Author's note: Welcome back to Pokémon Conquest: The Future of Ransei. Remember, I don't own Pokemon, and thanks to PitFTW for giving me the idea for this fic. Now, back to Ransei.

- Ch.2: Still Fighting (part 2) -

-Nixtorm-

Hitsunage was beginning to regret going after Kyurem. His original plan had been to find the ice dragon and Link with it, but he had underestimated his quarry. The Boundary Pokémon was more formidable than the stories had said, and the small cave limited the warrior's mobility. Kyurem, on the other hand, was perfectly suited for fighting in tight spaces. The Pokémon had a massive array of ranged attacks, making it almost impossible to approach without getting blasted or frozen. Kyurem fired another dragon pulse, nearly blowing Hitsunage's head off. The attack narrowly missed its target and smashed into a wall, blasting a crater in the stone. The dragon growled in annoyance and unleashed an ice beam. Hitsunage rolled aside, avoiding the deadly attack. Kyurem let out a cry that probably meant something along the lines of "hold still and let me kill you!" Hitsunage stood up…and yelled in pain. In the time between the ice beam hitting the wall and the warrior getting to his feet, Kyurem had fired an ice shard attack at the place it knew the warrior was going to be. Hitsunage looked down at the crystal now embedded in his shoulder. The dragon began to advance on the injured warrior, who was now attempting to remove the bloodied shard from his arm.

-Pugilis-

"Wow… what a pushover." Shio said as he and Meinfoo walked away from the bandits. "That guy talked a big game, but I took him out with one punch. Isn't there anyone who can put up a decent fight these days? Even the bandits are getting weaker…" Meinfoo sighed inwardly. All his master cared about was fighting and eating. But he was enjoying himself…

"Come on, our next destination is Terrera. I wonder what the food is like there…"

-Viperia-

Kogamoto and Drapion dragged themselves out of the marsh and onto dry land, where they collapsed. Traversing the bogs had been taxing on their bodies and minds. But they had made it, and that was an amazing feat in its own right. The castle of Viperia loomed over them, casting a massive shadow.

"Damn, that was exhausting." Kogamoto panted as he tried to stand. "And my boots are absolutely ruined." Drapion looked at the warrior questioningly. "Alright, alright, back to the mission at hand. I just liked those boots, that's all." Kogamoto staggered over to the nearest building and passed out.

-Spectra-

Spiritomb and Kuroyagi moved silently through the abandoned monastery. When they reached the main hall, Kuroyagi stopped and turned to his partner and spoke.

"I am sorry for sealing you away, old friend. I would have contacted you sooner, but certain events delayed my return." The Pokémon listened to the apology and nodded, responding with a short cry. Kuroyagi began to walk toward the exit, with Spiritomb close behind. But unbeknownst to them, several shadowy figures were gathering outside.

-Cragspur-

Gennosuke strode through the inn's door and called out to the innkeeper to bring him food and drink. He sat down at a table and waited for his meal to arrive; pondering all the while about what had befallen his homeland. He had seen other kingdoms during his travels, and all of them were in shambles. This was not how it was supposed to be! It was as if nature itself had turned on the people of Ransei. But the more he thought about it, the less "natural" the disasters seemed. When he had visited Avia, he had been told that the rain had been falling nonstop for five years, and in Fontaine, he had seen a drought more terrible than any he had seen in Cragspur. "I must know more about these strange events." Gennosuke thought to himself. "Not even the greatest of rainstorms lasts for five years, and a horrific drought striking the Kingdom of Water defies all reason. Perhaps there is something more at work."

-Avia-

Togekiss landed in front of the castle, where Kyoji slid down from the Pokémon's back and hit the ground with a splashing sound.

"Stupid puddles, always right where you don't want them." The warrior groaned as he got back onto his feet. Now he was even wetter than before. The adrenaline rush was starting to wear off, leaving him tired, hungry, and irritable. Kyoji stalked inside, leaving Togekiss alone. The jubilee Pokémon sighed. Even Kyoji's spirit was wearing out.

-Chrystalia-

Yoshimitsu had just finished his tea when a trio of men approached his table. Beedrill instantly turned toward them, pointed arms raised in a battle stance.

"Calm yourself." Yoshimitsu ordered. Beedrill resigned itself to eyeing the newcomers suspiciously. The leader of the group, a large, heavy-set man, stopped beside Yoshimitsu and spoke.

"Greetings, traveler. What brings you to this humble settlement? Are you a simple laborer looking for work? Or are you a bounty hunter? You have the build of a warrior and carry a sword at your side." Yoshimitsu raised his eyebrows.

"I am indeed a warrior," he responded, "but I am not a hunter. And if you are here to recruit me for your uprising, I decline. I refuse to sell my sword to a cause that will shatter what little peace remains in this kingdom."

-Dragnor-

Hikaru stood on Salamence's back as the dragon Pokémon flew toward the castle of Dragnor. He wished to speak with a person who he considered to be one of the greatest warriors in existence, Lord Nobunaga. Hikaru was hoping to ask the lord's advice on the state of Ransei and what he could do to change it for the better. The idea that he could change the world had taken him this far, and he wasn't going to turn back now. Salamence felt the strength of his partner's spirit and sped up, moving ever closer to the castle.

-Violight-

Keatonichi and Raichu were moving quite fast, and in mere hours they had reached their intended destination, a small village near the border of the kingdom. But this particular town had access to a river, allowing them to travel by boat. This would make their journey much quicker. But with the sun setting, he and Raichu would need to wait until the next morning to depart. The duo stopped at a small inn to stay the night.

-Aurora-

Cobalion was powerful. Ryuto had known that when he began his search for the Iron Will Pokémon. But Cobalion's true power exceeded his wildest imaginations. As he and Lucario attempted to battle Cobalion, the beast protected itself with Sacred Sword, a blade manifested of pure power. The sword could cleave through solid rock like a knife through butter. Ryuto's reflexes and speed barely kept him from being cut in half.

"Lucario, try to hit him with aura sphere to create an opening for me!" Ryuto called to his partner, who immediately launched an orb of blue power at Cobalion. The Iron Will Pokémon whirled to deflect the blow, giving Ryuto the few seconds that he needed to reach Cobalion. The warrior raised his hand, which began to glow yellow. He knew he only had one shot at this and if he failed, Cobalion would slash him apart. The yellow light expanded until it made contact with Cobalion's forehead. The Iron Will Pokémon froze, its blade mere inches from Ryuto's neck. Cobalion realized that this human was not attacking, but asking for help. The world was on the edge of collapse, and he wanted to change that. They were much alike; warriors who would fight for a worthy goal, stand against overwhelming odds, and held unbreakable spirit. Cobalion dissolved the Sacred Sword and bowed its head. Ryuto exhaled in relief. The link was successful; Cobalion understood his plight and would help him fight for the future of Ransei. Lucario gave the warrior a look that conveyed, "don't ever do something like that again."

"Alright, alright, I understand. I'll be more careful next time." Ryuto said to his partner Pokémon. He turned and faced Cobalion. "So, now that we're on the same page, let's go change the world." Cobalion nodded and growled in agreement.

-End of Chapter 2-

Author's note: yay! Cliffhangers and fight setups galore! I decided to introduce Hikaru and then have the characters meet each other later on in the story. Thanks again to PitFTW for giving me the inspiration for this fic. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review and tell me how I did! Shadowrallen out.