Chapter 1: Save the Eggs

The lucario that appeared before the legendary duo seemed to be exhausted.

He looks familiar. Bibi couldn't quite place it, but felt that she knew who this lucario was.

"Rio, it's been such a long time since I saw you last. How are you doing? Though, I suppose more importantly, why and how did you get here?" Mew gave a concerned look at the lucario's condition, though didn't inquire further. Bibi, though, was stuck trying to place the name Mew had used to a face, but was coming up empty.

The lucario merely responded with a small growl before speaking. "You know I go by Daemon now, Mew." The lucario then shifted his gaze slightly to Bibi before continuing. "I'm here because one of the Trinity felt the need to ask me for a favor. You should know better than most that you don't just deny a request from one of them."

"Mmhmm, you already said that. Now a good question would be what favor they asked of you. After all, I doubt you came all the way out here just to chat with lil' ol' me." Mew cast a slightly annoyed glance at Bibi as he pondered whether she really had permission to meddle with things.

Daemon sighed as he sat down with his back against one of the massive trees that surrounded the three pokemon. "Dialga made a request that I ensure you two don't try to overly meddle with things as they are. Not that I know what that means. He just said the celebi here would be able to make the exact situation clear to me once she explained what her goals for the night were." With that, Daemon shifted his gaze to the celebi who awkwardly avoided eye contact with the pokemon.

"Before that though, you still need to answer my other question Daemon, how did you get here? The guild you've been working for is over two weeks journey by foot, and I sincerely hope that you didn't just walk here by yourself." Mew began looking at Daemon accusingly causing him to slightly avert his gaze from direct eye contact.

"If you must know, I brought two other members of my team with me and yes, I have been traveling the last couple weeks trying to get here at the time that Dialga had specified to me. And before you ask, no, I didn't have any problems with any of the dungeons between here and the guild, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten here on time. As for my companions, I told them to wait and rest at the Hysterian Woods' dungeon exit until I get back."

"Hmm, fine. So, Bibi, what exactly are we going to be doing tonight anyway? You already mentioned the two catalysts, but hadn't mentioned anything else before Daemon here interrupted our conversation." Mew gave a small smile and faked an accusatory look towards the lucario who merely grunted in reply.

Bibi stared off towards the east where Mt. Draceon stood. "Well, to summarize things up a bit... An earthquake is going to occur in about three hours. The epicenter will be just under Mt. Draceon and will effect the great majority of the Dracon Mountain Range." Bibi looked down sadly. "There will be few survivors as the terrain becomes warped from the initial impact. The plan though, is to go in before the quake hits and acquire two pokemon eggs from a charmander clan that lives in a low lying cave network." Bibi looked back at the mountain. This to save two eggs, but leave everyone else to the terror of the quake.

Daemon just crossed his arms now as he contemplated the situation he had been thrust into. "Are there no absol in the area that might be able to warn of this disaster to the surrounding pokemon?" Bibi just shook her head, causing the lucario to sigh. "Well, I suppose Dialga sent me to make sure that neither of you tried to prevent the disaster from occurring. It wouldn't surprise me if this quake is just a trigger for other things Dialga has planned." Daemon looked down, a troubled look on his face.

"Hmph, Dialga and his preferred sequence of events." Mew seemed slightly peeved by this information as he too looked to the east just as the celebi was. "While I'm not opposed to such things, allowing them to happen still nags at my conscious even after being alive for millennia." The mew then looked again to Daemon who had walked over to them before addressing Bibi. "By the way, do you think it would be possible for the two of us to not show ourselves?"

Bibi looked to Mew, and thought it over for a bit before speaking. "I don't see why not, Dialga did send your friend here with us, so he should be able to get the two eggs without anyone in the area realizing either of us were here." Bibi said the 'us' part as he motioned with his right paw to herself and Mew. "What do you think Daemon?"

"That seems reasonable, though I must ask how you think I'll get the eggs? Not to seem rude, but couldn't either one of you simply teleport the two eggs out right before they would get crushed from the earthquake?" The two mystic pokemon looked at the lucario slightly amused by his question.

"Well Daemon. As you ascertained, it probably wouldn't be difficult for either me or Bibi to teleport in and grab the two eggs. The thing is though, neither me nor Bibi can really act heavily in the area for risk of a psychic picking up our presence and alerting nearby pokemon, thus defeating the point of trying to go unseen. As for how you'll do it, well, you could try walking up to the charmander clan and asking nicely, that might work." Mew said with a small, genuine smile.

Daemon sighed before looking ahead towards the mountain. "How long would it take us to get there by foot?"

Mew chuckled a bit. "Well silly, me and Bibi could just fly there in a little under five minutes. Though I suppose if you had to hike there in your condition, a little over twenty minutes to get to the foot of the mountain, where Bibi said the charmander clan should be."

"Might as well get walking then." With that, the lucario took off at a semi-jog.

"Just to pass the time though, how 'bout we talk, hmm Bibi? Hmm Daemon?" Mew said as he floated along near Daemon's left shoulder, looking as if he hadn't a worry in the world.

Bibi looked at the lucario as he floated at his right shoulder before speaking. "Sure thing Mew. First things first, how do you know Daemon here?"

Mew looked at the celebi with a small smile on his face. "Well, if you must know, I was having a small spat near the Endless Crag with one of your siblings when Daemon here, still being a riolu mind you, walked up and asked to challenge the two of us." Mew looked at the lucario with an amused expression, while Daemon seemed to lose focus for a second almost tripping over a tree root, causing Mew to chuckle. "After denying his request for a spar, me and the celebi I was fighting took off, though I kept a close eye on Daemon here as he went through his own misadventures."

Daemon just grunted as he looked ahead. "Story times over, looks like the forest clears up here into a meadow and we're probably a couple minutes from the mountain. Are you two going to become invisible or something, or are you planning to just stay at my shoulders whilst I request the two charmander eggs?"

Mew looked at Bibi before responding. "We'll probably just stay here at the meadow while you go into the caves. Bibi, how much time do we have left?"

Bibi looked at the mountain seriously before responding. "It should be another hour and a half at least, though we'll need to make sure there's ample time to get away with the two eggs so that Daemon doesn't get caught in the earthquake as well." Bibi then looked to the lucario. "Also, it might be good to mention just which two charmander eggs you are going in there for." Daemon looked at the celebi quizzically. "If you can, you should request the eggs of the late clan chief. To be slightly more specific, they should be the two eggs that are giving off a strong aura. Being an aura pokemon, you should be able to sense them."

Daemon mulled over that tidbit of information over as he started walking towards the mountain. "I'll see you two in a little while then, hopefully with two eggs."

"Good luck then. Just look for the cave with charmander standing outside guarding against predators and wild pokemon." Bibi said as she watched Daemon walk towards the mountain.

It took Daemon less than four minutes to find the cave entrance. Five charmander stood outside, though the lucario wasn't sensing any ill intent from them. Taking into consideration how strong they looked, Daemon walked forward knowing he could knock them out if absolutely necessary.

"Halt there intruder!" The taller of the five charmander was the first to see Daemon approach from the trees. "What business do you have here?" The other four charmander were flanking the first as they approached in a slight arrow formation.

Daemon scanned them once more before choosing his words carefully, so as not to cause alarm or anger from the five charmander. "My name's Daemon. At the moment, I'm passing through as a member of the Gallant Guild and was hoping to recruit some strong pokemon to join my team. Maybe I could meet with your clan chief to discuss whether any of you might have the potential to join me?" Daemon saw the intrigue in their eyes, knowing he had captured their attention.

"Hmm, that sounds interesting, though if I'm remembering correctly, isn't the Gallant Guild far from here, leaving this area under a different guild's jurisdiction?" The lead charmander spoke, though not necessarily in a wary tone, but more of wonder.

Of course, even if the Gallant Guild is far away, it'd be improbable for the name to have not been heard, even out here. Daemon mulled over his response for a second. "Sometimes it's necessary to go into far off territories to find worthy members for the guild." The response seemed to satisfy the lead charmander.

"Hmm, that seems reasonable enough. My name's Zander by the way, second in charge in the clan. If you follow me, I can lead you to the chief's chambers so you can talk to him about recruiting for your team." Zander started walking into the cave before speaking once more, this time addressing his comrades. "You four make sure nothing happens upon the cave while I escort the lucario here to the chief's quarters."

Daemon followed Zander as he was led through multiple passages that seemed to branch off from the main tunnel before entering a somewhat well decorated chamber. In one corner was a small wooden chest with a small cot next to it. On the other side of the room was a small table that looked like it might be able to comfortably sit about five pokemon Daemon's size. Lastly, one wall seemed to have what looked like a map of the tunnel system on it.

"If you'll wait here for a second, I'll go grab the chief, he was meeting with a couple of the elders to discuss matters of expanding the cave system. I'll be right back." Zander then headed out of the chamber leaving Deamon alone for a couple of minutes before a charmelion walked in.

From Daemon's quick observation, he was able to ascertain that the charmelion had evolved as recently as few weeks ago by how he carried himself, and probably wasn't more than four or five years old. The charmelion seemed to give Daemon a once over glance before sitting down at the table and offering for Daemon to do the same.

"My name's Leon. I'm the current chief of this little clan, responsible for their well being. So, my friend Zander tells me that you wanted to speak to me about recruiting clan members to join your adventuring team?" Leon looked to the lucario with a questioning expression.

Daemon made a small coughing gesture to clear his throat before speaking. "Yes, I was seeking to find two strong individuals to join my team. I would like to ask if I might see if there are any possible candidates with a quick aura probe?" The faster I can bring the conversation around to the two eggs, the better. Now what did Bibi tell me about them? They should be giving off a strong enough aura for me to sense them?

"I wouldn't mind, though there are probably few here that might be considered diamonds in the rough. Your welcome to see if there are any here that catch your attention." Leon waited as Daemon closed his eyes and concentrated on sensing the aura around him. He could sense perhaps fifty or sixty charmander and charmelion near him, but amongst all the different aura, he could feel two that were slightly different, somewhat stronger than the other auras that Daemon was sensing. He ascertained the location of the two beings to be in the chamber next to the one he was currently in.

As Daemon opened his eyes, he could still sense the aura of the two beings in the next room over. "I seem to be sensing two beings with aura stronger than that of the rest of the clan." Daemon paused a bit, scanning the charmelion's face for a reaction. He only saw a slight nervous glance as Leon broke eye contact with the lucario for a moment. "They both seem to originate from the chamber next to this one. Might you know whom they might be?"

Leon sighed a bit as he stood up. "The two beings you might be sensing are probably my younger siblings." Leon looked to the lucario now as he spoke, a slight tinge of sadness in his voice. "After a few years, my parents had decided to raise more children themselves, though unfortunately, they had both passed away in a cave in not but three weeks ago. I was entrusted with the eggs after becoming the new clan chief, inheriting the title from my father." Leon's face turned deathly serious. "After some time, it became evident to me and the elders of the clan that the charmander that would hatch from the two eggs would have great potential. For this reason, I would be loathe to depart with my unhatched siblings."

Daemon considered this and spoke his next words, carefully, measuring the charmelion's reaction for any sign of outburst. "It's evident to me that the two mean quite a lot to you, but I could offer not only to take the two eggs off your paws, but also to train the two that would hatch from them so as to make sure that they both become strong and capable." Daemon paused. He read a small change in the Leon's aura as he seemed to be mulling the idea over. "I can guarantee the safety of the two eggs and give a solemn promise to make sure they grow up to reach this great potential they seem to have."

The charmelion seemed to be thinking the idea over, though he still seemed somewhat reluctant. Daemon, though, could see that his aura had already changed to one of concession, signaling that he'd convinced him to pass the two eggs off to him.

"Again, I am loathe to depart from my two siblings. But, if you can promise to raise them well, that is probably more than I would be able to do, as I haven't had to raise hatchlings yet. I will concede that you seem to exude an aura of both power and trustworthiness. Can I have your word the two eggs will be kept safe if I were to hand them over to you?" Leon passed a slightly worried glance towards the lucario as he took in the condition that he was in at the moment. "You seem to look quite exhausted as is from the journey you seem to have taken to get here."

"Well, I have been traveling for a few weeks, but I can give you my word that I will protect the two eggs on my journey back to the Gallant Guild." Daemon could see that Leon was slightly pleased to hear his answer.

"If you'll wait here for just a moment then. I'll be right back with the two eggs. Oh, I hadn't asked, but what team from the Gallant Guild are you a part of perchance?" Leon looked back towards Daemon questioningly before exiting the chamber through the small entryway.

"Ahh, yes. I'm the leader of Team Aura." Daemon said this casually, though he could see a small look of shock cross Leon's face temporarily before he exited the chamber.

Leon came back into the chamber shortly thereafter with a small, plain looking bag and an oran berry. "I've stored both eggs safely inside this bag. Its lined with down from some of the nearby altaria, so the eggs shouldn't get banged up too bad whilst traveling, though I still ask you to be careful. I also brought you a small oran berry since you look especially tired, though I probably wouldn't go so far as to say that you'd be bested by any of the wild pokemon around the mountain." Leon seemed to chuckle a bit. "I'll send Zander back in to escort you out. Tomorrow I'll explain to the clan elders that the two eggs have been put into safe hands to be cared for and become strong." Leon walked out of the room again, leaving Daemon with the bag he had left on the table and the oran berry.

Hmm, that took a bit less convincing than I thought it would, he must've really nervous from the responsibility of having to raise his younger siblings while also being the clan chief, though soon it won't matter too much. Daemon leaned his head down sadly as he thought about the fate that would befall the charmander clan in the coming hours.

After eating the oran berry and feeling some of his strength return to him, he considered trekking back to the entrance himself. As the thought crossed his mind though, Zander walked in wearing a smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. "Chief Leon told me the situation. I'm glad someone capable will be caring for the eggs. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll get you back to the entrance you used to get in." Daemon grabbed the bag before following Zander out of the chamber.

Daemon followed the charmander through the passageways back to the entrance before waving goodbye to the five guards and jogged back towards the meadow where he had left Mew and Bibi.

He was slightly confused upon arriving back at the meadow to find that neither of the mystic pokemon were there. Closing his eyes, he started to look for their aura, though didn't sense much. He was about to start walking back towards the spot in the forest where he had met up with them, but was intercepted as Mew and Bibi popped up in front of him.

"What-How-Where-" Daemon was astounded that he hadn't sensed them at all until they popped into his field of vision. "Did you two teleport away and then back?"

"Of course not, we were simply waiting for you up in the trees, suppressing our presences." Mew was chuckling as he looked down at the lucario.

"Not a moment too soon by the way. We've got maybe an hour to get back to the forest and out of range of the earthquake." Bibi was looking warily back at the mountain as they started to walk towards the forest.

While they were walking, Daemon thought about the ultimate fate of the eggs. What was going to happen to them after they got out of range? He voiced his concern to the celebi as they hiked back into the forest. "Well, ultimately I was going to ask Mew here to find two individuals who could care for them, though it seems that Dialga has sent one of the caretakers Mew would have chosen to watch them to us." Bibi gave a wink towards Daemon as she continued speaking. "If you think that you are capable of caring for one of them, I would have no objection other than that the two be separated for a while after hatching. Maybe about a year."

Daemon was slightly confused at Bibi's response. "You mean you didn't have this fully planned out? You were just hoping that, by happenstance, Mew would get the two eggs to the two pokemon destined to raise them? Also, why would we need to keep them separated?"

Bibi smiled down to the lucario before explaining. "Well, my plan was somewhat fool proof in that I knew Mew would only entrust the eggs to individuals he trusted. As for keeping them separated, the two, from what I can tell of my visits through time, seem to develop a love-hate relationship, so it'd be best to keep the two apart for a little while and judge how they might react upon meeting each other."

Daemon nodded as they got back to the original meeting place where he had found them. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Yep, now if you could do me one teensy, itty bitty favor as well..." Bibi looked at the lucario with somewhat pleading eyes. "Could you find a second pokemon who could help raise the other one? It would be a small weight off my shoulders to know that someone as capable as you chose the second pokemon to help raise them."

"As capable as me?" Daemon looked at Bibi slightly confused.

Mew coughed a bit. "While you were taking your time negotiating the acquisition of the eggs, I might have told Bibi about some of the adventures you had while you were younger."

"Hmph, if you say so. I've got someone in mind, if he accepts. Now, what are the two of you going to do?" Daemon was getting ready to trek back to his friends, but wanted to know what the two mystics would do, worried they might try to avert a disaster that Dialga had probably spent a while planning.

"Well, I suppose Bibi will go back to Dialga with a report of events, whilst I'll just go have more fun at Evol Temple with all the pokemon that like to train there." Mew made a small chuckle as he considered what kinds of games he could play on the adventure teams that entered the mystery dungeon.

Daemon just grunted. "I suppose I'll see you two later then. I've got to hurry back to Grenny and Chase."

"Well, I suppose that I should wish you good luck on your journey back to your home Daemon. I will see if I can pop in to visit, but it may be hard to schedule." With a green flash, the celebi disappeared.

"Bye Rio, see ya' later. I'll see about visiting if I can as well." Mew winked before he too disappeared, though with a pink flash.

Hmm, I don't like how Mew winked at me. Daemon wore a slightly worried expression. Better hurry back to my team then. Daemon took off at a fast pace, feeling a bit better after having eaten the oran berry that Leon had given him back in his chamber.

It wasn't too long before he got to a small clearing where a blissey stood waiting, a supply pack sitting next to him.

"Heya Daemon, glad you're back. Watcha' been up to? You've been gone for almost four hours." The blissey then looked the lucario up and down to make sure he hadn't been injured in the small time he was away.

Daemon took a moment to scan the area before responding. "Nothing much, though I've come back with two eggs, not mine though, that I've been asked to care for. Also, where is Grenny?"

The blissey considered the bag Daemon had for a second before shrugging. "Grenny's just being Grenny. She went to scope out the surrounding area. Shouldn't be too long till she gets back."

"Really now, someone has to make sure we weren't followed out of the mystery dungeon by wild pokemon." Daemon jumped a bit as the black figure of a greninja landed right next to him. "Nothing to report though Chase. Seems we should be all good to rest here-"

Before Grenny could finish her statement though, all Distortion World seemed to break loose as the three pokemon felt the ground rumble and heard the crashing of stone, even being as far as they were from Mt. Draceon. After a few minutes the rumbling subsided and the three pokemon found themselves pushing themselves up and away from the trees they had leant against to steady themselves.

To their mutual horror, they could see that the whole of the western portion of Mt. Draceon had split off, covering large areas not even a kilometer away in rubble.

A/N: Here's the finisher for the prologue. I didn't feel at the time that a prologue should be insanely long, so I had just ended it right before introducing Daemon. Hope y'all liked this, cause next chapter is going to be a time skip forward as we see which of the two charmander Daemon gets to raise and what their personality is like. On a side note, I'll probably just drop hints as to what Daemon's done throughout the story as it becomes relevant to events that are occurring at that the time. Oh, and feedback is always appreciated.