for the wait," a totodile showed up to greet her, offering an apologetic smile. "This crowd serves as quite the distraction. I promise you that leaving a wonderful lady waiting is anything but typical of me."

Imperia pondered for a moment, her eyes widening ever so slightly. "...For once, a stranger did not identify me as a boy, how praiseworthy," she commented with a tip of her chin. "You're already on your way to being leagues above the rest of your dreadful team."

"Uh well, I appreciate the accolade. I have trained my eye to spot the beauty of a belle in a single blink," Court blushed, bashfully rubbing his neck. "But please don't drag my friends through the mud in the process."

"Then they should stop being synonymous with mud in comparison to their cordiality," Imperia stated, her tone laced with venom. "You are what you act like."

"Fair enough." She must've made a terrible first impression. Of course, it is my duty to welcome any new member with open arms, and open heart to the ladies specifically.

He gave a ravishing smirk. "With your wonderful choice in first-rate clothing, I'd expect misgendering to be less of an issue for you."

"That was the purpose of it," Imperia elated, rolling her eyes. "Apparently, not everyone gets the memo in spite of it."

"Perhaps your outwardly rocky appearance does you no favors," Court quipped, not intending to sound insulting but playful.

When he saw her displeased gaze boring into him, he held his hands up as if he was defending against it. Albeit, he retained his toothy smirk.

"Kidding, kidding! To be honest, I think the fierceness has its own unique charm to it."

"T-truly?" Her refined demeanor had been chipped.

"You're one in a million, aren't you? That counts for something in my mind," Court explained, holding out a shrug. "I mean, I'm the only totodile with gold eyes and spikes, so I'm also a weirdo to others. Thus, I turned it into something worth valuing - the rays of sunshine. Court is the name by the way, I almost forgot the most important part of introductions, heheh."

"...Salutations, Lord Court, you may know me as Imperia," she introduced, a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, I'm not a noble or anything, that moniker is not necessary," Court said with a laugh. "I know that I technically am high-class in Eskor by type association, but I had a different upbringing: one of performance."

"A performer?" Imperia palmed her muzzle, her interest piqued. "I've only had jesters bring that form of entertainment in my manor. Although, I find it difficult to not be aggravated by their pestering attitude."

"Allow me to show you what a real performer looks like then!" Court cleared his throat and tuned his lute. "I feel that you deserve this much after a poor introduction with my teammates."

Imperia motioned for him to stop. "Cease this instant, sir," the tyrunt demanded, causing Court to cut his tuning short. "Not only is this ill-considered adulation, but my ears are not predisposed for a song at the current moment."

"As you wish, madam, I guess I got a bit too presumptuous in the presence of first-class beauty," Court smoothly rebounded. "I'm not miffed about it, since a song does require time in the oven to be best delivered. When you give me the chance, I'll be sure to sing a tune that would assuredly capture your perfection in my eyes."

"You'd spend the effort on me for that? I-wait a second, what am I doing?! This is hardly appropriate for a stranger, from another province, to be seducing me," Imperia suddenly accused, narrowing her eyes. "I won't be so daft as to fall for a predator hunting for my wealth. You'll find that my tongue is not so receptive to your honeyed words," Imperia said. "

"You have nothing to fret about, this does not come from a greedy heart."

"Just the same, my hand is not held without toil." Imperia clicked her tongue in defiance. "You're dreadfully ambitious to believe it to be a simple task."

Court flashed a cheeky grin. "I appreciate a challenge; so by all means, put me up to the test!"

"If you are this determined to be closer to me," Imperia began in a mirthless tone. "Then there is an…" a devious expression infecting her visage, "arrangement that can be made. Fair warning, it will be a long term investment and it isn't precisely what you're vying for. I'm certain a strapping pokemon such as yourself can handle it."

"You'd be correct!" Court gave a thumbs up, his cheerfulness disregarding the implication of her offer. "It sounds like it might be fun!" Though I wonder why she has that sexy but evil look…

"You are astoundingly clueless, which is just what I need."

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Eskor Province: Mightfrost

Niles and Sornos were walking down one of the less populated streets. Sornos checked around, making sure there was no one who could overhear them.

"Who are you really?" he asked, stopping to narrow his eyes at Niles.

"Uhhh, where is this question coming from?" Niles raised his brow, gripping his scarf. "Do you have some sort of memory condition that you never mentioned?"

Sornos was not amused. "There's no wiggling out of this, Niles," he stated, pulling the treecko up to him by his scarf. "No mortal can survive their jugular being ripped out. So what is it: legendary in disguise, Arceus's chosen, or a being beyond our comprehension?"

"No, I'm only Niles, your average treecko…" Niles nervously replied. "Perhaps you do suffer from memory loss, cause I never got my throat bit into."

"Are you seriously trying that on me?" Sornos assumed in a bemused tone. "I know exactly what I witnessed and I'm not content on letting it slide."

Niles let out a long sigh. "Yeah, figures that I can't fool you," he admitted, shutting his eyes. "I had a feeling someone was eventually going to pursue me about it anyways."

"Well?" Sornos said. "Whatever the deal is, I need to know if I can trust you."

"You can trust me if you want, but I don't have a clear answer for you." Niles scratched the green ridges of his head. "It would mean nothing to you even if I said what I was."

"Then say it in terms that I would understand," Sornos demanded, not relenting in his furious pursuit. "You're not scampering away until you provide a satisfactory explanation. If I am being used for some malevolent legendary's goals, I want no hand in it!"

"Best I can say is that I'm not of this world, which means I'm not a legendary either," Niles answered, shrugging his shoulders with a lopsided smile. "That's about it." I can't mention what I saw and heard at the end of that dream, since it is likely that it was a legendary. He's already suspecting some ulterior motive behind my existence. Until I understand my own situation, I'm only going to dig myself into a grave bringing others into it. Only thing I remember from that dream is the blue eyes, and that's not nearly enough to narrow it down.

"How does that explain your apparent resurrection?" Sornos questioned further, his eyes prying into Nile's mind. "The conditions of which concern me the most."

Niles frowned. "And what are these conditions? Because I'd love to have an answer for that as well," he remarked, rubbing his neck as he recalled that memory which stung him. "I was tormented with an inkling of freedom only to be ripped away from it after that death of mine."

Sornos calmed himself. "When you came back, Ansuis was soon dead thereafter," the lycanroc recounted the fateful event, musing over it. "It was no coincidence, a life was traded for yours."

"I had no control over that," Niles earnestly defended. "If I could, I absolutely would have chosen Linara over him." I actually didn't know that happened at all. That just makes me feel worse about it…

"So it's volatile then," Sornos tilted his head in thought. "Should you fall, any of us could be sacrificed unwillingly… sounds like you must up your fighting expertise." Though, this effect his death has could be a useful last resort.

"If that is the case, then that's quite the double-edged sword." Niles stroked his chin. "However, there may be more caveats to it that I haven't noticed. Plus, dying fucking sucks, most agonizing experience I've had." I have a lot of words to say to whatever legendary summoned me here, none of them positive. Too bad my memory is trash: pokemon lore isn't exactly something I baked into it. How many are even capable of doing this to me? Arceus would be the cliche answer, but I don't think they'd tie a severe price to my death. If they wanted to solve a problem, they'd do it themselves anyway right?

"I wasn't going to encourage you to run into crossfire and gamble on a suicide kill."

"You thought about it." I don't blame him though. If I had the gall of a gambler, I'd consider it as a last resort. But I value my life enough to not cast aside caution just because I can.

"I did, you caught me," Sornos lightly chuckled before turning serious once more. "But I agree, it's likely not wise to experiment until we know the full consequences of you dying."

"I'll just, not die, how's that sound?" Without confirmation of what repercussions there are to it, it's a fat no from me to take any chances with my life, or "lives."

"As in, never set foot in the face of danger again?" Sornos frowned in disapproval. "Sounds like the most uneventful and vapid life you could have."

"Exactly, I'll sit in the back and do nothing while you guys fight in my stead," Niles elaborated, although not sounding too proud of that assertment. "That's what I'm used to… so I know it works for me."

Sornos tapped his elbow with his arms crossed. "It just sounds like you're making an excuse to be selfish and lazy," Sornos criticized, judging Nile's worth. "As a mercenary band leader, it is expected that you lead by example. As I recommended, what you should do is start training. If you can handle your own in a fight, that'll help us all survive. The rest is learned from experience."

"This is a lot of hefty responsibility, I don't want others to be punished for my ineptitude." Niles looked away in shame. "I really think it's better to stay away from any life-risking situations. I may have signed up for this, but I didn't do it for myself."

"Why put yourself in this position if you weren't prepared for it?"

Some heat rose to Nile's cheeks. "Sheila's hard to argue with and I felt bad for her, that's why."

Sornos snorted. "How cute, but risk is a package deal with mercenary bands whether you like it or not," he remarked coldly. "One more to the count shouldn't discourage a mercenary. Do not become a liability because you're afraid of a little pain. The guilt will hurt more than the claw of your foe."

"It's more than a little pain, but sure, I'll give it my best shot," Niles disingenuously acquiesced. "Even if my best is no better than a sunkern. I mean, my last performance was pretty embarrassing, might as well have not been there at all. I knew the stakes were high, did all I could, and the results were poor. In all honesty, I'm not confident that I have the makings of a hero, let alone a decent mercenary."

"A sunkern would kick your ass with that kind of pathetic attitude," Sornos chided, frowning. "It seems you require more than simply physical training. Also, danger will find you sooner or later no matter what, that is the way of Yandor."

"Hagghhh, I wish I never humored you with this walk…" Niles lamented, slouching over as he felt the hammer of regret. Being a pokemon is not my forte whatsoever.

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City Beach

Leaning on a barrier upon a wall that rose high above the water was Rukous. He was overlooking the ocean's hypnotically cascading waves, entranced by the beauty of the sunlight sparkles of the sea. To his right was a large port. A multitude of boats were docking or preparing to set sail to engage in trade via sea.

Lulu, on her way to a theatre, noticed him standing around all alone.

Is that Rukous? The way he's looking over the ocean's horizon all thoughtfully seems like something he'd do, which is also a bit concerning. But, I'm alone, he's alone, might as well solve both our problems. The show starts in a few, so I can spare a bit of time with him.

She flew over, landing on top of the obsidian barrier next to him. He took a second to realize that she was there, but he smiled when he did.

"Ah Lulu, I've been wondering where you were," the girafarig mentioned with an elated smile. "I must say, you are quite difficult to find. Your dark feathers make for fine camouflage in this city."

"Looking for me? In the ocean?" Lulu snickered. "I have a distinct lack of gills and water typing, you know? I'm no seabird either."

"Pshh, I spent the last hour searching for you around the city," Rukous explained, a nervous smile beginning to sprout. "As you can tell, I came up short and sort of gave up…"

"Only an hour? Lazy."

"In my defense, I don't typically seek out someone to spend time with. This was more of a result due to Court's overbearing encouragement," he reasoned before giving her a resolute look. "When my heart's in it, I'd be more unrelenting."

"Oh, so your heart doesn't think well of me?"

"T-that's not what I meant," he sputtered, caught off guard by the response. "I'm just used to spending my days alone with peace and mind. This view offered a nice distraction though, not often do I have the opportunity to soak in a vista."

Lulu muffled a chuckle with her wing. "I was only jesting, no need to excuse yourself," she said, gazing at him curiously. "Though, did it not cross your mind to use your badge to contact me?"

"Still not used to having that ability," Rukous quickly answered, keeping a straight face. "Therefore, no, it did not."

"No way, you're smarter than that," Lulu refuted, tipping her hat as she began to contemplate what she thought was the case. "Besides, I was sitting at the cafe near here most of the day. I suspect you did come across me, but saw that I was with Nilsine and chose to dodge that interaction because of her presence."

Rukous silently gasped at her. "You're too good at detecting lies," he commented, acknowledging the truth she spoke of. He looked at the ground, shame evident in his expression.

"I didn't want to disturb anything, so yeah, I walked away and bided my time. I felt that was the wisest decision to avoid likely confrontation, since I still haven't forgiven her." I would've made an outburst, and I didn't want to make things awkward for them. I may not like her, but I won't step in the way of blossoming friendship. That would just make me the enemy.

Lulu glared at him, disapproving of him. "I think you're being a little too hard on her," she chided in a respectful manner. "We should try to ease her into the team, the poor girl is on the brink of despair from what I've gathered."

"If she has the capacity to change, then she needs to learn that there are consequences to her actions," Rukous frowned, staring out at the ocean. "You don't improve from your mistakes surrounded by pokemon affirming that it wasn't your fault. By all means, grant her undeserved reprieve. But I won't be so credulous with a perpetrator of Lu's death who was so blessed to have been absolved unscathed. I'm not saying I want her dead, just to be behind nactite bars at the least." She's extremely lucky that Vermex believes in a flawed philosophy. Criminals are bound to repeat themselves, especially when let off easily. As I was taught, you make a mistake, you must repent for it and face punishment. All she's done is pity herself and remain free of penalization. No part of that earns my sympathy.

"I suppose you have a fair point," Lulu conceded before regarding him with a congenial expression. "Be that as it may, I truly think she feels remorse for what she did."

"The key word there is think," Rukous remarked, scowling as an unpleasant event found itself at the forefront of his thoughts. "I thought my old friends were genuine, and yet they laughed it off as a harmless prank. Suffice to say, I left them behind without thinking twice."

"What's this about old friends and pranks?" Freudian slip moment?

"Nothing worth expounding further on, only intolerable friends I had," Rukous dissuaded the murkrow. He returned to the ocean's comfort. "Anyways, back to admiring the view. I was on a pleasant train of thought that I'd like to return to. You know, old family memories and the like."

Lulu shook her head, a warm smile gracing the edges of her beak. "To be honest, I thought you were contemplating something more worrisome when I saw you here - glad that it wasn't so morose."

"What gave you that impression?" Rukous asked, surprised by her concerns. "It would take more than a disagreement to send me down that decrepit road."

"The sullen eyes with the bags under them," Lulu pointed out without hesitation. "They are reminiscent of a pokemon struggling with sleep, which usually means they have a lot of thoughts swirling about in their head. I know they're not always negative, but if you do need help, I can offer you a wing."

"I sleep just fine, thank you," Rukous furrowed his brow, banishing the notion that he was that deep in moping. "The dark rings are merely a biological disfigurement."

"I want to believe you, but I have taken note of the tossing and turning you do in bed," Lulu discerned, ignoring his apprehension. "Furthermore, I've seen pill bottles in your book bag. Made to help you sleep, I'd wager!"

"It's rather uncouth to snoop around in someone's personal belongings," Rukous remarked with a vexed look.

"I can't help it, it's in my nature to stick my beak where it doesn't belong," Lulu grinned in a light-hearted manner. "Although, you are partly to blame for leaving it tantalizingly open for me to see."

"You're making it fairly tempting to request a roommate trade."

"Relax, I have no intention of spreading gossip over it or anything," Lulu assured. "I did it out of curiosity and the desire to understand you. Perhaps, if you'd inform me on whatever it is that's keeping you up all night, I can offer my personal recommendation."

"It happened a long while ago and I'm over it now," Rukous affirmed, the irritation within was bubbling to the surface. "It's the after effects that I'm dealing with. Regardless, there's probably nothing you can do to help."

"Hmmm," Lulu hummed, mulling over his claim. That reeks of a half lie to me. There must be plenty more to the story.

"I'm not going to dredge any of it back up, even if I am thankful for your efforts yesterday," Rukous said, frowning. "I'd likely be dead without you having outlasted us."

"That's alright with me, as I have already deduced the truth!" Lulu suddenly exclaimed in a peppy tone.

"Wa-"

"It must be a traumatic past tormenting you with nightmarish representations of it…"

"Judging by your resentment of Nilsine's freedom, I surmise that you are jealous that you were not granted the same treatment…"

Rukous raised a brow as he followed her pacing back and forth upon the barrier. "Where are you going with this…?"

"Of course you act confused, as would be expected of a wanted criminal!"

"Huh?!" Rukous was positively dumbfounded. "Lulu, what in the actual Neverrest are you talking about?"

"Well, your cat-like eyes tell me that you hail from a family of felines, which are known for being prominent thieves."

"You're basing this off a stereotype?" Rukous questioned, reeling his head back, feeling somewhat peeved by the assumption. I wouldn't be so cliche…

"That's not all, you briefly mentioned that you have little time to reflect over a vista, meaning you are on the run from the law!"

"Moreover, you unintentionally admitted to having old friends that you abandoned, likely partners in crime," Lulu expounded before smirking. "Rather unprofessional of you to let that slip I'd say…"

She raised a wing in the air. "But I digress, that revelation gives me the impression that you are not so fond of your criminal past due to the resulting ostracization."

"Then why would I join a mercenary team, pokemon that are known to hunt down vagrants?" Rukous quizzed, furrowing his brow. I'll play along with this nonsense, it's actually a bit entertaining.

"A clever ploy to throw bounty seeking pokemon off your trail," Lulu swiftly replied with pride. "Most pokemon look exactly the same, so it's elementary to blend in. Furthermore, you must have worn a sweet mask to hide the dead giveaway that are your eyes while you did your thievery…"

"I also have darker colored fur."

"Not striking enough to memorize, though!" Lulu declared confidently. "And despite your attempts to bury the past, the regrets come back to haunt you in the form of nightmares, thus making you appear older than you actually are."

"I-it's not that bad… is it?"

"You could use some make-up, it's a recent hit with the ladies."

"I'd rather not pretty myself up like some princess."

"Wearing your mistakes with pride, I see! Jolly brave of you!" Lulu patted his back. She ceased her pacing with a smile that exuded arrogance.

"This concludes my deductions. You are a wanted thief that so deeply regrets stealing from helpless pokemon and wishes to run away from the past as well as the law. However, you find yourself forever tormented at night with nightmares of your victims raking you over the coals for your transgressions. You cannot hope to get over it, so you transfer the frustration onto Nilsine out of jealousy."

"...Alright, enough of this absurd fantasization of my story," Rukous ordered, having heard more than he was willing. "You're almost entirely incorrect. Although, I do wish my life was half as interesting as you made it seem."

"Yeeeahhh, maybe I went a smidgen overboard with my deduction," Lulu concurred, feeling a bit silly. "You act nothing like a thief on the run. Evidently, I uh…spouted a lot of conjecture in lieu of hard facts. I'm sure I was at least somewhat right in a roundabout way." I can't do it like my parents can… But, that doesn't stop me from enjoying the rush like they do!

"I'll give you this much, it is because of nightmares," Rukous admitted, he faced away from her. "That makes about 5% of your theory correct."

"That's a better track record than I've ever had!" She shouted with legitimate excitement.

I don't know if I should feel concerned or bad about that… Rukous thought. "I must say, the fact that you came up with a cohesive theory at all from what small amount of info you had is nothing short of admirable. Over-the-top and erroneous, but well thought out nonetheless."

Her heart fluttered. "And I appreciate that you didn't shut me down in the middle of it," she commented, returning his kind words with a pleasant expression. "It was fun coming up with a crazy theory. Though, I'm sorry that I sort of spun a rancorous tale for you."

"I mean, as the only listener and knowing that you were off the mark, there was no reason to be offended," Rukous chaffed as a knowing grin formed. "I am a crackpot theory enthusiast, so I am aware of how fun it is to just let your mind run wild with minute details."

"Exactly!" Lulu leaned in, possessed with happiness. "Happy to know we are of the same mind."

"If you want to read a book sometime with me, I'd find it wonderful to discuss that sort of stuff with you."

"When we have the time again, of course I will," Lulu agreed, hopping off the barrier. "Hey, um, I was heading over to the theatre to catch a performance of "Red Winter," mystery genre as you'd expect. Would you be interested in joining me?"

"I'm not much of a fan of theatres," Rukous sincerely stated. "They move too fast for my tastes."

"I assure you that it's a more mellow play normally," Lulu pressured. "You'll have plenty of time to mull over the plot before it escapes you. That's why I love this particular play in general."

"Okay, I'll give it a chance," Rukous let out a heavy breath. "If only because I've never been to a play with another pokemon. Perhaps that's what I was missing about the enjoyment factor they have."

"A friend to remark and laugh with changes everything, and that's no theory!"

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City Plaza

Imperia, still laying on the same bench, lazily rolled her head to the side and saw Nilsine ambling by. The tyrunt's eyes caught onto her scarf, realizing this was one of her teammates; one she hasn't yet met.

"Oi! Young delphox lady, could you lend me your ear for a moment?" Imperia motioned for Nilsine to come over.

Nilsine glanced at her, hesitantance blew over her demeanor as she considered abiding Imperia's request. I can immediately tell that this will go swimmingly. She doubtlessly expects that I'm a fellow noble or royal and deigns to connect with me on a relatable level. Alas, it would behoove me to greet all my teammates with attempted decorum, even if it pains me greatly.

She strolled up to Imperia and sat beside her. Imperia quickly adjusted herself into a more proper upright seating position, aware that she must compose herself around nobles.

"Salutations, my lovely coequal associate, I am Imperia… Lady Imperia from House Titus, my esteemed father's lineage," Imperia greeted, not at all concealing the conceited nature of her titles. "Who am I so fortuitous to be in the company of?"

"My humblest greetings, I'm Nilsine…just Nilsine," the delphox introduced in a way that juxtaposed Imperia's refinement. "There's nothing more to my name nor do I possess venerated heritage, not anymore that is."

"Not anymore? Whatever do you mean by that?" Imperia questioned, raising an eye ridge. "Your eloquence of speech is unlike any typical ruffian or peon."

"I was snapped off the tree long ago; therefore, all I have is blood ties and tainted memories," Nilsine answered with gloom. "My speech is a result of ingrained erudition, and that is all there is to it. Sorry to disappoint you."

She's rather glum isn't she? Much to my chagrin, I know the feeling all too well when you get cast away from your family.

"So you find yourself in a similar situation as I?" Imperia fluttered her lids in shock. Somehow, hearing this felt good. "Glad am I to not be alone in the trevails of proving yourself to your very own family."

"Although I'm sure this is a common process for most soon-to-be heirs," she reasoned, not sounding super confident with that assumption. "We shan't be shamed for it."

"That's all well and good, but my case is in dire straits." Nilsine steadily rubbed her arm, hope drained from the air around her. "There will be no returning to my family. Even should the opportunity present itself, I'm not certain it would be prudent to take it."

"They do not allow you back? Must've committed quite the defiling act I reckon."

"No, it's not like that, they assured me that much," Nilsine disinclined. "Granted, they could've lied to avoid disheartening me. But, I can scarcely imagine a time where I would've wronged them. Back then, I was deathly afraid of squeezing too tightly with a handshake." She fondly smiled, a pained one however, at her past quirks.

"If that is true, then what makes it so you cannot return?" Imperia tapped the tip of her claws together with precision. "Nonetheless, we're entitled to our privileges regardless of what our family says, it is the law of the land. Don't allow those beneath us to reach an equal footing with you. I wouldn't accept such defacement lying down."

"Be that as it may, it's no sweat off my ass," Nilsine crudely remarked, flicking her chest. "Despite all the benefits, it was unfulfilling and I felt like scum. I didn't deserve that life - it never wanted me in the first place."

"Oh dear, such unanticipated vulgarity. That is very unbefitting of a noble," Imperia admonished, taken aback by her abrupt shift in attitude. She gave her a strange look. "How…how does one not weep for a steep loss of stature? It sounds as if you resent top prestige." It simply doesn't make sense. Is it not the greatest desire of a pokemon to rise above all else?

"I did not get the impression that it's worth clawing back up that ladder," Nilsine replied, making it apparent, in voice and expression, that she did not enjoy the idea. "I felt less in control of my future then than I do now, which is saying a lot." I never belonged, and that sentiment was shared by my peers.

Imperia fanned herself. "Well, I suppose it's unfathomably difficult to comprehend because I have heaps more to earn back what is rightfully mine," she proclaimed rather arrogantly. "You probably only lost a house or whatnot, nothing I would care all that much about."

"Hold up, are you seriously trying to overshadow what I lost?!" Nilsine accused, gawping at her in befuddlement, finding it tactless of her. "As if it is a competition amongst failures to fall the furthest from the sky?"

"I am no selfsame failure as you are! Do not dare to claim it so!" Imperia angrily bellowed, dismissing her own faults.

"Conceited much?" Nilsine scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. "If you have to prove yourself, then how can I not assume your family needed a reason to force that task upon you?"

"You're high class, what would you know of the ruling classes' methodology?" Imperia chastised in a mocking tone of voice. "As I said, it is likely common practice to have a child prove themselves."

Nilsine silently wowed. "Denial, plain as the eye can see," she remarked before frowning. "Also, for the record, I'm not Croudorian unfortunately, so I was ruling class like you. I had the displeasure of being a Tesparian in the Age of Ishae, the most shameful time to have that citizenship. Though, I doubt much has changed since then."

"A delphox, Tesparian?" Imperia not believing her for a moment. Then, after giving it some thought, it seemed a light went off in her head. "That…would make you an impure type! Of course, I should've known. Your flagrant disregard of your heritage spoke to that fact." She smirked, proud that she figured that out.

"Oh brother, not that Arceus forsaken term, I hoped I'd heard the last of it…" Nilsine palmed her face, wholly unpleased to hear it.. It was quite the blunder acknowledging this brat's existence. Skorge was correct about one thing, Croudor's nobles waste no time asserting superiority. Crazy how Tesparia catches all the enmity for it when it's not so different here. Then again, only the rock types retained any sort of humbleness in that fraudulence infused province.

"The term is official, as it should be, for a purpose. Which is to remind your kind of your place under ours," Imperia asserted with a point of her finger, angling her brows downwards. "We would not suffer the ignoble impure civilians tainting our thrones."

"Hey Nilsine!" Court waved to Nilsine as he suddenly ran up to Imperia and handed her a latte.

"It's ice cold, you dolt," Imperia ridiculed, dropping the cup into the nearby trash. "Get another."

Court slumped his arms and sighed. "Bye Nilsine!" He sprinted off back from where he came.

Nilsine crossed her arms, giving Imperia am icey side glare. "Such callous disregard for a perfectly fine drink, meanwhile thousands of pokemon lavish in what little they are given."

"Beggars can't be choosers."

"This is the opposite of what that saying entails."

"I am referring to Court, not myself! I know my idioms well enough," Imperia elaborated, huffing in annoyance. "He was practically begging for my attention and I'm not the type to allow him to get ahead of himself. If he can't play the role of a servant optimally, then what value does he have to me?"

"So you forced him under your heel?" Nilsine questioned, sounding disgusting at the idea.. I may not have personal experience, but that isn't how love should be treated. Then again, that totodile has a habit of brown nosing ladies and not committing. That much was obvious with my first interaction with him.

"I wasn't going to pass up a serendipitous opportunity," Imperia responded with a fabricated smile. "Honestly, I was worried I'd actually have to lift a few fingers out here on my own. Seems Rayquaza's winds favored me this day."

"Making him pull your own weight… Utterly reprehensible," Nilsine spat. At least I have the decency to give a damn about this mercenary jig I've been put into.

"Wouldn't you do the same?" Imperia asked, not grasping Nilsine's reasons for being repulsed. "Having underlings ready and willing to serve your every need is a convenient boon. I can't imagine that you didn't enjoy at least that much when you were ruling class."

"Servants as a concept is most foul," Nilsine commented, frowning. "Besides, my family owned no such pokemon, as they understood the immorality of it; something I learned to support. Tesparia is plagued with a lack of ethics within the higher classes, and I see that it is no different elsewhere. Servants are purely a legal alternative to slaves."

"Watch your tongue!" Imperia showing her teeth through an uneven frown. "Servants are not synonymous with slaves!"

"And you wouldn't call charlatans and loan sharks similar?"

"What even is a loan shark? I haven't heard of such a thing."

"Point is, slaves and servants are in the same wheelhouse."

"You're bereft of cognizance. I cannot speak for your egregiously arrogant province, but in Croudor, we treat our servants with respect and care."

"How so? Forgive me for being doubtful of someone who latches onto the impure type label."

"Servants have options," Imperia explained, turning her head up to the sky as if to say why. "If they are abused or mistreated in any way, they are valid to make a claim to the Court. Also, to clear the confusion you apparently have, Court had the choice to enter my service and he chose yes. I'm no fiend, take care not to assume my character." It wasn't official, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Who's to say that their masters don't tighten the leash if they attempt a claim," Nilsine presumed, tapping her shoulder. "From what I recall, this was a recent change after the Age of Ishae. It would be no surprise if your type resents it." I do wonder if Tesparia's rock types have received the same amendment to their rights…. Unlikely.

"I..I know nothing of the other noble families nor the royals, it is of no importance to me!" Imperia exclaimed. "What I can claim, with utmost confidence, is that my family has always cherished our servants and handmaidens. If Court wills it, I am obligated to adhere."

"I'll take that with the tiniest grain of salt," Nilsine remarked, her lids narrowing.

"Tiny things are cute, therefore I am fine with that."

"Welp, it has been ruefully shitty speaking with you. It is time I take my leave. May we never converse again," Nilsine walked off with a dismissive wave. "Good day to you." Stuck up reptile.

"Likewise." Harebrained mutt.

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Acron Province: Glimmerstein: Grand Xenon Galleria

This is the Grand Xenon Galleria, a testament to the advanced commercialization of Acron. The massive midnight blue walls of the gargantuan, 3-story building extend upwards into a rounded glass ceiling. Embedded in the floor, highlighting the left and right sides' centers, was a glass covered neon red path of light. Within the light, there were flowing pale white orbs and lines that guided pokemon throughout the mall. Each side flowed in opposite directions, signaling for more controlled crowd movements. The walls were plentiful with a huge variety of shops lining them. At the entrance was a large food court, with all the options you'd ever want for your consumption. Accompanying the atmosphere were some lo-fi tunes that were admittingly a little faster pace than you'd expect for casual shopping.

Amongst the cavalcade of pokemon trotting through the halls was Niles and Sheila.

Sheila had her palms pressed against the glass window of a rug/carpet shop. They had some intricately woven and garish rugs hanging behind the window that caught her attention.

"Oooo, Niles! We should totally get one of these for our home," Sheila jubilantly requested. "That cold stoney floor is starting to make my feet sore."

Niles rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to say what he was about to. "I think it's better to save up for a house that isn't a crappy old hovel rather than trying to hide that fact with decorations," he reasoned. He studied the details of the rugs, which his eyes strained to observe. "Also, those rugs are too tacky. All those vibrant colors are an eyesore."

"That's what a typical boring pokemon would do, no offense, but also all the offense," Sheila callously rebutted. "I say we use our poke for something more fun and leisurely."

"Isn't it typical because it's the smarter decision?" Niles shrugged, a bit amused at her thought process. "Regardless, we can't afford to break the bank when we still lack healing supplies to keep us alive. If anything, that's what we should be looking for. I doubt that Nilsine will clutch it out next time."

"Why does being smart always have to be so disappointing?" Sheila whined before slumping her shoulders, understanding that he was right. "But I can't deny your reasoning, despite the idea of relying on potions and reviver seeds being unappealing."

"This is what I was taught, managing your funds intelligently is a part of living on your own," Niles said, sighing. "Believe me, before this insane change in my life, I would only ever use my money on entertainment. Especially for extra content on games I played daily. So, I am in the same boat as you; however, I'm the one steering it now."

Sheila offered a smile that warmed his soul. "Glad I'm not being unreasonable here," she remarked, biting her lip. "For almost my whole life, I lived in my father's mansion. Thinking about stuff like this was never a factor I had to worry about."

"Well, we uh, probably stole most of what we needed anyways."

"All that I request is that you resist making our wallet cry out in misery while we are here," Niles suggested in a joking manner. "That said, I guess I won't stop you from buying a couple inessential baubles."

He placed a hand over his heart and smiled. "For making my time in this world not as harrowing and hopeless, that's the least you've earned."

"Thanks for not being a complete buzzkill," Sheila commented, grinning happily. "There's a few things I can think of that I'd want right now. A souvenir shop would be our target!"

"Let's not avoid the map this time," Niles recommended. "I dread running up and down this place for hours."

Sometime later as they approached their destination…

"You know, it's crazy to me that a mall actually exists in Yandor," Niles said, his pupils flitting around all the shops and pokemon as they walked. "I expected only marketplaces, bazaars, and stands. Which, in my world, was common in ancient eras."

"That's just Acron for you," Sheila informed with a faint smile. "Everyone shares that perception of this province. What you expected is the case elsewhere. That's why it's so bizarre for even me."

A sparkle shone in her light purple eyes. "But I've always been curious about this place, as there are no other malls in Yandor. The crowded halls are a little intimidating, however, it's exciting - as new experiences tend to be."

"It's certainly not my preferred style of shopping," Niles muttered, pulling down on his scarf. "The cozy nature of an outside marketplace is far more appealing as opposed to a brightly lit commercial hell."

"Hell… I still don't know what it means," Sheila mused, rubbing her wrist. "Given the context, it sounds like it refers to something terrible."

"It's a theorized form of the afterlife, one-half to another that is called Heaven," Niles explained. "Hell is where sinful beings are tormented. Heaven is the opposite. That's just a baseline though, I'm nowhere near the most religious person out there."

Sheila gave a lackadaisical shrug. "Good enough for me, it explains why you use it similarly to how we use the Neverrest, our afterlife."

They stopped in front of the shop they were searching for. Choosing to finish the conversation before heading inside.

Niles turned to Sheila with uncertainty in his guise. "Is…is yours actually genuine or made to comfort the idea of death?"

"It's highly accepted as a real place that's watched over by Giratina," she answered, her eyes softened. "Albeit, I have no clue if there's a separation like that of your Heaven and Hell. I'd hope not, cause that'd mean my father is suffering…"

He put arm around her back. "I'm sure he's doing fine and watching you with a smile," Niles comforted, gifting her with a lighthearted smile. These pokemon are lucky to have that confirmation humans never had. That aggron nurse previously mentioned Eternatus actively providing the power of radiation: a god like that influencing our lives so forwardly would be nothing short of ground-breaking. I've always withheld believing in such superstitions, that decision is probably gonna be put to the test in this world…

"That's what I've hoped was the case," Sheila remarked as she rubbed her shoulder. She faced down and to the side, a chill of shame swam through her blood. "Although, I worry that he hasn't retained that smile since I now deal with thieves like him for a living…"

"Just keep assuming the best, even if that doesn't mean much coming from me," Niles encouraged with an anxious smile. "Anyways, we should close up our shopping before midnight hits."

"Right!" She clasped her hands together, her mouth open in excitement.

They both entered the souvenir shop. Inside, there were many shelves adorned with an assortment of objects made to enhance a collectors arsenal. Two other pokemon, a sneasel and mawile, were browsing the items, and a decidueye was checking out at the counter. Sheila made haste for the back row of shelves where some figurines were residing. She seemed disappointed when she searched around near the dragalge figures.

"Awww man, where's all the Bolt of Radiance ones?" Sheila wept, stomping her foot on the floor. "Figures they'd be lacking the main figurine I came here for…"

"Out of stock most likely," Niles proposed before regarding her with a look of fascination. "If you don't mind me asking, what even is the Bolt of Radiance?"

Sheila audibly gasped, stepping back a foot. "Are you kidding? He's the zekrom of the original Yandor's Might mercenary band and co-founder of the Mercenary Guild along with Sueyasu." With glee, she picked up a dragalge figurine, clamping it between two fingers to show it to Niles. "This stellar guy right here, the courageous leader of that mercenary band by the way. The Bolt of Radiance, otherwise known as Zaidais, later became a solo mercenary after Sueyasu disbanded the team. Other than Vermex, he's my biggest inspiration."

Niles coyly stroked the back of his neck. "You don't have to be so judgemental about it, you understand why I don't know that," he remarked as a tenuous smile grew upon his face. "But damn, you sure are a mega nerd when it comes to mercenaries. Half of what you said flew right through me."

"I am and I'm proud of it! I've read almost every comic based on them~" Sheila exclaimed as she took one of the naganadel figures, which were apparently plentiful in stock. "Oh well, I guess I can show some respect to Avuen. Who is the leader of the new Yandor's Might."

"I thought you said they disbanded?"

"New Yandor's Might, it's the COY's revitalization of the team," Sheila explained. She peered at the figure pensively. "I'll be honest, I don't hear a whole lot about Avuen. But I'm sure she's cool."

"Is that all, just those two you want?"

"Yep! This should satisfy my addiction to irresponsible purchases for the time being."

"Fantastic, can't wait to get away from all these pokemon."

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Sacred Heart's Hospital

It was past midnight. A small, tailed figure was skulking about the upper halls of the hospital. When they knew the coast was clear, they beelined for room 121. Naoto was currently asleep, so he did not notice the mysterious pokemon until they made themselves known.

"Fancy seeing you in another dire situation, Naoto."

Naoto stirred awake and was paralyzed in shock when he saw who spoke those words.

"S-Shinji?!" Naoto stammered in a mix of confusion and joy. "You should be dead, as I was told… No, this must be a hallucinogenic effect of the enchanted decay or something…"

Shinji rolled his eyes and delivered a fist to Naoto's face.

"Agh!" Naoto's head recoiled from the impact. He shook off the pain and forced a smile. "Ok ok, point proven undoubtedly, an illusion usually isn't so crass as to sock me unannounced."

"Are you done being a sourpuss?"

"Hard not to be with you around."

"At least you haven't gotten too soft with your attitude," Shinji ascertained, tapping his toes on the ground. "You have developed a nasty habit of putting yourself in danger. Making me feel jealous, cause I was supposed to be the one testing myself against hazardous foes and dungeons. Weren't you going to be a lame ass teacher or sumthin'?"

Naoto shook his head. "I did not lie about that, but as you can tell, I got ushered into this newfound mercenary duty." His gaze and tone was corrupted with sorrow. "Although, after being infected, I have come to regret getting caught up in it."

Shinji rolled his eyes and huffed. "Keh, figures it was too much for your infant strength to handle," he berated with a smarmy grin.

An amused smile came and went from Naoto's disposition. "You think you can get away with being dead for the past few days?" He said in a manner that seemed almost resentful. "Say what you will about me, how about that excuse for that botched job?"

"It was not a defeat, I lived and the enemy did not," Shinji asserted and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know me well enough; a few scratches and scrapes aren't enough to bring me down."

Naoto's eyes thinned. "There's definitely more to it, Court scarcely believed there was a chance you were alive." The mienfoo was not buying the bullshit. "You didn't recover on your own merits."

"..." Shinji deadpanned. "You wouldn't even comprehend the outrageous turn of events that day. I got up, and walked away."

"Refusing to budge I see," Naoto remarked with a scathing stare. "The only plausible way that is true, is if you were the walking dead or a spirit determined to remain. Which would entail that you did lose that fight."

Shinji groaned. "Just to shut your trap, sure, whatever, I'll admit that I had assistance," he conceded. "No point in sharing their name, that bastard was lucky I was paralyzed. I'd have ended that whole charade before it got out of hand."

Naoto pondered for a second. He then shot his eyes open. "Wait…are you talking about one of the Fireforged?" He asked, not liking the implication. "They-"

"Sching sching."

A gothitelle scraping two scalpels together slowly approached them with a thin smile that could strike fear into anyone.

"Beware, beware, Islyte the shepard has come…"

"A muted escape we shall make~"

"Sching sching."

"Beware, beware, these scalpels aren't wont to spare…"

"We'll sever the core of the infection…"

"Straight from the heart laid bare."

"Sching sching."

"Too late, Too late, your time has come…"

"To vanish without a trace~"

"Sching."

"Naoto."

"Sching."

Naoto blinked in rapid succession as he contemplated what he listened to. "Why are you making those noises yourself?" A peculiar question, sure, but that was all he could muster. This takes the cake as the strangest and terrifying first encounter with a pokemon I've had.

The gothitelle shrugged, altering her creepy demeanor drastically. "Cuz it's fun and somebody has to do the job, else my entrance will lose the intensity factor."

Shinji stepped in front of Naoto. "Keep those blades away from him. Kill him later, after I've settled my score with him."

Islyte wasn't intimidated one bit. "Chill out, foolish boy, I'm just yanking your nerves~" she sang gleefully. "I don't even know where the heart is in a mienfoo."

Naoto cracked a sweat with a concerned look. "T-that doesn't make me feel any less worried."

"I assure you that I am a qualified professional, you can find it in the outdated registry," she swore with an impish smile, adjusting her uppermost bow. "The location of organs is of no concern within my field of study on enchanted decay. A malfarian lives on just fine without them, lucky you right?"

Naoto frowned. "Are you really supposed to be the intended pokemon that I'm meant to be in the care of?" he queried, not believing it himself.

Islyte twirled her scalpel with a menacing grin. Her attention was soon grabbed by a cacturne entering the room.

"Ma'am, visitor hours are over, you and that scraggy must leave immediately," they demanded, gesturing at the scraggy. "Naoto is scheduled to be taken to the Savage Lands soon."

Islyte flung the scalpel over the shoulder, without looking, directly into the cacturne's forehead. Blood oozed from the wound as the cacturne slowly registered what had just happened. His body soon got the memo, crumpling to the floor.

"With that, I am officially the intended pokemon you seek," Islyte chortled, returning to her devious expression. "Guess the hospital neglected to inform all their employees of this fact. Now then Naoto, it is time you are whisked away."

Shinji growled. "He's going nowhere near that devilish land," he rebuked, tossing his arm to the side. "I will not allow him to be incinerated like every other malfarian."

"Don't be foolish now," Islyte frowned, looming over Shinji. "You're making a severe mistake intervening with our mission. This is a matter that determines far more than just your boyfriend's life, which you should not fret about as I have his best interests in mind."

Our mission? She's working with someone then… Shinji pondered.

"Shinji… stop trying to interfere with fate's design," Naoto beseeched, looking down as he felt a weight fall upon him. "This is what must be done, it is common protocol."

"I didn't rise from the dead just to give you up to a deranged scientist!" Shinji exclaimed defiantly, flicking his attention back to Islyte. "Listen here, gothitelle, whatever it is you want with him cannot be good. So long as I remain, he will not be taken away for torture or what have you. Back off."

"Then you have made yourself an enemy that you'll regret," Islyte pushed her bang aside, obscuring the change of ferocity in her attitude. "Tis fitting of a pokemon, teetering on the thread of life, to be bled dry in a hospital. It will be straightforward to excuse your death with a bit of forgery or framing."

She retrieved the scalpel from the cacturne's head with the use of telekinesis. A few more surgical tools circled around her along with it. Two scalpels entered her hands, which she spun around with some flair in the motions, ending with a pose that teased a fight.

"Let us see this stubbornness dissected, shall we?~"

Naoto hopped out of the bed. Can't have a day of rest for even a second…

"If this is where I die, I'll hold you accountable," Naoto said, looking over at Shinji. He entered a pose that was ready to battle. "But you have sparked something in me, enough to make me fight!"

He lurched forwards at Islyte, intending to clap his hands on her face. She leaned her head back enough to avoid all but his finger, which ended up brushing against her eyes. She flinched at the touch.

"Fur in the eyes does not do one good-" Isylte muttered, her eyes watering as she rubbed them.

Shinji hunched down with his cranium aimed for the gothitelle. "I'll end this clown instantly, Head Smash!"

Because he didn't have clear sight of his target, Islyte was able to casually skirt to the side. Though, he did collide with her hand that she neglected to keep out of the way.

Naoto sat down cross-legged to Meditate, expecting Shinji to distract her long enough for him to figure out her movements. The way she called those tools to her implies that she intends to make use of them. It's strange, pokemon utilizing weapons is quite an uncommon practice… Question is, is that all she has at her disposal?

Islyte noticed the mienfoo in his relaxed state and understood what he was up to. Does he take me for a fool? I think he takes me for a fool! Ah, but I am not permitted to kill him: the intention is to capture him alive. Still allows for me to put him into an unconscious state.

A circular saw orbited around her body before she propelled it at Naoto, the powered blade spinning at dangerous speeds. Naoto heard the vicious metal sound, alas, it was too late by that point. The saw ripped into his left shoulder, his fur and flesh getting caught between the teeth as it was wrenched back into orbit around Islyte.

Shinji recovered from his minor headache after his attack and imbued his fist with poison, delivering a swift uppercut directly into Islyte's stomach. He carried her with him in the air for a couple feet, causing her to fall back onto a desk with a smack.

"Y-your talk was not all smoke and mirrors, a slight miscalculation on my part," Islyte admitted as she slid off the desk.

Surrounded by green energy, Naoto leapt at her feet first. "U-turn!"

She stopped him midair with psychic power, ceasing all his momentum and dropping him to the floor face-first. She then slashed Shinji across the chest with a scalpel carried by her telekinesis.

He retaliated with a Payback, drawing from his pain to deliver multiple jabs. Islyte ducked and dodged a majority of them as they backed around the room with the scraggy in hot pursuit. The few that did make contact had done a bit of damage to her.

"Shinji! I believe we are at odds against this lady," Naoto clenched his shoulder, still wincing in pain from the wound. "Whoever she's working for, they must be a group of skilled fighters. I'd recommend we debilitate her and make a retreat."

He scurried behind Islylte and with an outstretched palm, struck the back of her leg. Whilst he failed the goal to paralyze her, it did result in her kneeling down in pain.

"Oargh!" She tossed three scalpels that flew towards Naoto. "Forget what I said before, that heart is going to taste the cold bite of metal!"

Naoto's reaction time hit overdrive as he pulled a curtain in front of him to shield himself. The scalpels penetrated through it, though not enough to make it past. Albeit, the tips were precariously close to Naoto's face.

Shinji spit on the floor. "You speak for yourself, Naoto," he cockily smirked. "I'm still standing strong against this bastard."

He charged forth at the gothitelle, holding his arm out to clothesline her. She slid underneath the brunt of it; however, because of his small stature, his arm still clipped her forehead.

She easily brushed off the attack only for Naoto to quickly follow up with another palm strike. Once again, he managed to catch her off guard, sending her sliding a few feet back after hitting her chest.

For the first time since the fight began, she seemed a fair bit worn down.

"I tire of this game we've been playing," Islyte exasperated as she telekinetically lifted a hammer that was behind Shinji. "Time for the big bopper~"

She flicked her forearm back, motioning for the hammer to fly directly into Shinji's back. The face of the hammer made an impact against his spine, nearly snapping it in twain.

He fell to his knees, letting all his air out at once as he glanced at Naoto. "Ack! Alright, m-maybe I do agree with you after all…"

Taking note of Islyte's positioning in front of the window, he kicked a chair at her with all his might. "Smack Down!"

It rocketed at her, slamming into her face and sending her crashing out the window. The glass shattered and sprinkled down below the building. Fortunately, all the weapons that were orbiting around her also fell with them. But, she caught the edge of the window before she plummeted too. She lifted herself back into the room, huffing heavily.

"I can't fathom why you struggle in the arms of your eventual savior," she mused wistfully, facing Naoto. "Nonetheless, I recognize your sheer determination to decide your own fate. Progress is foreordained, I have come to acknowledge that, so I am willing to let things be." I'm certain they will not mind, it is still well within what they demanded of me.

"You mean to say that you'll let us go?" Naoto asked, completely puzzled at her sudden kind gesture.

"As Lunala would have it - indeed I am," Islyte solemnly nodded with a smile. "In any event, this is another golden opportunity to further test my hypothesis. Your convictions, the both of you, when put together are awe-inspiring. I do wonder if they're strong enough to hold when the malfarian tears free…"

Shinji frowned. "That will never come to pass, we can find a way to cure what ails him," he proclaimed before a cutthroat smile graced his lips. "Then again, I would love to prove that I can always beat him, even if he's a malfarian."

Naoto shook his head, a chuckle escaping his gullet. "Still haven't given up that competitiveness, even after this long," he muttered to himself.

He lifted his chin up with a neutral look. "Alas, let us not look a gift horse in the mouth. Lady Islyte may not keep up this merciful act forever."

Islyte flicked her bang. "Forewarning, I cannot promise you safety from my peers. They, along with mercenaries and guards, will hunt you down."

Naoto breathed calmly. "Then I suppose there's no returning to my team…"

Shinji shrugged. "Who even cares man?" he rhetorically asked. "They left me behind and they've most likely done the same to you already. I say we bust this joint and lay low. I know a few places we can go."

Islyte stood upright and bowed. "Should you ever feel the urge to make a munchie out of your fellow pokemon, Naoto," she said. "Make your way to the Savage Lands for the protection of Yandor. It would do us no good to have a malfarian running about, and I don't want to receive an earful for allowing it."

"I thank you for your generosity," Naoto nodded his head respectfully to Islyte. Just what is this lady's deal? I wish I could get answers about whatever that hypothesis of hers is, but I doubt she'll spill anything. Somehow, I have a feeling we'll meet again regardless.

Islyte curtsied. "Ciao~" she sang, teleporting out of their sight.

---

Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Jono City

Naoto and Shinji sprinted into a dark alleyway where no other pokemon was.

Shinji leaned back on the obsidian wall, puting his foot up on it.

Naoto covered his mouth as he contemplated their grim predicament. "I dread to think that we've only got out of the frying pan to head into the flames. When the sun rises, the hospital staff will find out that I'm absent."

"Don't forget the cacturne's body as well, we'll have the guards on our asses," Shinji warned, gritting his teeth. "You really mucked this one up, you know?"

Naoto was hurt. "I did? You are the one who snuck into my room and riled up Islyte," he pointed out. "I would've gone quietly."

"What's wrong with you?" Shinji questioned, sounding quite pissed off. He left the wall and clenched his fist. "Over everyone else in that village, Arceus gave you a chance to survive, and you want to just throw it away because of a little cough!? Pathetic is what it is."

Naoto stayed silent.

"If you weren't such a pansy-ass I'd have let you be," Shinji folded his arms and rested against the wall once more. "Unfortunately, I valued you as a rival, so allowing you to go off and die did not sit well with me." I feel so fucking ashamed pouring my heart out like this. We are supposed to be opposites that oppose each other, not getting tossed into forced teamwork.

"You should've stayed away," Naoto curtly stated. "What are you going to do when I eventually become a malfarian? No amount of needless aggression can fix that."

"But we can delay it," Shinji asserted, regarding him with an intense gaze that challenged Naoto's comfort. "Although, you're not going to like the suggestion, I bet."

"What choice do I have…?" Naoto glumly replied. What could be worse than being doomed to die physically and/or mentally.

He tapped his chin as he recalled a previous question he had. "Before you continue, when that gothitelle rudely interrupted us, I was confused about who saved you. My mind jumped to one of the Fireforged, is that speculation correct?"

"Ironic that you'd asked, considering they were a part of my incoming suggestion," Shinji commented. He pulled his sagging pant-like skin up. "We will need verdinia to slow the effects of your infection, and they know how to get it. They are our best bet. No thanks to you, most of them are dead or captured, and that delphox is untrustworthy now that she's a mercenary."

His expression turned serious. "I think you know who that leaves."

Naoto clenched his teeth and his eyes shot wide.

"Skorge!?"

---

AN: That's right, Shinji still lives. I mentioned that there were things about the original version of the story that I disliked, him being dead so soon was one of them. It felt wrong to kill him off only one chapter after he was introduced. Thankfully, since his fate was pretty vague, I could find a way to reasonably have him survive it.

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Team Eternity funds = 8,250

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OC Form Rules

1. The classic. No Mary or Gary Stues. You can submit some very skilled and/or powerful OCs, but you must give them at least 2 or 3 weaknesses.

2. There's a bar of quality that you must pass in order for your OC to be accepted. This is because I get some OCs here and there that lack any substance at all, and boy is it hard to work with that. Luckily for you guys, the bar isn't that high and you have unlimited attempts anyways (please no spam though).

3. No human turned pokemon OCs.

4. I will not accept incomplete OCs or OCs that just do not fit into the world of Yandor.

5. No main villains/antagonists. I'm very iffy about them in general, as they're hard to fit into the story.

6. PM your OCs please. I'd much rather see reviews in the review section over them. I know this hurts the guests, but it's really not that difficult to set up an account. If you do end up sending one in the reviews for whatever reason, the only way I'll accept them is if you clearly put time and effort into it.

7. Fair warning, no character is safe from death. Since, I roll dice to determine battle and choice outcomes. However, I may overrule the dice on certain occasions. In short, I'll try to do what is best for the story.

OC Form!

Name:

Nickname/alias (If applicable):

Species and gender (You can submit any species including legendaries, besides Arceus. And for genderless pokemon, just tell me what they prefer to be considered):

Estimated Age (Pokemon don't age the same as humans, so I just need you to tell me if they're a child, teen, young adult, adult, or elder):

Role (Teammate to the main character, recurring villain, just some random shopkeeper, another mercenary band leader/teammate, or maybe a pokemon that I can just kill as an example of how shit Yandor can be):

Province (tell me what province they live in, just know that certain types usually live in a certain province, but they can be in any province really (very unlikely). Read the Lore of Yandor in the introductory chapter for info on that. You can ask any question about the provinces if needed and if I can answer it):

Personality (I need decent enough description that'll allow me to get your OC right):

Character Alignment (You can look up the alignments on google or just ask me about it):

Backstory (I won't ask for much here, just give me a backstory that really shows why they are the way they are):

Relationship? (No, this doesn't mean sex scenes are planned. I'm asking whether or not you're fine with your OC having a relationship develop, and their sexuality):

Ability:

Move-set (give me 6 moves):

Fighting Style (Can be as descriptive as you feel it should be):

Quotes (This is so you can give me a general idea of how they act, talk, and how you'd see them being written. A minimum of 4 is required.):

Other things that you must tell me (like if they have anything unique about their appearance, or if they can mega-evolve, stuff like that):

And the form for mercenary bands (Just put this form above the OCs that are in the team)

Name of team:

Scarf color:

Rank (E, D, C, B, A, S, H, W, Royal):

Members:

Why created:

What they've done:

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Forms will be on my profile so you can copy it from there.

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And that's all, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it thoroughly ^:^