This story lives! It lives I tell you! Sorry about the major delay, this story just wouldn't work with me. But, I have finally finished a new chapter! Cliffhanger alert inbound!
Review Response: Dear Spacemarine64, hi! Thank you! I couldn't resist adding an evil team, it seems to be tradition in the Pokemon universe to have one. Took me forever to figure out a name for them though...
Dear Shadow Snivy, hello at long last! Sekani may very have been traumatized in his past, I can't be sure at the moment. He doesn't like to talk to me about his past, he's too concerned with the present. Wow, you really want to know about Jack don't you? (Smile evilly) Well then, you might be interested to know that Jack is going to get some spotlight time very soon. Very, very soon. Assuming I can actually finish the chapter I'm working on, you can add a third very to the previous statement. Someone remembers the newly cut grass hint! Yay! Just so you know, the source of that scent will be revealed in this chapter in an indirect way. Castor and the others are not being attacked by Grass-types, they are being attacked by something far more ... secretive. (smiles) You'll find out in this new chapter! Pikachu 001 is not Jack, sorry. Good guess though, but I didn't think of that potential plot twist. Oops.
Thank you! I liked writing Jabari's accent, although I really have no idea where it came from. It just seemed to click with his character. I'm glad you like them, because we'll probably be seeing more of those two in the future. I commend your determination, I know I wouldn't have had the patience to do that. I had a hard enough time keeping my Ralts from evolving before I could procure a Dawn Stone (shakes head a memory). That was a nightmare and a half sometimes.
Good luck on solving the mystery! You've done a wonderful job spotting the clues I've hidden in the story so far, so I'm sure you'll figure it out!
Author's Note: Since I probably will not be able to finish the next chapter of this story before Christmas, (or with my luck, before January) I am going to wish you all a Happy Holidays ahead of time! May you have fine weather, good fortune, and many blessings!
Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or their world. The only things I own are my OCs and the plot.
Chapter Seventeen: The Forgotten Clan
Mira groaned as reality seeped back to her. Her head hurt like crazy and the loud argument going on somewhere to her right wasn't helping any. I'm going to fry whoever they are if they don't shut up. The voices tumbled incoherently over each other, but as Mira continued to awaken, the sentiment came clear. Several someones were discussing the life or death of someone else and Mira had been in that situation enough times to know that the 'someone else' they were discussing was most likely her.
Forcing herself further into the land of the still living, Mira cracked open her eyes and tried to see who her captors were. Black furred legs and a swishing … something that wasn't a tail met her eyes as a gruff voice shouted angrily, "Bite your tongue, Aloysius! These Pokemon saved the life of your pup and now you wish to kill them? You know it is against our law!"
Mira, trying to still look asleep, kept her eyes as slitted as possible while looking between the legs of the Pokemon currently arguing for the lives of herself and her friends. Two more bipedal legs could be seen from her viewpoint as well as a black furred waist, presumably owned by 'Aloysius', because the leg's stance shifted as Aloysius snarled, "I'm not saying to kill them! I'm saying get rid of them before they wake up! Especially the yellow one!" Bipedal, black fur, her eyes wandered upward to her defender, thick red mane with black highlights tied back with a azure stone? That can only be one clan…
Her defender, whom Mira noted sounded very familiar, growled dangerously, "She is of the Raichu clan, Aloysius. Surely you have not forgotten the great debt everyone on this island owes that clan? Besides, they have all seen your pup, if they awaken with him gone they will believe him kidnapped and set out to find him again. Surely you would prefer to avoid that kind of trouble?"
Aloysius snorted, "They would never be able to find us. Not with our powers."
A wiser, more collected voice entered the conversation, "Our powers are weakening, Aloysius, and you well know it. Our clan is spread too thin because of the search. Our illusions grow thinner and more easily uncovered. A new catalyst is needed if the Island is to remain safe from prying eyes." The new voice sounded contemplative, "Or, perhaps I should say, a new catalyst from an old source. But I get ahead of myself, will you not open your eyes and discuss matters with me? Mira Pikachu of clan Raichu? Or would you prefer to lie on the ground with your eyes slitted and wonder as to what goes on?"
Knowing by his tone that the newcomer was not bluffing, Mira opened her eyes fully and rolled to her feet, "Discuss what? Whether you and your clan want to be deep fried for trying to kill my friends? Or is there something else on your mind, Zoroark?"
The elderly Zoroark she was addressing chuckled softly as her swift 'awakening' and biting words caused Aloysius and the other mystery Zoroark to jump back in surprise. Mira glanced around swiftly, body tensed and ready for combat. She was in some kind of massive cavern with a hole in the top of the ceiling, her friends lying nearby, still unconscious but seemingly unharmed. All around, male and female Zoroark shifted uneasily under Mira's icy gaze, a few shifting their Zorua pups closer to them nervously.
Shifting her gaze back to the elder Zoroark whom she concluded was the patriarch of the clan, she listened to him as he next spoke, "I would prefer to remain 'un-crisped' if at all possible, Miss. Please forgive the rash words of Aloysius, he is overprotective of his pups and has never bothered to study the ancient texts, so he does not fully know how … important your clan is to this island." The Zoroark bowed low, "I am Wyandanch Zoroark, Patriarch of the Zoroark clan and twentieth generation descendant of Zahara, founder of our great purpose."
Mira curled her lip into a snarl, "Good for you, now start convincing me on why I shouldn't fry you, Wyandanch Zoroark, Patriarch of the Zoroark clan and twentieth generation descendant of Zahara, for kidnapping me and my friends."
Wyandanch's next words nearly floored her, "Because, my dear Mira Pikachu of clan Raichu, we need help and I believe that you and your friends are the only ones who can save this island."
Mira flattened her ears suspiciously, "Come again?"
The Zoroark who had been defending her when she was pretending to be unconscious huffed, "Disrespectful little Electric-type aren't you? Here I thought you only acted that way to cranky old hermits."
Mira's head whipped around to look at him, why would he say something like … wait a minute. Glaring into the shadows just past the Zoroark's shoulder, she spotted a flash of white spots and blue skin. No way, Mira refocused on the Zoroark, "Delano Gengar?"
Delano smirked, "It's Sector Five Guardian Delano Zoroark, actually. Good to see you remember me."
Mira felt her eye twitch dangerously, okay, it's official. If I don't get an explanation for all this in ten seconds- A groan interrupted her thoughts, signaling the awakening of her friends. Castor sat up sleepily and looked around vacantly at the watching Zoroark, "Wha?"
Wyandanch chuckled softly, "Ah, the young leader awakens. Greetings Castor Charmander of clan Charizard, apologies for the … unexpected nap. Secrecy is the greatest defense of my clan, you see, and we had to make sure that you would be unable to reveal the location of our home if you were 'asked' about it by our enemies."
Castor's eyes focused on the older Pokemon and his mouth flopped open in confusion, "Huh? Where? Who?"
Dale's ears snapped upright as he too came awake and realized the situation faster than the still sleep-ridden Castor, "Mira? What's going on? Who are these Pokemon?"
Mira snarled softly at the Zoroark as she answered, "Not sure. These are Zoroark, unpredictable, private, secretive," She glared at Wyandanch, "totally smug too."
Wyandanch just smiled slightly, "Guilty as charged on all accounts. However, if you will withhold your fury for just a few more moments, I believe I could provide you with the explanation you seek."
Mira leveled her most darkly promise laden stare on Wyandanch, "We're listening."
Wyandanch tipped in his head in a grandfatherly nod that made Mira want to smack him. Wyandanch said, "I suppose the best place to start would be the Dark Times." Wonderful, long drawn out back story time. Cue the tapestry-style animation and the adorably inaccurate representations of characters.
Oblivious to her sarcastic thoughts, Wyandanch paused long enough for Castor and the others to settle down nervously in a traditional listening circle before resuming, "Long ago, as I am sure young Leal is aware, our island was swallowed by a darkness that almost destroyed our home. But what he doesn't know, is that the darkness was not, is not, a nameless entity. They are a clan of creatures far more dangerous than any Pokemon."
His eyes twinkled with something unidentifiable and he said conversationally to them, "You have already seen one of the items of power they left behind, I believe. In the Meiro Woods Kuro Cave? Anyway, this clan wanted to enslave the Pokemon of this island and use them in their quests for power. They brought many new clans to the island, Charizard clan included young Castor, and began looking for something. Looking for something locked away in the blood of Pokemon, a power they sought to control and wield for their own gain."
His paws folded together in front of him as he rocked slightly on his heels, "They razed the island, rebuilding it into a perfect place for their quest. They forced the island to become not one environment, but many. Enough to support any type of clan they dragged onto the island from their homeland. Many Pokemon died under their clutches, many more lost their will to fight against an enemy who seemed to be able to overpower them with a single move, no matter what level the Pokemon might be."
Leal breathed reverently, "But then the Guardian came."
Wyandanch nodded, "But then the Guardian came. Him and one other, a member of the Raichu clan, arrived and began to fight for our freedom. The Guardian … he was like nothing the island, or the Dark Clan, had ever seen. He did not buckle under the many tests and trails they placed him under in search of his hidden power, he became stronger for it. He unlocked the power they sought to take from him and used it to rally the Pokemon, give them the strength to fight back. His companion, a Pikachu named Quicksilver, also unlocked the secret power and together they convinced the clans of the Island to rise up against their masters."
He looked smug at Mira's dumbfounded expression before sobering, "The battle was hard and dangerous. So hard that it was only after Quicksilver sacrificed himself to destroy the Dark Clan's most powerful weapon that the clans were able to overthrow their masters. They forced the Dark Clan away, across the sea, never to be seen again."
Wyandanch smiled genially, "That is where my clan comes in. Zahara and her clan were transfers, Pokemon who had been stolen from their homes and forced to come to the Island. We had no way to return, and upon the Guardian's request, we agreed to stay and become the protectors of this land."
Ahanu raised a paw timidly and asked, "How?"
Wyandanch waved his paw and, even though Mira was expecting it, she still couldn't stop herself from jerking slightly as the Zoroark was suddenly replaced with the image of a wobbuffet identical to Ahanu. Ahanu staggered back with a yelp and the others blinked in shock as the wobbuffet in front of them said, "With our illusions." His disguise evaporated and Wyandanch explained, "By nature, our clan use our illusions to hide our dens from any who would wish us harm. By combining our powers and setting up key points around the Island, we were able to spread our illusion across the entire island. From the outside, our home appears to be a several mile death trap of whirlpools and thunder storms, thus ensuring that no one would ever dare invade again."
Mira's ear twitched as she remembered what Wyandanch was talking about, she had seen the illusion briefly before circumstances had gone out of control and forced her to take her infamous swim. Wyandanch gave her a knowing look before continuing, "The Guardian disappeared back into the sea to guard our borders from afar. He would return regularly to check on how we were doing, but other than that, he remained uninvolved in our affairs."
His face slid into a frown, "But now he has disappeared, him and any of my clan that I have sent in search of him. They have been taken by the decedents of the clan that first enslaved us." Castor and the others exploded into speech, asking questions, voicing concerns, and generally ensuring that they would not get the answers they sought.
Mira flinched at the implications of Wyandanch's words. Slavers very rarely let their prisoners lie about idly and she could sympathize with what the missing Zoroark were no doubt going through. Even more worrying was the implications of what the member loss would mean for the island. Less members, less illusion power. More risk of being seen by unwanted eyes. Finally looking up, Mira raised her voice above the now quieting din of confused voices, "So why do you need our help? Your clan has been trained for this, if they can't handle it, then why call in amateurs?"
Wyandanch skewered her with a hard look, "Because you are not an amateur, are you Miss Pikachu? You have been teaching your friends to fight and have no small level of experience in such matters. What exactly is your level? Fifty? Seventy? Higher? My clan has been trained to hide our island and keep it secret, combat is secondary to that. But you," Mira felt a cold chill crawl up her spine at the sheer amount of knowledge hidden in his gaze, "you were trained for nothing but the ways of battle."
Mira felt her breath seize in her throat as Wyandanch took a step forward, her friends parting like Magikarp for a Sharpedo, "More importantly, you know who we are fighting. You know who and what the threat is. You have known that this island is not all it seemed since you first washed up on our shore and you knew why it was different the moment you saw the inside of Kuro Cave and the device made by the Dark Clan. Am I not correct?"
The device? The Dark Clan built … but that would mean … Mira felt her lungs work again, but they only seemed able to take in short puffs of air as everything finally clicked into place, "The monorail. The Dark Clan built the monorail. They built this island for their research. They … you …" Her eyes widened and she finally managed to take a deep breath before hissing out, "Humans. That's who you're fighting. That's what took over your island. You're hiding from humans."
Wyandanch nodded and Mira felt her entire world crash down around her for the second time in her life. Humans. It suddenly all made sense, the term 'regions' for different parts of an island, the unnatural preciseness of the borders between said regions, the monorail. Everything clicked. Humans had found the island and used it as a research facility, the monorails were meant to speed up travel for the scientists from one end of the island to another. Power. The search for power within the genes of Pokemon. Her own blood seemed to surge in her veins at the memories that knowledge invoked. Her head tipped downward to stare at the ground as her mind swam with memories and revelations.
Wyandanch's voice broke into her stupor, "Your clan has helped us against them once before. I know it is a lot to ask, especially so suddenly, but … would you be willing to help us? Would you be willing to offer the strength of your clan once again?"
Mira's eyes snapped up from the ground, staring at the old Zoroark for several seconds before glancing at those she had come to call her friends. They all looked confused and astonished, though Dale looked concerned as well. She closed her eyes, trying to understand what she should do.
Hatred warred with fond memories, her duty to other Pokemon clashed with self-preservation. Why should I help them? Whispered a bitter part of her mind, I don't even know anyone on this island. Not really. Why should I risk my life for them? It hasn't exactly panned out for me before. Something rose up and fought the bitter voice in her head, pulling her mind far away from her current situation and to a different one from long ago.
Flashback:
Angry shouting, running, paws splashing in the mud as he charged them without fear and she followed, "Hey! Leave him alone!" They looked up, startled at the sight of two youngsters standing up to them.
The mightyena snarled, their alpha bristling, "Stay out of this, pups. This doesn't concern you."
Mira hesitated at the sight of sharp teeth in the jaws of a fully evolved Pokemon. She glanced at Jack, unsure. The Mightyena had a point. The situation they had stumbled upon didn't concern them. They didn't know who the Mightyena and his pack was threatening, perhaps they should just continue on their way.
Jack met her eyes and inside them she could see the fire that always seemed to light his soul when the world woke him up and made him fight. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. One look into his eyes and Mira knew his answer, the situation did concern them because they were here now and could help. Mira felt a confident smile grow on her face as some of that irrepressible fire in Jack's eyes passed to hers.
Turning to back to the Mightyena, Mira dropped into a battle stance and snarled, "We're making it our business. Now what you have to ask yourself is, is your business really worth the pain you're about to feel? Your homes are probably much nicer than where you'll wind up when we're finished."
The Mightyena alpha snorted and lowered his head in a fighting pose, "Your choice."
End of Flashback
Mira's eyes opened, my choice… Looking around once more at the waiting faces, Mira took a deep breath, and made her choice.