Lore of Yandor #14
The Enchanted Decay is a disease that has perplexed Yandor's medical scientists for decades. This is mostly because of the abnormality of how it came to be. Patient zero, a descendant of Zekrom named Zaidais, was first discovered to be infected during the Age of Farkas: year 660. From an interview with Zaidais, he claims in quote "No, I never felt anything off beforehand. I was bathing underneath the glorious Shimmering Falls and suddenly my skin began to flake away. Before you know it, I became what you are looking at right now." At first, all seemed calm with the Zekrom, as he didn't act unlike himself. Until the reports came in of a demonic figure wreaking havoc upon the citizens of Urhina city, the very home of Zaidais. It didn't take long for the police force to make the connections and call in the military to subjugate the feral Zaidais. This news startled Yandorians, not only because of the arrival of a dangerous disease, but also that it could affect even legendary descendants. Beings that everyone had thought to be holy and untouchable. Furthermore, Zaidais had always been at the peak of perfect health, so it was simply unfathomable that he ended up as patient zero. Although, it remains unclear if he was even the first. As a result of the disease seemingly spawning out of nowhere, it eventually received the name of enchanted decay. Elucidating that it wasn't a natural occurrence but some kind of curse or pokemon-made disease. The monsters that spawned from it were then named Malfarians soon after. This disease soon found its way across all of Yandor throughout the following years, despite Zaidais having been taken out of the picture. Of course, this sparked the interest of conspiracy theorists. They assumed that the COY created this disease to silence naysayers and/or to create powerful pokemon they could control. Nowadays, all malfarians are either mass executed in the Savage Lands or are whisked away for scientists to research.
Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Uria Town Outskirts
Skorge looked around the fiery arena rather wildly, panic evident in his expression.
"Shut it, hound! I'm very much aware of what I've done!" He exclaimed with a clear disregard of his mother's current condition.
"You… you just sent Leslie to her demise!" Nilsine chided, still keeping her distance from everyone else.
"And both you and Graves were going to allow our mother to be crushed by rocks! How can you call yourselves her children when you can't even muster up the will to protect her at all costs?!" Skorge accused while sounding disgusted, narrowing his eyes at the two. "How hard is it to stand by her side as we've always done?! If we don't continue this fight and ensure her survival, then Leslie's sacrifice would be in vain."
Niles raised a brow when he realized what Skorge was implying. "So, what you're saying is… that you value your mother's life over everyone else's to the point where you'd willfully grant anyone a painful death if it meant she'd live," he pointed out, rubbing the back of his neck. "Doesn't seem like you have a very healthy family relationship."
"Yeah dude, I mean, I'd do a whole lot for an incredible woman too, but I draw the line at what is essentially murder," Court added, making a motion with his hand to simulate the drawing of a straight line.
Skorge violently growled. "None of you! Absolutely none of you heartless heathens could hope to comprehend my reasoning… my loyalty…!" he exclaimed in a bitter tone, clicking his beak. "I was tormented for years on end by bastards like you mercs and your COY! Mother was the only one to rescue me from hell, the only one who gave me a chance to live as a sentient being and not a subject of fucked up studies!"
He looked at Hextra with fire in his eyes. "You! With your fancy medals, should know well enough what seventh hell I speak of!" Skorge exclaimed while digging his claws into the sand. "I know you've seen the atrocities committed by this arceus-forsaken province! Yet you continue your servitude of these cruel monsters!"
"Is there any sense in what he's saying, Hextra?" Niles questions curiously, somewhat believing in Skorge's words. I won't say it justifies anything if he's correct. However, humans in my world, ones of power even, have certainly committed their fair share of atrocities in secret. It could very well be the same case here in Yandor...
Hextra thought for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh.
"Unfortunately, my lips must remain sealed on such matters…" she responded, clearly reluctant. She looked to the side. "Even then, I have no way to refute his claims, since I only oversee normal field operations and nothing as dark as he suggests."
Skorge had expected this answer and smirked.
"This is what Yandorians need to realize, that this peace we have is nothing but a farce! A way to manipulate and subdue us so the COY can do as they please without worry! As with this haxorus, those that serve them closely are far too afraid to speak against them," the skarmory boldly claimed. Suddenly, his expression darkened and the hysteria returned to his eyes. "This is why I have chosen the side of chaos. The less control our peacekeepers have over Yandor, the more desperation will grow within them. And in their desperation, they'll expose themselves as what they truly are!"
The rocks that were burying Sheila began to shuffle and slid off as the salandit pushed herself out of the rubble. She was covered in bruises and cuts.
"That's all a bunch of bunk! I can't speak for other provinces, but Vermex hasn't given us any reason to question his motives," she countered, refuting the unbelievable accusations. "Based on what my mom has told me, it sounds more like you are referring to the Age of Ishae and not our current time."
Sornos slowly got to his feet and walked over to the others.
"Precisely, this is simply nonsensical babble coming from a pokemon that has been consumed by his own psychosis. Not a word of it should be taken literally," he suggested, crossing his arms in disbelief. "Times have changed since that horrible age in our history and the COY has been trying to patch everything up since then."
"It's this kind of ostracization that has driven me to violence. It's clear that it's too late for most of Yandor, you've all been caught up in lies and have been blinded by them," Skorge continued, a face of malice forming as he glared at the others. "If I were to pluck your eyes from your head, nothing would change. So death is your only salvation from our doomed future!"
Nilsine gestured her disbelief. "Wasn't this just for our mother and revenge?" she asked as if she was unaware of Skorge's stronger motives. "You never uttered a word about an ulterior motive like this, this nihilism. Yet you seem to strongly believe in it."
"Of course that's still very much a part of it!" He responded, then looked towards his broken mother with a softened expression. "Mother is the only one who's seen the corruption with her own eyes and supports my beliefs. I would not abandon her and leave her broken like the rest of you. I share her pain for our fallen brothers and sisters. I vowed loyalty, my love, to her and when she demanded revenge, I was more than happy to indulge it. After all, this world has already dubbed me as an unreasonable psychopath, so what does it matter anyways?"
Hextra scoffed. "Your mother is unhinged from sanity, and that's been the case for who knows how long," the haxorus commented, placing a hand on her hip with a disapproving expression. "You shouldn't be trusting the words of a pokemon undergoing the transformation into a malfarian. They are unstable and unlike their normal selves. She needs real help from professionals. If you care so much about her wellbeing, then please allow us to take her in."
Frustratingly growling, Skorge stomped into the sands, sending it flying around him. "And let her be banished to the Savage Lands like all the rest to be a part of a mass execution or even worse, torturous experimentation?!" He furiously exclaimed, offended that they would take him for a fool. "None of these so-called professionals have developed a cure during the many years of the enchanted decay's existence. Yet, you expect me to trust them with her life?! Pah! The Fireforged have done far more for her than they ever would and I don't plan on letting go for as long as she and I breathe. I'll find a way, even after she loses the fight against the disease, she deserves to be repaid for all she has done for me."
"That's a path that has no end in sight," Sornos informed matter of factly, frowning. "You'd sooner be killed by your own mother before you even catch a glimpse of it. If I were you, I'd put her out of her misery before she does anything she'd regret."
"She did plead for me to end her suffering so that she could never harm her children," Niles pitched in, reminding them of his attempt to end her life. "That should tell you what she truly desires, Skorge."
"Then I'll make sure that she won't touch me or anyone she cares about!" Skorge said with confidence, devilishly smirking. "I'm confident that I can direct a malfarian's violence on our real enemies. Plus, with that kind of immense power, any who challenge us will be torn asunder in a matter of seconds. Meaning that you fuckers will finally get the fate you deserve!"
He cracked his neck and entered a fighting pose, narrowing his eyes at his enemies with bloodlust on his mind.
Sheila rushed over to Naoto, attempting to awaken him for the coming fight. He was still breathing, but he was not opening his eyes despite all the shaking from Sheila. She grunted in frustration and defeat, then prepared herself for battle.
Hextra, managing to break through her paralysis, leapt at Skorge intending to hit him with a chop.
"Brick Break!" She shouted. Although, Skorge blocked it with his wings and flung her back a few feet. She jumped back to her allies afterwards.
Skorge approached his mother, whom was still on her knees and facing the ground with an empty expression. He leaned in next to the left side of her face, looking dead at his opponent.
"Mother, I know that you have fallen into a state of despair much like that I had before you saved me. But, as you had once said to me, you're never truly hopeless so long as you have a reason to continue forward in life, and there's always a reason. You must find, chase, and fulfill it," he persuaded, his right steel wing finding its way around her waist. He leaned his chin on her shoulder and warmly smiled. "Right now, we cannot let Leslie's death end up being pointless and allow those that harmed us to proudly claim that they have murdered an entire family as if it was heroic. We need your strength, otherwise, they'll kill me, Nilsine, Graves, and you, one by one. If it means letting the malfarian free, then so be it. The former guarantees that we, your children, will die and the other is our only chance at survival. You can give up on yourself, but we will need you to not abandon us too."
Mother sat motionless for a bit longer before finally slowly lifting her head upwards. Her expression softened as she glanced at Skorge's face beside her's.
"S-Skorge...I… I hate that you have to see me like this…but..." she started, tears slid out from her right eye, her chest was heaving in a staggered manner. She pushed up on her knee, trying to sit upright. "You're right, I'd never want to abandon you or the others… you've already suffered that with your real parents and I promised that it wouldn't be the same story again... I-I-... I j-ju-... jus- GRRRRAAGGH!"
Her attitude did a 180 and she began losing control over her actions. She held her head in her hands in pain before she quickly and wildly rushed towards Team Eternity, ready to lash out on anyone she saw first. Her predatory glare settled on the already weakened Sornos, much like any normal predator would with its intended prey. She let out a feral screech and ran at him with a raised, flaming foot.
Unable to match her insane speed, the foot connected with his chest, shattering his ribs and sending him flying into a sand dune which caused a small explosion of sand particles. He was partially buried in the sand, wheezing and gurgling blood because of the internal bleeding. He also would have been lit on fire had the sand not snuffed the flames out immediately. While he was lucky to be alive, his time will start running short.
Suddenly from out of nowhere, a powerful jet of boiling water splashed against Mother, causing her to growl in pain. Soon afterwards, Ansuis jumped onto the battlefield with a smirk. Skorge looked at him with an angered expression.
"That's a very disrespectful way to greet your mother, Ansuis!" He angrily remarked, clicking his tongue when looking away. "I really should have killed your traitorous ass when I had the chance."
"What? I just wanted to be a part of the family reunion!" Ansuis taunted, offering a casual shrug and grinning. "Besides, I wasn't attacking our mother, I was attacking a malfarian…"
Annoyance filled Skorge's face. "She's still our mother you ignorant fucktwat! If she dies now… we'll never know whether or not she can be saved!" He exclaimed, not wanting any part of Ansuis's claims.
"I understand why you're unable to let go of the past, since you've been with her far longer than I," Ansuis responded, lowering his face to cover it with his tongue scarf. "Alas, I can acknowledge the difference between desperation and confidence… and you are very much the former. To the point that it has driven you insane."
"Fuck you! Shut the hell up! This is more than just desperation! Nilsine and Graves would agree!" Skorge manically denied, snapping his neck to face the two he referred to. "Come now, Nilsine, stop cowering in the distance and get in the fight!"
Nilsine shrunk back, sweating profusely. "U-uh… I don't think it's necessary, I mean… mother seems to be handling it fine on her own," she mentioned shakily, twirling the fur upon her chest between her fingers. "I'd rather not risk my life any further than I have."
"Enough of this pussy ass attitude of yours!" Skorge aggressively demanded, flying over to her. He then quickly cut her face with his talons, creating a deep, three pronged gash. "You will show your loyalty to the family or you'll be next in line after Leslie!"
Nilsine covered her now profusely bleeding face, whimpering while avoiding the gaze of the frighteningly unstable skarmory.
"F-fine… I-I'll fight…" She conceded, clutching her hand over her heart. She closed her eyes and focused on the skies. "Sunny Day."
The already bright sun grew even brighter, enough to blind anyone who stared at it for even a few seconds.
"Not exactly what I meant, but good enough I suppose," Skorge said, appearing slightly pleased. With a moment of consideration, his expression suddenly turned sour. "Wait, you just fucking helped that damned salandit too! Ansuis is starting to be a bad influence on all of you, I swear…"
"Then maybe instead of slicing my face, you should learn to be less assertive with your encouragement!" Nilsine proclaimed, growing infuriated by her brother's control tactics. Then, she crossed her and huffed with a pouting expression. "Also, I take offense that you basically admitted to not caring about any of us other than our mother."
"I thought you of all my siblings would see the sense in my actions, being the most astute of us," Skorge said in disappointment before glumly sighing. "It irks me to know that I may be alone in this after all…"
"Flame Burst!" Sheila interrupted his lamentation, taking advantage of the Sunny Day and spitting out a ball of flames at him. It burst on impact, searing Skorge's steel body. Smaller balls of flame from the explosion landed on Nilsine, however, it only slightly harmed her. Skorge peered over at Graves, that of whom seemed a bit reluctant to take any action.
"You better not be considering rebelling like Ansuis and Nilsine!" Skorge exclaimed in a serious tone. "Those two lizards left you to wither away in a cell, where's the thirst for revenge, huh!?"
"I dunno… Ma's lookin' mighty freaky, I think it's smartah ta naht get involved," Graves scratched his head, trying to hide his uncertainty. "She can rough those two up mo' than I could…"
Skorge rolled his eyes. "Oh, you don't need to worry about her, she's just... taking a note out of your book!" he said, tempting the feraligatr back on his side. A light clicked on in his brain, causing him to grimly smirk. "I say, you and her should have a little competition to see who's the most ferocious! It'd be like back when we loved to play all those made up games with her."
"Keh heh, I like tha way you think, Skorge!" Graves cockily grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I'll show her who's fangs are sharpah! Crunch!"
The big reptile snapped his teeth at Sheila, clasping his jaws around her right arm and shoulder. He then flung her body over his shoulder. She landed with a thud and began to feel very faint, struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Dammit...! Niles, you better get back at them for me… or I'll…" Unable to finish her words, Sheila gave one last weary look at Niles before passing out cold.
"Bravo! I rate that a splendidly vicious out of ten!" Skorge wittingly commented in a vicious tone.
A look of worry filled Court's face as the reality of the situation hit him.
Shoot… At this rate, we're going to lose someone every time one of them attacks. Not to mention, that malfarian is far too much for us to handle. As much as I hate Skorge, we need to tag team the mother.
"Hey creepy demon chicken!" Court exclaimed, garnering the attention of Mother. "I'm sure you'd love to sink your teeth into this totodile. Trust me, this meat is top notch and totally disease free! The blood's as sweet, smooth and silky as my voice!"
Much to his intention, Mother's attention was entirely on him. Although, he was admittingly intimidated by the sheer hunger in her expression, what with the drool and all.
Niles realized what Court was intending for his allies to do and began to build up some rocks.
Hope this works, because if I fuck it up, that thing will surely annihilate me…
"Rock Tomb!" he shouted.
Mother almost immediately turned around and punched every rock coming towards her, smashing all of them to bits in a single hit. She deeply growled, narrowing her eyes at Niles. He sighed in defeat, slumping his shoulders.
Welp, RIP me then… It was a good run… Well, not really, it only lasted a few days… Guess I'll finally know the answer to that question I had about whether or not death is the way out of this nightmare…
Hextra noticed what was about to happen and knew that they needed to act fast. Surprisingly, she managed to completely break away the paralysis and direct the current to her claws.
"Dragon Claw!" She announced, powerfully swiping down at the blaziken, only for her arm to be caught by her. "Figures, I try to be a badass and this is the result..."
Mother then tossed Hextra to the side, setting her sights on Niles once more. She shrieked freakishly, sprinting towards him. The chains of fear locked him in place as the malfarian menacingly bounded at him. But then, he was pushed out of the way by several shurikens made of water. He quickly made the connection and turned to look at Ansuis.
"T-thanks for that," Niles uttered in a single breath as he regained the ability to move. Ansuis nodded in response.
Skorge suddenly swooped in at Ansuis, his beak pointed straight for the head.
"Drill Peck!" He announced as he began to twirl in circles quickly in midair. Ansuis was just barely fast enough to avoid getting his head taken off, but Skorge's beak still cut through the skin on top of his head.
Sornos wanted to join back into the fight, yet he couldn't even lift an arm whatsoever without feeling immense pain.
This is what I've been reduced to then? Nothing but fodder… Perhaps I have lost my touch after being a recluse for so long…
Skorge landed down next to Nilsine, whom instinctively reacted in terror, pathetically hiding herself with her hands.
"I'm willing to grant you a second chance, since you're my favorite of our sisters," he offered, the fact that he was forcing his kind tone was evident.
Cause I'm so overjoyed that you like me the most… Nilsine thought to herself, rolling her eyes.
"Look, I want to help our mother too, but she's clearly not in the right mind at the moment," she attempted to reason, holding out her hands. "We shouldn't be fig-"
Skorge fearsomely lunged forwards at her, nearly shoving his saw blade into her stomach. Making it clear she was reasoning with the unreasonable.
"I don't give a damn whether she's in the right mind or not!" he angrily bellowed in retort, repeatedly swiping at Nilsine with his head, forcing her to back away and dodge every one. "You are a part of this family, therefore, you are a part of this fight! Kill the murderers now or I'll spill your guts over the hot sand!"
"Alight you damnable buffoon!" Nilsine pulled out her stick wand, generating magical energy from it. A satisfied smirk formed on Skorge's face as he finally stopped his assault on her.
"Psychic!" Nilsine announced.
The magical energy found its grasp over an unsuspecting Court. He struggled in the bindings he could not see before Nilsine slammed him into the ground two times and threw him at Niles. Luckily, Niles moved out of the way, albeit, at the expense of Court face-planting into a rock.
Niles squinted in reaction. Oooo… maybe I would've been a softer landing than that… my bad.
"No hard feelings, bro…!" Court said in a dazed tone as he wobbled around on his feet. "I've hit on harder barriers than that...heh."
Graves pointed at Niles. "Now tha' ur girly is out, ur turn has come up!" He leapt many feet into the air, iced up fangs outstretched. "Ice Fang!"
Due to the Sunny Day making the sun ultra bright, Graves accidentally blinded himself for a moment, causing him to completely miss Niles and end up biting into a cactus instead. It was juicy, but also quite prickly. He roared in pain, wiped off the needles that were now embedded in his mouth and tongue.
"This one's for you, Hextra, Screech!~" Court screamed in a sing-song like fashion, loud enough to send soundwaves at Mother. She covered her ears and whined at the ear piercing sound. "Now when you land your first hit, it'll be the best one of us all!"
"Thanks for reminding me of my failures during this battle…" Hextra grumbled to herself.
"Work Up!" Niles shouted, wanting to pump himself up for his next attack. "I may be pretty weak in comparison to others, but what I do have is spirit! And if I turn that spirit into strength I can deliver a real crushing blow, like bam! Then we'll see who's the weakest!"
Hextra swept her cape to the side, narrowing her eyes at Mother. "I think it's high time that I prove why I wear these medals of honor," she said with a grin before scraping her claws together with a loud *Shing* "Malfarian or not, these claws have always left their mark on the battlefield! Dragon Claw!"
She charged full-speed ahead at Mother, delivering her a staggering powerful uppercut, slicing the blaziken from the stomach up to her chin. One of her scarlet claws had hooked itself into Mother's lower jaw.
Hextra was overjoyed that she was able to connect this time. "Finally! Let us hope this puts you in the ground for good..." She somberly whispered. She then delicately laid the blaziken onto the sand, slowly pulling out her bloodied claw from the blaziken's jaw.
Niles rubbed his chin. "Is that it then?" he asked, somewhat unsure if it'd be that simple. "Has her misery ended?"
Skorge vigorously shook his head in denial. "Hahaha! Impossible! You're a fool if you believe that's all it takes to take down a malfarian!" He declared with certainty. "You only succeeded in signing your death warrant!"
Nilsine clenched her fist, feeling a pang of grief wash over her. "What if she's actually gone, Skorge?" she inquired.
Graves rubbed his upper back. "Ya', I dunno if anyone could survive that…"
"Imbeciles! Can't you see her still moving!" Skorge pointed out, gesturing to Mother's twitching body. "One of those bastards is getting eviscerated and I hope you're prepared for quite the performance!"
Mother gradually got back up to her feet, appearing emotionless for a while. Her left eyes flitted around the area, her face twitching rapidly. Much to everyone's surprise, Hextra's squad busted through the flame barrier, seemingly proud of their accomplishment. Hextra was relieved to see their familiar faces once more.
"I was wondering when you'd join in!" Hextra welcomed with open arms, then clenching her fist. "You were never the type to sit out of an intense fight!"
"We figured you would all need assistance with a beast that is a malfarian, so we also brought medicine!" A lucario from the squad mentioned.
They tossed out some reviver seeds to Sheila and Naoto, bringing them back into consciousness. They also gave Sornos a Max Potion, which would help stop the internal bleeding for a while longer.
However, their celebration was cut short when Mother swiftly placed her hand flat against the ground. The whole area began to rumble and shake. Flames erupted from the sands in a chaotic manner throughout the arena.
Hextra's squad was immediately incinerated by one of the blasts, leaving her traumatized after witnessing it firsthand right in front of her.
Luck continues to work against Sornos, his arm being roasted by the flames. Leaving his fur and skin charred to the bone.
What grandmother did I push into a pit to deserve this shit!? Sornos wondered, frustratingly growling and breathing through his teeth in anguish.
Court, noticing that Nilsine was about to be subjected to the same fate as Hextra's squad, actually tackled her to save her from the flaming geyser that was erupting beneath her. She was in a daze as she looked into Court's eyes.
"I don't understand why you cared enough to do that... but thanks, I truly appreciate it," Nilsine said with a shy and cute smile, twirling her chest fur.
"What can I say? I'm addicted to being a knight for every pretty lady, good or bad," Court joked with a shrug and a wide berth.
"If only I had known more pokemon like you in my life…" Nilsine lamented, scratching behind her left ear.
Upon waking up, Naoto's hand was quickly scorched by some flames. He reeled it back in a quick motion.
"Cool wake up call, Yandor…" Naoto muttered sarcastically.
Half of Hextra's tail was also singed by an explosion of fire. However, she was too shell-shocked at her squad's demise to even notice the pain.
All the others managed to avoid the flames or were lucky enough that they erupted nowhere near them. Regardless, Team Eternity's recently renewed hope was certainly demolished as soon as it came.
"Kehahahahahha!" Skorge chortled crazily, sneering and showing off his sharp teeth. "This is the chaos I live to witness! Watching this storm of fire wreak havoc upon all you murderous, unforgivable fiends has me in pure pleasure!"
Mother soon released an enraged screech, hungrily looking around the sands for her next target.
"Tear them apart, mother! Show them the overwhelming rage of the Fireforged! GAHAHEHEH-" Skorge's maniacal laughter was interrupted by a splatter of crimson all over his face. This confused him, since none of his enemies were near him. "Wha-!?"
Graves found himself impaled right through the chest from the back by Mother's clawed hands. His eyes were widened in the purest form of shock and fright. It was obvious to him that he is now in death's grasp.
"M-Ma' w-w-wh..y…?" he sputtered out before she stabbed her other hand into his back and tore him in two in one quick motion.
Nilsine fell backwards and hurriedly scrambled away from her mother. She had never felt this horrified before in her life. She had no words as she trembled on the sands that were stained with Grave's blood.
Meanwhile, Skorge just stood there face to face with his mother, two psychotic eyes boring into one another. Although, Mother seemed to pause for a moment as if she was momentarily regretting the gruesome act she had committed. Skorge's gaze faltered for a brief moment.
"Have you realized it now, Skorge?" Sornos questioned, his expression growing serious. "You were playing with dangerous things attempting to coax out the malfarian, something you cannot hope to control!"
Sheila crossed her arms. "Ha! He'll face the repercussions for manipulating his own mother now!" Sheila commented, looking on with amusement, feeling vindicated.
Skorge's left eye twitched, finding it difficult to break away from his mother's gaze. "You… you… I was doing what was necessary to save her! It wasn't malicious manipulation!" He shouted, finally tearing his eyes from Mother's. "I told you I knew the risks, but... s-she wouldn't kill me. Surely she still has a shred of her memories with her beloved child!"
His mother was about to pounce him as he kept his head dropped to the ground. However, Ansuis distracted her with a Scald attack that scraped against her leg. She whipped around, reacting almost immediately.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "I thought I'd be able to let you die, but it seems I haven't let go after all…" He admitted, gripping his tongue scarf. He looked at Skorge with pleading eyes. "I beg of you to see reason for once and help us subdue your mother before she slaughters all of us!"
Skorge appeared lost in thought as he absorbed his brother's words.
He's probably right, of course he's right! It's the sensible option! Yet… the issue is that I have no sense, there's no right or wrong in what I've done, correct? I know what will happen, I know that mother will be ruthlessly killed if she loses this fight and that would go against everything I've done up to this point… I vowed to chaos, but my only true goal was her survival, her chance at a normal life after they stripped it from her with this stupid fuckin' disease! Nonononono! Skorge will never leave his mother's side! That would betray his vow! Not to chaos, but to repay her for saving me.
…
Even if it means I must die to make it so. I'm sorry, Ansuis, Nilsine, Graves... all of you… I hadn't done right by your side and I refuse to let it be the same with her... This is a mistake I embrace willingly.
"Buzzsaw Smash!" He seemingly went after his Mother only for it to be a fake-out. He abruptly changed his angle mid-flight and went after Ansuis. It caught the Greninja completely off guard, meaning that Skorge was able to leave a very deep gash on his chest.
"Gah! Should've known better…" Ansuis chastised himself, hitting his thigh in anger. "Skorge… if this is the fate you wish for, then so be it! You will fall with your mother as you've always wanted."
"Gladly." Skorge firmly stated.
"Thunder Fang!" Sornos announced, chomping down on Skorge's right wing. Not too hard though to avoid shattering his teeth on the metal. A jolt of electricity surged through the skarmory's body, causing him to squawk in pain. However, due to his Weak Armor ability, some of the steel broke away and allowed him to move faster than before.
Hextra approached Skorge and his mother, then swung her bulky tail in a full circle around her. They both stepped back, but not enough to avoid getting clipped by the tip of the tail. It was enough to leave them feeling a bit weakened.
Court, still standing near Nilsine after having intervened in her near death experience, noticed how uncertain she appeared.
"Don't tell me you intend on still assisting Skorge," Court presumed while frowning. He then offered her a comforting smile. "You can't keep letting him push you around and harm you constantly. I can tell it's not in the name of love anymore, if it ever was."
"Psychic!" Nilsine suddenly attempted to lift her mother with telekinetic power from her wand, only managing to make her trip to the ground.
She sighed in disappointment, rubbing her arm nervously. "Well, you get the point, right?" She faced Court with a look of seriousness before throwing down her hands. "I'm done with this family."
"Good to see you wide awake again," Niles said to Sheila, very relieved.
Sheila began tapping her foot. "I was hoping to see you dominating the competition instead of having to rely on our enemies tearing each other apart…"
"Ey! I'm doing the best I can considering I'm ineffective against their types! Plus, I'm a wimpy first evolution pokemon!" Niled defended, holding his hands out to the side in offense.
"Relax! I was just pushing your buttons. Now watch as I hard carry your ass!" Sheila exclaimed, cockily smirking. "Venoshock!"
She spit out a vile, poisonous liquid that covered Mother, dissolving away the rest of her skin and feather on her face and right, including her only normal eye. Although, due to the nature of a malfarian, this did not kill her. The newly exposed bones already take on the demonic appearance as the other parts of her body had. She looked even more terrifying than before.
"Ice Beam!" Court shouted, launching out a concentrated frigid laser towards Skorge. The attack hit the skarmory smack dab on the face, leaving him on his last legs.
"S-s-s-s-shit!" Skorge stuttered in aggravation, shivering from the extreme cold. "Why are they winning!? She's a malfarian! They should all be nothing but bits and pieces scattered in the sand by now!"
Niles rubbed his neck. "The fact that we're outnumbering you 8 to 2 would explain that," he mentioned, furrowing his brow. "Could have been 9 to 1, but you squandered that opportunity."
"BE QUIET!" Skorge screamed, stomping his foot into the sand, visibly fuming.
"If it's silence you want, then I'm happy to deliver!" Niles picked up some rocks with vines that he created. "Rock Tomb!"
Unfortunately, he was only able to drop one rock onto Skorge and it didn't seem to do much other than slow him down somewhat.
"Time for your transgressions to finally end!" Naoto shouted, walking up to the weakened skarmory. "Drain Punch!"
However, it did not go as planned for Naoto. Skorge managed to move his head in the path of his fist, resulting in him cutting his forearm in half, lengthwise, from punching through the top of the saw blade. He reeled backwards and found himself at the feet of Mother. Her attention was quickly drawn to the scent of blood.
Her skeletal face gave Naoto a terrifying flashback to when he was buried amongst the decaying bodies of female pokemon that were once fellow villagers to him. Because of this, he locked up in place, his phobia triggering at the worst of times.
Luckily for him, Niles stepped in to pull them out of the way before the blaziken tore into his flesh with their mouth. However, the maflarian was angered by the interruption and impaled Nile's neck with one of its talons. She stared into his eyes as he gurgled blood, helplessly struggling as he was suspended in the air.
"Niles! Don't you fucking die now you idot!" Sheila exclaimed in a panic as she began to uselessly pelt the blaziken with fire and poison attacks. "Let him go you foul monster!"
Niles soon gave up trying to escape and let his limbs rest. Sheila's attacks gradually became more and more desperate as she noticed him losing color. He shut his eyes and let his mind wander peacefully.
Death was inevitable, it was only a matter of time. My only regret is that I couldn't go out in a more heartfelt way for the sake of Sheila. Welp, now I can certainly see for myself if I will escape this nightmare…
With that, Nile's body went limp, the life fleeting away from his eyes. To add insult to injury, the blaziken tore into the flesh of his neck, forcing the others to watch her feast on their heroic leader. Sheila couldn't even look as she still continued to punch Mother's legs, fighting back tears as her strikes continued growing more and more hopeless each time.
Location: ?
Niles awoke in a gasp to find himself in a different but familiar room. He looked around and immediately recognized it as his room, his room of his world. He just shook his head and laughed.
"So it was just a dream, a long ass dream." Niles ran his hand through his hair, feeling a massive wave of solace. He glanced at his alarm clock, it read 2:00 PM. "That was way too surreal, but in the end it was nothing."
He walked over to his window and opened it to get a breath of fresh air. He looked around outside and saw what he expected to see, a familiar neighborhood, children playing in their yards and cars driving down the street. He then looked in his mirror to see a regular human 18 year old boy wearing nothing but black boxer shorts. He brushed his hand through his messy blond hair and grinned.
"Feels good to have hair again," he commented as he walked to his door and opened it to step into the hallway. "Now to see my family once more. Feels like forever since I've seen their faces."
He began walking down the stairs and into the comfy living room. "Mom! I'm finally awake!" he shouted with joy as he entered the living room to see his mother sitting on the couch reading a book.
"You've only been asleep for a typical amount of time, why are yo-"
She was interrupted by him tightly hugging her, which was strange for her, since he rarely does so at his age. Nevertheless, she returned the embrace as any good mother would do. They remained that way for a while, Niles enjoying the respite only a mother could give. They broke the hug and his mother let out an amused chuckle.
"Who are you and what did you do with my son?!" She jested, placing her hands on her hips with forced sincerity. "Did my poor baby have a nightmare or something?"
"Uhhh…" he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Unsure if he should tell about any of what he went through. "I guess you could say that… where's dad?"
"The kitchen, cooking up something mean."
Niles rushed into the kitchen, the aroma of bacon and eggs growing stronger the closer he was. He saw his dad overlooking their breakfast. His father turned around and was greeted by a quick hug from Niles. He returned the favor, patting his son on the back.
"Where's this coming from, Niles?" he questioned with a laugh, a bit suspicious of his son's odd behavior. "Do you really like bacon and eggs that much?"
"No, well yes, I do love them, but I just felt like you deserved it, you know?" Niles explained anxiously.
"You know what else I deserve?" his father started, offering his son a telling look. "Some father and son bonding, now why don't you help me with breakfast here?" He gestured to the pan of sizzling food.
"Um, in a sec," Niles twiddled his fingers, turning to the kitchen entrance. He pointed back to it with his thumb. "I want to check on my sister real fast."
His dad was a bit confused but shrugged it off, humming away as he flipped the eggs over. Niles then exited the kitchen and went back upstairs to open the door to his sister's room without knocking. His sister was lying on her belly in her bed. She quickly shut the laptop she was using once she noticed Nile's presence.
"What's with you and forgetting how to use your hands to hit a door before barging in?!" his sister chided, staring daggers at him.
"Hey! I learned it from you," he smirked with a wide shrug. "You shouldn't be such a bad example to your younger siblings."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Ugh, why are you even here?" she questioned, sitting up on the side of her bed. She whipped her hair back. "I already know that breakfast is cooking…"
Niles felt a little hurt by her crass attitude. "Just wanted to see if you were alright," He tried to approach her with open arms but she held up her hands as if to shield herself.
"Excuse me, you haven't taken a shower yet," she accused, sounding purely offended by his apparent lack of hygiene. "After all that sleeping in this hot weather, do you really think I'm going to let you wrap your BO infused arms around me?"
"Right, right…" Niles rolled his eyes, backing out of her room awkwardly. "Catch you later then!"
He waved her goodbye and shut the door, running back down the stairs. Instead of going into the kitchen again, he decided to head over to the front door.
"Let's get a taster of that fresh, earthly, air that I've missed so much," he said to himself as he pushed open the door. What he saw sent a chill down his spine.
Instead of the bright, sunny day he saw from the window, there was nothing but a dark void. He tried to step back into his house, however, he was met with failure. The house was not even present anymore.
"What the?!" He shouted in genuine disbelief, dumbfounded by the drastic change of scenery.
Suddenly, two bright blue eyes revealed themselves within the darkness. Niles felt his heartbeat quicken as he tried to avoid their gaze. Alas, everywhere he looked those eyes remained in the same place, staring straight into his soul.
"My apologies for tarnishing your heartwarming little fantasy," A foreboding, deep voice spoke. It seemed to echo throughout the emptiness of the void.
"The hell are you?!" Niles questioned, taken aback in dread. His expression quickly turned to one of gloom. "Why am I standing in a godforsaken void after just talking with my family?! I'm home, right!? I-I thought I was back..."
"That was simply a figment of your imagination forged from the depths of your memories," the voice answered. "As for who I am, well, it's not imperative that I reveal my identity. It is for the best that we remain unacquainted."
"Then what do you want with me?" Niles asked, gritting his teeth in suspense.
"Because, my champion, your time is not up and your purpose remains yet unfulfilled," the voice explained, booming louder than before. "You shall rise again as I have time and time again, Yandor will keep its beacon of hope!"
"W-wai-!" Niles tried to stop them, but it was too late. He felt his reality warp around him and soon, his sight became shrouded in darkness.
Age of Zezula: Year 780: Location: Croudor Province: Uria Town Outskirts
Niles awakened in the arms of a certain weeping salandit. He looked over himself and silently cursed. Sheila lifted her eyelids just enough to see that he was breathing.
"Huh?! You?!" The sparkle in her eyes came rushing back as she brought Niles close to her body. "I won't even begin to question how or why. I'm glad you're back with me!"
"Hold... me any tighter... and I'll probably die again…" Niles gasped, struggling for oxygen from being so tightly cradled.
"Oops, sorry…" Sheila said, releasing her grip on him. She was perplexed when she realized that his wounds completely disappeared. "How did you recover like this?"
"Let's just say it'll be a nicely long story for when we get home," Niles responded, frowning in sorrow at the loss of hope that he'd ever return to his real home.
Hextra's eyes widened when she saw Niles very much alive and breathing. She shook her head clear of the surprise. "As much as I'm glad and puzzled, that you're alive, we still have to deal with Skorge and his mother," she reminded them, pointing at the dangerous duo.
Court's jaw dropped to the ground. "Woah! But you literally had your throat ripped out, we saw her swallow it!" he exclaimed with a look of admiration. "This is some kind of crazy magician trick you're pulling here! The Eskor Players could've used someone like you."
Skorge looked furious. "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me! He was just a full course meal wasn't he?!" he exclaimed, doubting himself. "Did we all just share my hallucinations or someshit?!"
Niles searched the sands with his pupils for a certain mienfoo. "Where's Naoto?!" he asked, dreading to find out his fate.
"Over here!" Naoto waved in the distance. He had made his way over to the wall of flames to cauterize his mangled arm. "I think you should be more concerned about Ansuis!"
Nilsine was hunched over the shriveled up lifeless gray corpse of Ansuis. She held up his head with her hand, gloomily peering over at the others with a doleful expression.
"He was… he was fine before Niles seemingly died…" the delphox began, drained of any previous color she had. She looked back down at Ansuis's face. "As soon as Sheila was shocked by his revival, Ansuis just fell to the ground. As if all of his life was sucked directly from his soul…"
"Could it be..." Sornos paused for a moment, pondering over the recent events. "That Niles's sudden revival is the cause…?"
Skorge spat into the sand, his spit dissolving in the extreme heat."Kehahahhaha! Seems like the will of the legendaries is in my corner this time around!" he taunted arrogantly. "Good fucking riddance I say! He was always at my throat every second we worked together… Dammit, I kind of miss it though…"
Hextra shook her head. "Regardless, we have zero time to mourn or become detectives over the matter," she said, flicking one of her axe-blade tusks.
She was very much correct, since Mother set out to prove her point and let out a frustrated growl. She sprinted like a feral beast at Court.
"Ack!" He grunted in surprise. Mother upper cutted him in the stomach, bringing herself and him into the air. Except, he didn't get as pleasant of a landing, finding himself knocked out cold upon landing on his head in the sand.
"Drill Peck!" Skorge announced, quickly following up his mother.
He flew up and like a missile, homed in towards Hextra. Due to his previous speed buffs, he was easily able to find his mark before she could react. She roared in agony after his beak stabbed cleanly through her left thigh. Skorge swiftly swooped up and around, back to his original position.
Hextra had to kneel down, unable to stand on her severely wounded leg.
"I'm still in it!" She assured the others. "But we absolutely need to take one of them out. Because our numbers are going to dwindle faster than you can expect."
"I'll get right on that," Sornos stoically nodded. "Stone Edge!"
He summoned a barrage of sharpened stones and launched them, one by one, at Mother. She danced around them like a ballerina, well, a sinister one that is.
"Brick Break!" Hextra shouted, attempting to chop down on Skorge's neck. However, he swerved his head to the right and her claws only nicked him.
Nilsine, finally letting Ansuis's body rest, faced Skorge while holding out her wand. She narrowed her eyes.
"Flamethrower!" A line of fire shot from her wand.
The flames were meant to hit Skorge, but he just laughed as they sailed right by him.
"This is what happens when you try to act on your own, Nilsine!" He mocked in a flagrant tone, wanting to take enjoyment out of vexing her. "Won't be much longer till you join the rest of our siblings! But hey, maybe they'll have a lovely cake and some tea to celebrate your arrival!?"
"Oh I am so sick of your shit!" Nilsine remarked, swiping her hand to the side in a clear show of her personal resentment. "I await the moment I get to be the one laughing at your dismay! It'll be quite therapeutic."
"Allow me to shut that psycho's mouth for you!" Sheila exclaimed confidently. "Flame Burst!"
This time, Skorge was not successful in avoiding another attack. The burst of flames was so hot, that it seared a large crater of a hole in his body, while the tinier flames barely harmed his mother. His legs buckled beneath him causing him to tumble to the sand below.
"I-I did my part, mother!" He wailed, catching his mother's eyes with his own. his eyelids began to droop heavily. "I was your shield for as long as I was able. Deliver the rightful justice they deserve…"
And so, he was finally silenced. Not for good, thanks to the flames' cauterizing effects, but certainly for the rest of the fight.
"Nice going Sheila! Now we can focus all of our might on the real threat," Niles applauded, sighing as he tried his hand with the nearby boulders again. "Rock Tomb!"
History continues to repeat itself. He just could not get a handle on the rock attack, only managing to toss them a few feet in front of him nowhere near Mother.
Naoto shut his eyes and began meditating, knowing better than to draw the malfarians attention when he was already so close to death.
Mother pounced on Sornos, tackling him to the ground with a thud. She began violently clawing his body all over. He was only able to push her back enough so she couldn't get bites in as well.
Hextra jumped into action and tried to knock the blaziken off of him with a powerful swing of her tail. Even though it only clipped her back, Mother left Sornos alone to face Hextra. Much to everyone's dismay, Sornos passed out due to the blood loss. Meaning they were now down to 5.
"Psychic!" Nilsine shouted, able to get a grasp of her mother with the magical energy this time. She ran her mother through the sand and flung her into a cactus. It was brought with her as she collided with a rock, cracking the rock slightly.
"Toxic!" Sheila hurled a ball of purple liquid, only for it to fly over the blaziken's head.
"They say persistence pays off, right?" Niles mumbled to himself. "Rock Tomb!"
Turns out, whoever "they" are, were incorrect. Seeing that Mother effortlessly jumped over the rocks he threw.
This joke is starting to run itself into the ground… Could you please stop with this, Yandor?
Sheila looked over at a meditating Naoto.
"Naoto please!" Sheila begged. "I get that you were nearly eaten alive, but we require your assistance. There's only 5 of us left and that malfarian is not letting up at all!"
Naoto lifted his eyelids slightly, considering her proposal for a second. "Hmmmm, I'm sorry…" he said with some regret, returning to his state of respite. "If I dare approach that demon, I'll surely be faced with my demise. And I know better than to believe a miracle can occur twice."
"Fine then, if one of us dies, I know who to blame!" Sheila stomped off to Nile's side, huffing in irritation.
"Quick Attack!" Niles went for broke and attempted a lightning fast kick at Mother. To which she smacked him away like a fly.
With Hextra in her sights, Mother swiped at her with extreme speed. Hextra preemptively ducked only for the blaziken's vicious claws to dig into her back. Rending her flesh as they were dragged all the way down. The haxorus was incapable of resisting the pain any longer and promptly fainted, plummeting into the soft embrace of sand.
"I guess Skorge wasn't lying when he said I'd see my brothers and sisters again…" Nilsine muttered to herself in a glum tone. "I suppose I'll have to face my fears here and now..."
Niles, happening to have landed near her after being smacked, stood up and approached her.
"Nilsine, I may not know you all that well, but let me tell you this," he started, giving her a look of sincerity. "You've made it this far, and I'm assuming that you've been through some shit. Considering that you're an orphan and all. Not to mention, you powered through Skorge's tyranny and are fighting alongside us. It would be a shame to let death win after all that."
"Says the one who is so gifted that Arceus themselves resurrected them!" Nilsine remarked spitefully. That energy quickly drained from her and she went back to being distraught in her mood. "I won't be so fortunate! I've sinned, I've ruined, and I've lost everything dearest to me... Arceus has no motivation to save me…"
"Actually, I'm pretty sure Arceus isn't why I was brought back," Niles corrected, holding up a finger. "But I won't digress, we are all here for a reason, and I fully believe that. I suspect that you have yet to accomplish what life wants from you. Also, you have redeemed yourself in my eyes and I wish for you to make it through this with the rest of us. I just need you to hold on to the will to live. I'm sure your mother wishes the same."
"I can see why you are the leader of your mercenary band," Nilsine murmured, envying his resolve. She prepped her wand for another attack. "Forgive me, mother… Psychic!"
Once more, she got a hold of the blaziken, slamming her head into a boulder multiple times till it cracked her skeletal face. She was then sent tumbling across the sands and into the wall of flames which sent her careening back to the ground face first. She crawled back up onto her feet, actually seeming worn down for once.
Sheila was about to deliver another Venoshock attack before miraculously, a delayed eruption of flames from Mother's earlier enragement sent her flying into the sky. She plummeted back to the ground screaming in terror, breaking her leg on impact and getting knocked unconscious.
"Sheila!" Niles shouted in worry, immediately rushing to her side to make sure she still had a pulse. Sighing in relief, he stood back up and rubbed his neck somberly. "Our luck is really beginning to rot…"
Naoto sighed, coming to the conclusion that even if he were to continue to avoid the fight, he'd surely die anyway. Therefore, he quit meditating, jumped to his feet and charged at the blaziken while she was turned away.
"Force Palm!" He slammed his palm into her spine, intending to paralyze her permanently. A definitive snapping was heard and she was launched forwards onto the ground. However, her movement did not cease. Somehow, she had enough energy to hop back up, as if they were running entirely on adrenaline at this point.
"This must be the unstoppable persistence of a malfarian then..." Naoto firmly planted his feet, apparent that he knew what was coming next, he looked over at the others with a stoic expression. "It was enjoyable fighting alongside you, even if our time was relatively short. Hopefully, she'll expend the rest of her energy offing me. You can finish her off for good after that."
"Don't speak like that," Niles firmly stated. "You aren't dead until we see the life stripped from you. If you won't save yourself, then I'll pick up the pace!"
However, Mother would have none of that heroism. Giving Niles no room to intervene, one of those purple vine-like protrusions shot out from her arm and penetrated Naoto's heart. It did not go through the other side though. Naoto fell to his knees, not able to find the power to even speak. He tried to pull the invader out his chest and ultimately failed.
Mother's body trembled in delight, letting out a strangely sensual guttural sound. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the vine-like object was pumping something out or in. Naoto wheezed as he continued to continuously feel more and more feint.
"I had no idea they could even do that!" Nilsine commented in revulsion and puzzlement.
Niles covered his mouth to avoid puking, repulsed by the event unfolding.
"Flamethrower!?" Nilsine shouted with uncertainty, burning straight through the purple vine. Mother shrieked in anguish as black and red liquids poured out from the dismembered vine. Naoto motionlessly fell face first into the sand.
Nilsine turned to Niles in a panic. "Kill it now! Quickly!"
"Oh, uh, Rock Tomb!"
What would have been poetic had he finished her with the move that was originally going to end her misery before Skorge's interruption, ending up disappointing him once again. Supposedly, it was the serious pressure that caused him to lose focus and sent the rocks flying backwards instead of forwards.
"I think I'm about done trusting mineral based elements after that…" Niles mirthlessly chucked at his own untimely joke.
As if the universe wanted to poke fun at him, Mother did her own form of a Rock Tomb attack. Heaving many boulders above her head and burying Niles beneath them.
Nilsine's face was awash with dismay at her predicament.
"I'm not even the hero type, why am I the only one left to put the villain down?!" She complained to herself, blowing steam through her nose. "I guess it's fittingly ironic that the mother and daughter are the last ones standing. Although, I'd have preferred that we bonded over a nice campfire and not a death defying battle!"
Since she was too busy complaining, Mother took the opening to strike before Nilsine could.
"I figured a mindless beast like you would fall for it," Nilsine smirked, apparently intending to bait her mother into attacking her.
Nilsine jumped to the side and used her Psychic power to throw her mother to the ground and hold her in place. The blaziken heard the ground rumbling, understanding her fate to come.
"Like mother like daughter," Nilsine whispered to her in a joyless tone.
Her mother looked up at her and… smiled.
"N-Nil...sine…" she uttered in a raspy, darkened voice. She stopped moving altogether and let her limbs relax, accepting death with welcome arms.
Except, hearing her mother's voice caused a now excitedly hopeful Nilsine to slide her mother out of the way before she was turned to ash by the incoming eruption of flames.
Nilsine crouched down to her mother's level.
"M-mother! I-I-I heard you! Pl-please tell me the malfarian is gone… I beg of you!" Nilsine pleaded, holding her mother's head up in her arms. She looked expectedly in her mother's skeletal eye sockets, their flames having dimmed altogether. "I… I cannot kill you without knowing this!"
The blaziken weakly caressed Nilsines cheek. "Y-yo...u… r-really aren't much different from your oldest brother," her mother breathed with a dull smile, her voice becoming more clear.. "I-I was truly blessed to have you all as my children, sticking by my side despite the hardships with this harsh disease."
Nilsine dropped to her knees and tightly hugged her mother with tender arms, soaking in the long lost maternal embrace. Her tears of joy and relief dripped onto the blaziken, sliding down her skeletal form. The wall of flames slowly dissipated till there was no more.
Niles pushed out from underneath the boulders, popping his head out enough to witness Nilsine and her mother with their arms encircling each other.
"U-ummm?" he raised a brow, scratching his head. "She's… not gone after all...?"
Nilsine glared at him. "Indeed, and if you even dare to leave a finger on her I will incinerate you where you stand!" she flared up.
He held his hands up defensively. "Understood, hope you enjoy this opportunity," the treecko nodded, sitting on one of the boulders patiently.
He sat there, waiting for quite a while until a group of pokemon arrived on the scene. Amongst them was Vermex, Rukous, Lulu, and Jessica. The rest were part of the military.
"What a relief it is to see you guys again!" Niles exclaimed, elated to see the rest of his friends. Although, that feeling did not last once he noticed the absence of a luxio. "I-is Tuba...?"
Rukous offered him a dull look. "He's gone, another victim to add to Skorge's long list," he addressed.
"It doesn't seem like you guys fared all that much better than us though…" Lulu observed after having glanced at the ruined battlefield and all the dormant bodies.
"Don't tell me that any of them are dead!" Jessica worriedly exclaimed, sweat shooting off from her panicking face. "One was enough to bear…"
"Not that I'm aware of…" Niles answered, purposely withholding information to set her at ease but not get her hopes up.
Vermex walked over to Nilsine and her mother. He tapped on the delphox's shoulder causing her to tense up.
"Hate to break such a heartwarming motherly embrace, alas, we need to get your mother under restraint post haste," he informed in a kind, yet urgent manner.
"Nilsine, allow him to do as is needed," Mother requested, giving Nilsine a look of seriousness. "It is my own will that you listen."
Nilsine reluctantly let go of her mother.
"But… they're going to execute you, right?" She asked, gravely concerned while facing the ground.
Vermex shook his head as he grabbed her mother by the hand to help pull her up to her feet. Several soldiers quickly secured her to a trolley, wrapping nactvite chains all around her body to lock her limbs in place. She offered no resistance as they did this.
"Under my scrutiny, she won't be cast away into the Savage Lands or otherwise, I promise you that," he assured the stressed delphox. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Linara has done a lot for you and your siblings. Furthermore, I've rarely seen cases where a pokemon this far into the enchanted decay actually regain control like this. I say that more than warrants her a chance to be free if our scientists can manage it. You have my word, if it means anything to you."
Niles frowned. "Skorge was in over his head for nothing then," he commented.
"Speaking of, where is that troublesome unstable youth at?" Vermex asked, scanning over the desert sands. "He desperately requires the attention of a therapist in our mental asylums. That is, if he isn't dead."
Mother, finally revealed to be named Linara, felt a hurtful pang hit her heart upon hearing the name of her son. She assumed the worst, knowing what he had done.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Skorge was currently well awake and sneaking by all the soldiers surrounding the perimeter. His mother noticed him, staring directly at him. He looks back longingly before lowering his head and closing his eyes.
"Hey! Get over here!" An Emboar soldier shouted, alerting everyone else to Skorge's presence. They all hastily surrounded him.
Vermex carefully approached the now fearful skarmory.
"Skorge… we already have your mother in custody and I vow to keep her safe until a cure is hopefully found," he told him in a friendly tone before offering a resolute expression. "I humbly request that you avoid resisting arrest so you can get the help you need. I, much like your mother, would love to see you returned to a normal life with your sister."
"Fuck off with your lying bullshit!" Skorge remarked, immediately becoming hostile. "Don't act like I don't fucking know! You won't do anything for her, I'd sooner find her decaying in a ditch before nightfall!"
Vermex sighed, sounding both annoyed and disappointed. "I apologize for the unspeakable things you went through during the Age of Ishae, we all lost a part of ourselves in that time," he sympathized, holding his claws to his heart. He then held out his claws to Skorge, hopeful that he'll reach out to him. "Nevertheless, those of us that have found the will and strength to recover from what was lost has bettered our resolve. All I want is for you to be able to say the same when you're living in a beautiful home with a loving family. A real one that will stand by your side like Linara had done."
"Y-You have no idea what hell I went through," Skorge flatly stated in a bitter tone, scowling at the noivern. "If this wasn't in public, you'd be more than willing to take me out where I stand, then do the same to my mother. I, for one, will not allow you to take any more from me! I will return to her and save her! Mark my words, you cultish fiend!"
Skorge quickly shot off into the skies at a shocking speed. Nobody knew exactly where he intended to fly off to. Alas, it was clear he wouldn't be returning any time soon.
"Well then, that wasn't what I was anticipating," Vermex said with a frown before shrugging it off. "Can't win them all I suppose."
Linara stared off in the direction Skorge had left.
"I love you…" She whispered under her breath. "Don't you dare forget that..."
Niles bit his lower lip. "You're just going to let him go?" he inquired, not understanding the reasoning.
"I highly doubt he'll be much of an issue on his lonesome," Vermex answered matter of factly. "I say let him find out the futility of his actions and come flying back in hopelessness. We'll take him in then. Who knows, maybe he will make something of his efforts, which would be a positive for us anyways."
"Makes sense I guess," Niles scratched the back of his neck. He eyed the bloodied sands where his allies had fallen. "We should probably get my team some medical assistance, prompto."
"Right you are! I'll contact our doctors to get them right on that," Vermex then turned to Nilsine. "Would you like parting words with your mother before she's wheeled off?"
Nilsine nodded and Vermex gestured her over to Linara with his wing. Nilsine made her way to her mother, glancing at her with a saddened expression.
"You need not look so glum, Nilsine. I'll be under better care than I ever was down in that cave," Linara reassured. She looked at the ground sorrowfully. "Regretfully, I wished we'd given in sooner… our resistance and fear was at the cost of almost our entire family… It's my fault for not stopping Skorge sooner… I couldn't even say goodbye to any of them to set their hearts at ease in the Neverrest."
"It's not your fault, it's that stupid disease's," Nilsine claimed, not wanting to blame anyone. "We'd all still be enjoying a fun card game or something in the foster home if you hadn't caught it. But what annoys me the most, is that I have no clue how you got it. You hardly left our city and were only ever around us."
"Honestly… I cannot recall how…" Linara admitted, appearing perplexed by the notion. "Which is strange… because I could've sworn I had known at some point. Regardless, my time in Yandor isn't over yet. And I just want you to know that my wish is for you to take a different path than your brother. You're my only surviving children and I'd hate for you to suffer like him. So please, leave me with that hope. Remember that I'll always love you no matter the case."
"Of course, and I love you too, mother!" Nilsine exclaimed, leaning in to allow her mother to peck her cheek with a delicate kiss. She then held her mother's hand. "And my wish is for you to hold on and never let that malfarian consume you again. For my sake and… Skorge's."
"Aw, sweetie, you know I'd never disappoint either of you," She said with an infectious smile. The pokemon around her soon grabbed a hold of the trolley she was strapped to.
"This is goodbye then."
"Farewell, mother,"
Linara was then wheeled off and out of sight amongst the crowd.
Lulu glimpsed at the delphox with confusion. "Is Nilsine not getting punishment for her involvement with the Fireforged?" she questioned.
Vermex stepped in. "From what I can tell, she appears to harbor no resentment toward anyone anymore," he noted, holding his chin in ponderance.
"She's also the reason we're all alive right now," Niles pitched in. "I fainted before seeing the end. So, she must've done something that brought her mother back to sanity."
"Sounds like she's reformed to me," Vermex decided with an air of carelessness. "Honestly, I suspect that she never needed to in the first place."
"What!?" Rukous interjected, outraged by the lack of concern. "She tried to kill me and my allies back in that quarry! Not only that, but she assisted in Naoto's torture! I believe that is enough cause for rightful justice."
Vermex furrowed his brow and frowned. "I suggest that you learn a thing or two about forgiveness then," he said, treating Rukous with a little enmity in his tone of voice. "Besides, not everything one does is of their own volition. It wouldn't be shocking to hear that she was emotionally manipulated by Skorge and the others in that group."
"Tch," Rukous clicked his tongue, still harboring hatred towards the girl.
Nilsine seemed to be dejected after hearing Rukous's words. Jessica came to her side and clasped her hands around the delphox's.
"Don't feel distraught, Nilsine, I trust that you're a better pokemon than we had initially thought!" She said in a cheerful manner, offering her a loving smile. "And if what Niles said is true, then you're already in my good graces."
"The redemption of criminals is very much a thing," Lulu piped up. "You aren't exempt from that."
"Y-you are all too kind… not that I don't feel gratitude for your words…" Nilsine trailed off. She rubbed her arm and shamefully turned to the side as her expression became empty. "Alas, it doesn't change the past. I've done unfathomable things and was too pathetic to stop Skorge when I could up until this fateful day. So, It's difficult to accept forgiveness…"
"Sir!" A Victreebel suddenly hopped up to Vermex, doing its best to give the Croudor salute.
"Yes, corporal?"
"The Eskor Province has declared war on our allies, the Acron Province!"
AN: Apologies for the longer wait this time, I had to plan out the second arc so I could properly segway into it. That, and this chapter is longer than usual. Gotta admit, didn't expect this one to go the way it did. But damn do I actually enjoy how it ended up. Plenty of fun options have opened themselves up as a result and I got to hint towards certain plot elements.
AN2: Phew! After three years, the first arc has actually been finished! This is the proudest I've felt about my writing yet. Now to pray that I can finish the others… Anyways, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this first arc if you wish to share them. It is a bit short, but that's standard for introductory arcs. Plus, It would have lasted longer had Vaylie not died and ushered the whole finale sequence.
AN3: I would declare Naoto dead and give my thanks to their creator, however, I haven't actually confirmed his death yet. One, because I'm not sure if death is where I want to take it, and two, there's something I want him to be alive for during the next chapter. All I can say is that he isn't dead, but it can very well end up that way. So, you know, prepare your RIPS or hold on to hope. I will, however, give my condolences to Ansuis. He was my own OC, yes, but he was a kind-hearted pokemon in the end. So he deserves it.
OC Rules
1. The classic. No Mary or Gary Stues. You can submit some very skilled and/or powerful OCs, but you must give them at least 2 or 3 weaknesses.
2. There's a bar of quality that you must pass in order for your OC to be accepted. This is because I get some OCs here and there that lack any substance at all, and boy is it hard to work with that. Luckily for you guys, the bar isn't that high and you have unlimited attempts anyways (please no spam though).
3. No human turned pokemon OCs.
4. I will not accept incomplete OCs or OCs that just do not fit into the world of Yandor.
5. No main villains/antagonists. I'm very iffy about them in general, as they're hard to fit into the story.
6. PM your OCs please. I'd much rather see reviews in the review section over them. I know this hurts the guests, but it's really not that difficult to set up an account. If you do end up sending one in the reviews for whatever reason, the only way I'll accept them is if you clearly put time and effort into it.
7. Fair warning, no character is safe from death. Since, I roll dice to determine battle and choice outcomes. However, I may overrule the dice on certain occasions. In short, I'll try to do what is best for the story.
OC Form!
Name:
Nickname/alias (If applicable):
Species and gender (You can submit any species including legendaries, besides Arceus. And for genderless pokemon, just tell me what they prefer to be considered):
Estimated Age (Pokemon don't age the same as humans, so I just need you to tell me if they're a child, teen, young adult, adult, or elder):
Role (Teammate to the main character, recurring villain, just some random shopkeeper, another mercenary band leader/teammate, or maybe a pokemon that I can just kill as an example of how shit Yandor can be):
Province (tell me what province they live in, just know that certain types usually live in a certain province, but they can be in any province really (very unlikely). Read the Lore of Yandor in the introductory chapter for info on that. You can ask any question about the provinces if needed and if I can answer it):
Personality (I need decent enough description that'll allow me to get your OC right):
Character Alignment (You can look up the alignments on google or just ask me about it):
Backstory (I won't ask for much here, just give me a backstory that really shows why they are the way they are):
Relationship? (No, this doesn't mean sex scenes are planned. I'm asking whether or not you're fine with your OC having a relationship develop, and their sexuality):
Ability:
Move-set (give me 6 moves):
Fighting Style (Can be as descriptive as you feel it should be):
Quotes (This is so you can give me a general idea of how they act, talk, and how you'd see them being written. A minimum of 4 is required.):
Other things that you must tell me (like if they have anything unique about their appearance, or if they can mega-evolve, stuff like that):
And the form for mercenary bands (Just put this form above the OCs that are in the team)
Name of team:
Scarf color:
Rank (E, D, C, B, A, S, H, W, Royal):
Members:
Why created:
What they've done:
Forms will be on my profile so you can copy it from there.
And that's all, thanks for reading, ladies and gents, hope you enjoyed it thoroughly ^:^