The Melody Of The Sea Dragon Heroine
Chapter One: Starting On The Road To Redemption

Hydra

Admittedly, I shouldn't have Snagged Pokémon from their trainers. But when you were raised by thugs, crime was all you ever knew. But when Skarmory, who always looked out for me and watched over me when Dad couldn't because he was too busy being the big tough Team Snagem member he was got turned into a monster, a monster with a black aura that still looked like a Pokémon, and Dad did nothing about it, that was the final straw. So one morning when no one suspected, I planted bombs all over the hideout in Eclo Canyon. Then, retreating on my bike, I set them off and the whole place went up in flames. I never did like that place.

No one knew that I had wrecked Team Snagem's base yet, so when I met Lady Venus, one of Cipher's top Trainers, I stopped to talk to her about the Shadow Pokémon plan. She never even noticed as she jabbered away that I picked her pocket.

I decided just to grab the first Pokéball I felt, because judging by the evil intent I could feel radiating off of it, it was probably one of those new Shadow Pokémon, and a strong one.

I had to refrain from smirking. She was supposed to be one of Cipher's Admins/top Trainers, but she couldn't even tell I picked her pocket.

That was one of the many things Dad taught me. Other things included how to handle a gun and various other non-firearm weapons like a sword, including the katana I had strapped to my back, a thirteenth birthday present from Dad, how to con a person without them even knowing, how to lie straight through my teeth and bend the truth to suit my purposes, and of course, how to battle. I'd mainly learned to battle by running simulations, but I'd had several battles in which I Snagged a Pokémon by using Skarmory to battle. I guess if I didn't actually Snag them, they could just escape and go back to their trainers the second we let them out, so I had to Snag them. However, to do that, I needed a strong Pokémon to battle a Trainer with.

That was where Skarmory came in. By using him, I could battle with a Trainer and Snag their best Pokémon. Or all of them, depending on what Dad's orders were and what I felt like.

After Lady Venus left (and stopped talking), I clipped the Pokéball to my belt and headed to the Outskirt Stand to get some food. It was the best place to eat around here, and it was the closest, and on top of that, no one asked questions.

I saw a couple of stupid looking men come out. I recognized them as Mirror B, a Cipher Admin's goons Trudly and Folly. Thankfully, they didn't know who I was. I went inside to see a report about 'the mysterious building in Eclo Canyon that blew up.' According to the report, almost everyone there had been caught and were due to be interrogated.

I had my food, and then went outside where I was challenged to a battle by some pink haired guy named rider guy Willie. I accepted, but warned him that I only had one Pokémon. He still wanted to battle. He used a pair of Zigzagoon. I, on the other hand, used my new Pokémon.

I tossed the ball up with both hands. "Nake, Acheron!" I shouted, and out came a Suicune.

This was going to be interesting. I quickly brought out my Pokédex and scanned Acheron's moves. Currently, the only move she could actually use was Shadow Rush, the only Shadow Move that Shadow Pokémon could use right now, although she knew several others.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Willie ordered his Zigzagoon. "Zig, Zag, use Headbutt on that Suicune!" The pink haired Rider-guy ordered, as if he had a chance.

I sighed. "Let's end this, Acheron. Use Shadow Rush and take them both out in one fell swoop."

She gave no indication that she heard, but charged them anyway and knocked them out with a single blow. I was really glad I had the sense to pick Lady Venus' pocket.

Willie grumbled a few things that sounded awfully like profanity, but I ignored it. "Yeah," He sighed. "You're good. Real good. We need seasoning."

That's not all you need. I thought, but decided not to voice it or any similar thoughts. Instead, I settled on "Well, it does help to have a Legendary Pokémon."

He smiled. "True. Hey, you should go to Phenac City, out west of here. On your bike you'd be able to get there in no time. They've got some really tough trainers there."

My eyes lit up at the prospect of a challenge. "Well what do you say Acheron?"

She gave no indication that she heard. I merely shrugged. It'd take time, I guess.

"See ya." Willie called as I returned Acheron to her ball and climbed on my bike. I got to Phenac City in no time. There I saw the two morons/goons from earlier, holding onto a sack that had something in it. I'd be willing to bet it was something living.

"Hey," I said as I took a step towards them. "What's in the sack?"

"N-none of your business." Folly stammered.

I merely arched an eyebrow, a look I'd learned from Dad. "Really? Because it certainly sounds like there's something living in that bag."

"W-what are you talking about?" Turdley stuttered.

I sighed. "Do I have to spell everything out for you? I want to know what's in that bag, and regardless of what I have to do, I will find out."

Folly didn't respond, and instead sent out a pair of Whismur.

I tossed my one and only Pokéball up with both hands. "Nake, Acheron." I commanded.

Like against Willie and his Zigzagoon, the battle was largely one sided.

"You took out my Whismur. You're no ordinary trainer are you?!"

I was half-tempted to roll my eyes. Well duh, I wanted to say. I've only been raised by members of Team Snagem my whole life.

I didn't know what happened to my birth parents, and nor did I particularly care. All I know about my past is that Dad found me wandering around on the streets of Pyrite when I was two. He'd taken me in; originally just because I could be a valuable asset to Team Snagem, he'd told me, and over time, grew to love me as the daughter he'd probably never have because of an unfortunate accident that left him unable to sire children when he was younger.

As long as I could remember, it'd just been me and Dad, Dad and me. And I liked it like that.

Turdley and Folly dropped the sack and ran off. I quickly untied it to find no less than nine Eevee, probably very young at that given that they seemed smaller than full grown Eevee.

The townspeople suggested I see the mayor about what happened. I didn't plan to keep them— nine young Pokémon to look after when I already had to deal with Acheron's closed heart? That was just asking for trouble, trouble I neither needed nor wanted.

I went to see the mayor, a kindly looking old man with a healthy girth. I explained to him about the Eevee Mirror B's thugs had, and asked that he find good homes for them. He promised me he would. If only because I wanted to make sure he actually did it, because I had learned not to trust appearances, I left them in the care of a retired breeder who lived here.

After that, I decided to go check out the Colosseum, and boy did I get a shock when my past came back to bite me in the butt.