CHAPTER 2

After Slice woke me up, we went over to the dinning hall to have breakfast. Berg, Chi and Scuttle were already there when we arrived. Since it was a Saturday, there wasn't any training. Most teams would just stay at the academy while others, including ours, would use this time and spend it with our families. The only rule is that we have to be back by dinner.

We finished breakfast and the five of us went over to the gate leading to the outside area. We waited with the other teams who were going out until the gates opened and we were let out.

I said bye to my teammates before they left to see their fammilies and began my walk home. My home isn't that far from the academy. As I walked, I passed by regular everyday Pokemon doing their business. As I walked, I heard snippets of conversation.

"Did you hear what happened to the last batch of harvesters?"

"No. What happened?"

"Killed! Every single one killed by Amber Fang Pokemon!"

"Wait, I thought they were protected by a Crimson Fang team."

"They were killed too."

"That's horrible. I wish this war would end soon."

I agreed without saying anything.

I reached the street where my house was. I remembered this street from my childhood; Children Pokemon were running around playing happily.

I arrived at my house which was at the end of the street. It was a normal looking house that could easily be missed if you were speeding by. I opened the gate and stepped inside.

"Man, it's good to be home." I muttered as I closed the door. I tokk a good look at the living room before walking to the kitchen. It was a bit dusty and that wasn't my concern now. I went over to our garden.

"Hey dad. Hey mom." I said entering the garden. It was a simple garden with no trees nor flowers. It was just a simple garden with grass covering it and a wooden fence sorrounding it. I was also alone in the garden.

My greeting was directed at a slab of stone at the end of the garden. I walked up to it and read the words on it.

HERE LIE OBSCURUM AND CALIGA

MAY THEY BE IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER

Both of my parents were dead. They were powerfull Umbreon when they were alive but they were killed in battle. Their remains were taken from the battlefield and burried here. I remembered my dad's last words to me.

"Remember Shade, if you ever end up fighting, then fight for what's important to you."

That was his and mom's motto. What was important to them was me so they fought in order to create a future where I could live happily. I kept that motto in my mind even when I entered the academy three days after their funeral.

"Hey guys guess what?" I said sitting down. I knew they couldn't reply but it felt good to talk to someone. "Dart picked a fight with me yesterday. He said that...that it was fun killing enemy Pokemon."

"I knew you guys never killed like me. Maybe that's why you guys died." I chuckled a bit.

My stomach grumbled in hunger and I left to get some lunch. I found some berries in the kitchen and put them on a plate and ate in front of my parents' grave.

When I finished, I decided to take a walk for a while. I took one last look at my parents' grave before putting my plate in the kitchen and leaving my house.

I walked around for a while until I heard a commotion. It seemed to come from a street nearby. I went over and saw what was going on.

It looked like a parade and at the head was the Crimson Council. I didn't memorize their names but they were a Mightyena, Glalie, Machamp, Rampardos, Dragonite, Muk, Dusknoir, Kriketune and Ursaring. They were walking proudly while behind them, guard carried around captured Amber Fang Pokemon. Flanking around prisoners was one of their methods of showing that they were in charge.

One of the prisoners was a Bedrill. He tried to fly away but the Scizor guard holding him made sure he didn't fly away. Then, I heard someone from the crowd shout at the Beedril: "Heh, that's what you get for messing with us! Just die already you stupid Amber Fang Pokemon!"

I looked over to who shouted and saw that it was a Crimson Fang Beedrill.

That's what I hate the most about this was-some Pokemon turn against their own species. I finnaly had enough and left the parade and continued walking around.

"Shade, how are you?" said Dahlia, a kind Vileploom who's only staying here because she's part Poison type, as I passed by her flower stall.

"I'm fine. How's business Dahlia?" I asked.

"It's fine but I'm only getting five customers a day." she replied. "By the way, have you seen the parade?"

"Yeah."

"It's horrible the way they make themselves look good." Dahlia said angrily. "They're the ones who want this war to continue not us."

She was right. Almost every Pokemon in the nation wanted this war to end while others, including Dart, that Beedrill and the Crimson Council, wanted it to go on.

I bought some flowers from Dahlia and went back to my house. I placed the flowers on my parents' grave before going to my room.

Memories of my childhood entered my head as I entered my old room. As I walked around, I saw something under my bed. I pulled it out and saw that it was one of my old books about Pokemon mythology. I sat down on my bed and began to read my favorite one. A picture accompanied every name.

Arceus, the creator

Dialga, the master of time

Palkia, the master of space

Giratina, the banished one

Azelf, the being of willpower

Uxie, the being of memory

Mespirit, the being of emotion

Kyogre, the expander of the sea

Groudon, the king of the earth

Rayquaza, the lord of the skies

Mew, the elusive one

Celebi, the time traveler

Jirachi, the wish granter

Deoxys, the one with many forms

Cresselia, the crescent moon

Darkrai, the new moon

Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea

Shaymayn, the gratitude Pokemon

Heatran, the fire lord

Latios and Latias, the eon duo

Lugia and Ho-oh, the tower duo

Regirock, Regice, Registeel and Rejigigas, the three golems

Zapdos, Moltress and Articuno, the legendary birds

Entei, Railou and Suicune, the legendary beasts

According to legend, these are the members of what is known as the Legendary Council. Together, they govern the world in peace.

I knew this Legendary Council didn't exist. If it did, they would've done something about this war.

I put my book on my bed and looked at the sky. It was getting dark so I headed back to the academy. I arrived just before dinner started and I sat with Berg, Scuttle, Chi and ,surprisingly, Slice.

"Hey Slice, I thought you had a date tonight." I told him.

"I used to." Slice replied grumpily. "Turns out, Blizzy only wanted to date me to make some guy jealous so I dumped her."

"Funny, because it's usually the girl who dumps you Slice." Scuttle said and all of us laughed. Even Chi gave a small chuckle.

"Shade, get over here!" a Hitmonlee instructor called to me. I left my table and went over to him.

"Yeah?" I said approaching him.

"You gotta mission tommorow." he said. I remembered that on Saturdays, missions were given at dinner.

"What kind of mission is it?" I asked.

"Nothing to big. You just have to guard some harvesters."

"Ok." I said and I walked back to my teammates.

"What's up Shade?" Slice asked me.

"We've got a mission tommorow." I repled and Slice gave a yell of excitement. "Slice, we're just guarding some harvesters."

"Still, at least we've got no training tommorow." Slice said happily.

"Wait, didn't you guys hear about the last batch of haresters that went out?" Berg asked.

"They were killed right?" I said remembering the conversation I hear earlier.

"Yeah, we could be next." Berg said nervously.

"Oh c'mon guys. We'll be fine." I told my team. "We've been through tougher missions before and weve trained really hard."

"Agreed." Chi said in one of her one or two word sentences.

"Chi's right." Slice said standing up. "We've never killed anyone but that doesn't mean we're not strong. So let's do our best tommorow."

"Yeah!" we all cried before the horn sounded for bed time.