You think I'm dead? Wrong! I'm back with a new chapter!
I apologize if I went away from for too long, I'm a bit occupied with stuffs IRL. The good news that I have graduated from college. Bad news is that the graduation ceremony... got a little chaotic. So chaotic in fact that I went home in a fit of panic because the event took so long that other graduates started entering the place for the second shift because ceremony took too long to finish. Just give you a hint, the number of graduates in the first shift is over 2,000 or more and the ones for the second shift is another 2,000 graduates. As soon as I got my diploma, I ended up heading home because I have no idea what to do and the committee were panicking.
Moving on! For those who are following the plot of the series, you know what comes next...
Enjoy!
Chapter 13: Another Set-Up
Naofumi and the others arrived at the village that he, Raphtalia, and Filo defended. The ghost ship crashed outside the village and the other Cardinal Heroes and their parties looked no worse for wear.
The Shield Hero sat alone, away from his party and the others as he absorbed the remains of a Soul Eater in order to unlock new forms for his Legendary Shield. Remains of which he found near the ghost ship's crash site and brought to the village. His party, on the other hand, gathered around as they began to listen to the Pokédex entry for the two newly-evolved Pokémon. Chelsea and Merleo have been told everything about the "interesting turn of events."
"Lairon, the Iron Armor Pokémon. And the evolved form of Aron. It habitually shows off its strength with the sparks it creates by ramming its steel body into boulders." Tyler's Pokedex stated.
"Linoone, the Rushing Pokémon. And the evolved form of Zigzagoon. When running in a straight line, it can easily top 60 miles an hour. It has a tough time with curved roads." Chelsea's Pokedex stated.
"This is very fascinating… To have evolved into a different species." Merleo muttered as he was intrigued by the two entries. None more so than the fact that he found out that Pokemon were capable of undergoing evolution.
"It looks like Linoone is fast, but only when she is running straight." Raphtalia commented, even though she had no idea what the term 'miles' is. Though there was no disappointment in her expression. "However, she is still strong as is. Even though that Glass woman managed to defeat her in one strike. I am sure we can overcome that."
"I'm positive that you can do that." Kurisu assured her. "If anyone can make Linoone stronger, it's you."
"The same goes for Naofumi and his Pokemon." Tyler added. "Despite being such a sourpuss, Naofumi's actually the kind of guy that can get things done. He also takes no shit from nobody."
"Yeah. I haven't known him that long, but I could tell that he's pretty much a Hero of his own." Chelsea commented.
As they were conversing with each other, Naofumi was pondering about a certain event. Something that a certain former police intern picked on.
"Is there something wrong, Naofumi? You're awfully quiet. More so than usual." Kurisu asked.
"Yeah, dude. Got something on your mind?" Tyler asked him.
"Just thinking about something." Naofumi replied.
"I assume you are referring to the sudden appearance of this 'Glass' woman? Or perhaps the Wave's countdown?" Merleo inquired.
"It's both, actually."
"I see. Nothing much is known about her or why she wants to kill you." The former police intern explained. "Not to mention that we got saved by that countdown. The timing couldn't be perfect."
"That being said, I wonder why she let us leave? She had every opportunity to kill us when the Wave subsided, but she ended up leaving." Raphtalia wondered.
"This sucks. So many questions but not enough answers." Chelsea remarked.
"Indeed." Merleo nodded. "There is still so much that we don't understand about the Waves, much less why that woman is trying to kill the Legendary Heroes. Despite the fact that they are trying to repel the Waves." He continued. "What vexed me even more is that out of the four, she only deemed Sir Naofumi as the 'True Hero'. While the other three Heroes are considered to be his 'servants'."
'That's true. What are the Waves really?' Naofumi pondered.
"Honestly, that's the one thing she got right." The hammer wielder said. "They were bickering like toddlers for three whole hours while we risked our lives protecting the villages down below. Is it any wonder why she treated them like a joke? I know I would."
"Harsh, but not entirely wrong." Kurisu responded to her teammate's comments. "Not to mention she also considered Tyler to be a 'True Hero'."
"Oh, yeah. I guess she did call me that." The gun wielder said. "Still don't know why though."
As the party went on and on with their discussion, Naofumi proceeded to ponder something related to the previous topic.
'With the way things are, we have to get stronger.' The Shield Hero said in his thoughts. 'Raphtalia, Filo, and Kurisu definitely need that Class Upgrade. But the question is where should we do it?'
His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the sounds of footsteps. He looked forward and saw the mustachioed knight and Ake approaching him.
"Excuse me, Sir Shield Hero. My captain wishes to speak with you." Ake stated as the knight captain took a step forward.
"Shield Hero. You are to report to the royal castle at once!" The man demanded, surprising Naofumi and his party.
It was then decided that the rest of the party would wait for Naofumi as he made his way to the castle. That place was at Elhart's shop. While the shop owner was not thrilled that his shop was once again used as a hangout spot, he could not refuse them as he considered their leader his precious customer.
"So… What are you guys here? More importantly, where's your leader?" Elhart asked them.
"Naofumi got called by that geezer to come to the castle. His flunkies said it's important." Tyler answered.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Elhart asked.
"Knowing His Majesty, I daresay he will act on his personal bias and proceed to do something rash." Merleo theorized. "But I do hope he does not do so. He has already caused enough damage as it is."
"You can say that again." Chelsea agreed. "I haven't met the guy, but from the sounds of it he's a real nasty piece of work."
"Trust me, Chelsea. The guy is an absolute mess." Kurisu told him. "And don't get me started on his compulsive liar of a daughter."
"Ah, yes. Mel's older sister." Chelsea said as she turned to see Kurisu and Raphtalia. "You know, I first met when I was with Merleo and she's an absolute bitch of a woman. I'm glad Mel doesn't take after her."
"That woman was nothing but trouble." Raphtalia replied. "But if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have met Master Naofumi."
"And Master wouldn't meet Filo too." Filo chimed in.
Kurisu rubbed the back of her head. "When you put it that way, I doubt any of us would've met if not for that. Back home, we have a quote that says 'sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can.' Guess we can count this as one of those."
Chelsea turned to her in astonishment. "That's a quote in your world?"
"Well, can't say I disagree with it." Tyler stated, also a bit shocked that such a quote exists. "I mean, hadn't we been enemies first, Chelsea, we also wouldn't have been good friends."
Chelsea blushed lightly at the statement and turned away from Tyler. "Well... I suppose so."
(At the royal castle of Melromarc)
After countless insistences of Ake, Naofumi reluctantly answered the summon from the king while the others proceeded to wait at Elhart's Weapon Shop. He entered the throne room as he immediately came face-to-face with the king.
"I'm grateful that you have answered my call, Shield Hero." Aultcray sternly stated.
Naofumi didn't answer as he still looked at the king with his usual aloof look.
"I called for you for one reason and one reason only: It's about your performance in the last Wave." The king said as he looked to one of his subordinates, who was holding a crystal ball. Played in the crystal ball was a video of Naofumi defeating a Soul Eater with Rage Shield.
"You did well on your effort to quell the Wave, as much as it pains me to admit it." The man said. Naofumi would take it as a compliment if that statement didn't go with sarcasm. "However, you somehow gained extraordinary power. One that makes you unbecoming of a Hero."
'I knew that bastard would bring that up.' Naofumi muttered in his thoughts.
"Not only that, you have also been discovered to have monsters in your possession." The man continued as the crystal ball started showing Lairon and Linoone. "According to the crystal ball, you have an iron-clad monster while that demihuman has a raccoon that somehow transformed into a ferret. I heard reports from the knights that you used a green, round rat to fight Sir Motoyasu."
'And now, he decided to bring up Pokémon too.' The Shield Hero didn't like where this conversation was headed.
"Of course, it's not just you two, other members of your party have shown to have them as well." The king began. "For instance, that thug with a strange weapon has a Three-Headed Dragon and a monster that vaguely resembles a Soul Eater at his disposal." As he said that, the crystal ball started showing Tyler's Hydreigon and then his Gengar. "Creatures such as them should not be in the hands of you and your party."
'Everyone's a critic these days…'
"Those reasons are exactly why I summoned you here." He stated. "You are to explain to me the secret of that power! As well as to where were you able to procure such powerful, yet dangerous monsters. And don't you even think about lying to me!" The king demanded.
Having just about enough of the man that has treated him horribly for the past few days, Naofumi simply pointed down to the floor.
"Huh?"
"If you want answers that badly, how about you get on the floor and beg?" The Shield Hero answered, surprising the king and the knights for such audacity. "You see, where I come from, when someone asks for something, they usually grovel before the one who asks what they need." The king growled as he slowly fumed over such an outrageous response. "Oh, yeah! And they usually say, 'I beg you! Please deign to enlighten my ignorant self!'"
"INSOLENT CUR!" As the king shouted that, the knights surrounded the defiant Hero with their swords drawn. However, the latter was unfazed by this and kept glaring.
"As things stand now, if I wanted, I could kill you right here and walk straight to the door." Naofumi remarked.
"You're bluffing! And you know it!"
In response to that, two familiar blue energy came out from Naofumi and landed on his side. Coming out of it were none other than Lairon and Quilladin.
"Oh, really? Feeling lucky today, are we?" Lairon retorted as he immediately went to his Trainer's defense. "Care to put the money where your mouth is, punk?"
"You mess with Shield Bro; you mess with me!" Quilladin added, ready to protect 'Shield Bro'.
"What the– The Shield Hero's monster slaves!?" The king exclaimed, flabbergasted at their intervention.
"We're not just mere 'slaves' if that's what you're thinkin'. Nor that we're like those run-of-the-mill monsters." The Iron Armor Pokémon retorted. "It looks like you were giving our Trainer some hard time. And honestly, you couldn't even say a simple 'Thank you' without being sarcastic. Instead, you demanded answers about us. Answers that you mostly won't be getting."
"We may not know the whole story between you and Shield Bro…" The Spiny Armor Pokémon began. "But we could tell that he doesn't like you at all. So, that makes you the bad guys!"
"Silence! Beasts like you should not defy the likes of His Majesty!" One of the knights snapped at the two. "This is precisely why the Shield Hero and his party should never have monsters at their disposal in the first place! If anything, they should've been enslaved by the other Three Heroes from the beginning."
"What!?" Naofumi exclaimed as he and the two Pokémon widened their eyes at the revelation.
"I hope it doesn't come to this, but it seems that I have no choice." The king began. "Shield Hero. You are to relinquish every monster that you and your party have. They don't deserve to be with the likes of you."
"Oh, really? Like you know anything about Pokémon." The messy haired young man retorted.
"I don't need to know anything other than the fact that they are simply mindless beasts that anyone can control and use as weapons." He stated. "I've seen it firsthand with the Three-Headed Dragon and that Soul Eater lookalike. Monsters like them should be better off being in much more capable hands."
"Well, you can kiss that order goodbye because we Pokémon are not interested in that offer. King or no king, you don't get to decide that for us." Quilladin said. "I think I speak for all the Pokémon that we're not going anywhere without Shield Bro and the others."
"And besides, it doesn't work that way from where we come from anyway." Lairon stated. "Not only are you a petty, ungrateful, despicable king, you're definitely a thief too. It won't look good on your rep, I'm sure."
"Don't you dare talk back to me, you vermin! Do you not care who you are speaking to!?"
"Frankly, we do. We just don't give a damn. In other words, we don't answer to you." Naofumi stated before he turned to his Pokémon. "Come on, guys. We're leaving. From this castle and from this pathetic excuse of a kingdom."
"You what!?" Aultcray exclaimed.
"I agreed. These chumps aren't worth my time anyway." Lairon stated as Quilladin nodded.
"You're not seriously leaving Melromarc, are you!?" The king inquired. "You're a Hero summoned to this kingdom!"
"Yeah. As its punching bag that is. After the hell you put me through, do you honestly think I have any shred of loyalty left to this country? Since you won't let my party get Class Upgrades here, I'm going to get that elsewhere. Don't ever call me again for something like this, got it?" And with that, Naofumi made his way to the door, turning his back on the very king who summoned him to this world. His two Pokémon follow suit.
Unfortunately, the king had none of it. "Get back here! I am not finished talking with you." Then, he had an idea on how he got the Shield Hero to listen to him. "I know what I will do! I'll have that wretched band of misfits that you call your 'party' pay for your crimes! Don't think you can get out of this that easily! I'll make sure that those monsters are branded in stronger slave crests before being handed to the other Heroes! That way, they won't have the audacity to defy—"
He didn't get to finish his threat as Naofumi turned around and shot a glare so serious that it silenced him.
"You can use all the dirty, underhanded tricks you can think of. I'll protect my team no matter what you do!" Naofumi retorted with a dangerous low tone of voice. "You'll NEVER take anything from me again. That includes Pokémon too! I DARE you lay a finger on them. I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and make you regret ever being born!"
Needless to say, Aultcray was taken aback by the threat. In spite of that, Naofumi could tell that the king didn't get the message.
"Tch! I figured words aren't getting through to you." Naofumi began, as an idea popped into his head. "But maybe this will do…" With a snap of his fingers, Lairon used Rock Slide on some of the knights while Quilladin used Pin Missile towards the rest. The moves hit the knights and most were flying from the impact left and right.
"What…" Aultcray mouthed as he saw the state of his royal knights. Some were knocked out by it while others sustained heavy damage and were lying down on the floor.
"The next time you give me hell, those moves will be aimed towards you. I'm willing to cooperate with you until the defeat of the Waves. After that, I'm going back to my world. I'm going to say this again: Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Again." With one last threat, Naofumi returned his Pokémon back to their respective Poké Ball before taking his leave.
"ACCURSED SHIELD!" The king yelled with the top of his lungs as one of his Heroes walked away from until the door closed on the latter.
Naofumi kept walking away until he walked down the stairs. Just as he reached to the bottom, he was passed by a woman in a red and white dress.
"You did well this time. I daresay, Shield Hero. I daresay!" The aforementioned Hero stopped walking as he realized that the woman was talking to him. "Your efforts have become, shall we say, somewhat impossible for anyone to reasonably ignore any longer. Including certain powers who, to put it mildly, aren't taking too kindly to your interference, Sir Hero." She then showed Naofumi a pendant with a uniquely shaped cross. "Virtuous on the surface, conniving and conspiring behind the scenes. You should exercise the utmost caution going forward, I daresay. Including these "Pokémon" that you and your party possess. Understood?" She proceeded to give him the pendant before she took her leave, walking to the stairs.
"Daresay?" Naofumi muttered before he continued his way to the others.
Melty was in shock as she saw the current state of the throne room, with the guards sprawling on the floor and damage to the area was made known. She was informed that the meeting ended in a disaster, but witnessing the state of the room itself is a different experience. Though she quickly regained her composure.
"Hello, dear father." Melty greeted her father as she approached him.
"Ah, Melty. It is good to see you." Aultcray greeted his youngest daughter. "I'm sorry that you have entered the throne room in a state such as this."
"I was told that you were having a conversation with the Shield Hero just now…" Melty said, not taking her eyes off of the damages. "It appears it ended in a hostile manner." She continued as the elderly king slumped down to his throne. "Father, if you remain at odds with the Shield Hero, we may lose our only means in fighting the Waves, which could threaten the safety of our entire country. Please, try to reconcile with him."
The king slammed his left fist at the suggestion. "RECONCILE WITH THAT SWINE!?" He retorted angrily, surprising his youngest daughter. Aultcray realized the outburst scared Melty and immediately calmed down. "Oh! Don't worry, my dear, I'm not angry with you."
"I don't understand, Father. Why do you hate the Shield Hero so much?" Melty inquired.
"It's just that…" The elderly king began as he avoided his daughter's gaze. "If he and those who followed him do as they please, I will lose my family again."
"Father, I…"
"Your defiance is an affront." Melty turned to see her older sister, who had entered the throne room. "With the Queen away, the King's word is final. And not even we princesses can go against it."
"Sister, I…" Melty mouthed as she saw her elder sister walked to their father's side.
"Our father is the King." Malty began. "Whether you understand his position or not, he has the betterment of his country in his heart." She continued. "I understand that you're at an age where he wants to baby you, of course. I was once small like you. But you really should hold back a little, dear Melty. Just a word of advice from your Big Sis."
"I appreciate your concern. And I'm truly grateful. But you see, Big Sister, this was really none of your business." The younger sister retorted with a smile, offending her older sister. "Just like our Mother and Father, I only want what's best for our subjects and our country, you understand." She continued. "So, you see… It is my job as crown princess to see if everything could go right."
"Melty, you…" The manipulative princess barely contain her anger as she struggled not to lash out.
Their father was taken aback by the tension his daughter produced as they gaze at one another.
"I'll take my leave, father." Melty did a curtsy before she turned around and began walking to the exit.
"Wait… Melty…" The king tried to reach out to his youngest daughter, but…
"Papa…" His eldest daughter put her hand on one of his hands to assure him.
Unbeknownst by the king, Malty put on a scowl on her face and was seething as she saw her younger sister leaving the room.
Melty met up with the same woman who tipped Naofumi regarding a certain church before the former left with the latter. Little did they know, a knight was spying on them, particularly on Melty, before he took his leave.
(With Naofumi's party)
"He lost it! He actually lost his goddamn mind! I can't believe that shitty geezer would ask something like that!" Tyler proclaimed. He and the rest of the party, excluding their leader, were hanging out at Elhart's shop.
"I agree. The nerve of that old man!" Chelsea agreed. "I don't care if he's the king or not, I AM NOT giving up my Pokémon just because he said so!"
"I hate to admit it, but this is beyond ridiculous." Kurisu pinched her nose in frustration, trying to calm her own nerves.
Why were the Kalosian Trainers furious? Well, it all started when Naofumi left for the castle…
(Flashback)
While waiting for Naofumi to return, the door could be heard opening and a couple of footsteps could be heard.
"Welcome." Elhart greeted and everyone realized who just entered the shop. It was a group of knights.
"I assume you're all members of the Shield Hero's party?" The captain of the knights asked.
"Yeah/Not me, I'm the shopkeeper of this place." The party said in unison while Elhart voiced his denial.
"I'll be brief." The armored captain began. "You are all hereby to relinquish all of these "Pokémon" monsters that you have to us immediately."
The party, particularly those who have Pokemon, widened their eyes as they heard something unbelievable.
"The hell did you say….?" Tyler mouthed.
"It came to His Majesty's attention that you, along with the Shield Hero, all possessed strange, yet powerful monsters at your beck and call, which gives you all an advantage of which the other Legendary Heroes could not hope to have. And thus, he demands that you are to give them to us so that we can provide the other Legendary Heroes much needed support."
"Are you saying we should give our Pokemon to those three losers?" Chelsea inquired, not liking where this conversation was going one bit.
"Yes. That is what 'relinquish' means." The captain said. "This was nothing personal. His Majesty believes that you were never meant to have monsters such as them to begin with."
"And who decides that? That king of yours?" The delinquent-looking young man said. "Sorry, but I ain't listening to a thief like him!"
"What did you say!?" The captain exclaimed.
"You heard him right. I seriously doubt that the guy you're following is really a king if he wants our Pokemon." Chelsea stood by Tyler. "Because that's more like what a thief would do."
"How dare you… That was a direct order from his royal majesty, whose words are final." The captain of the group said. "Hand them over now or suffer the consequences!"
"Yeah, we heard you the first time. And we think that is a load of Tauros shit!" Tyler retorted. "Just because that trash you're followin' is king, doesn't mean he can make demands whenever he wants!"
"Especially if it involves taking a Pokémon way from its Trainer." The former Team Flare member chimed in. "Where does he even get off to make those demands?!"
"I take it that you are questioning the king's direct order?" The man said.
"Okay! Let's take a moment to talk about this." Kurisu spoke, attempting to be the mediator of the situation.
"I'd listen to the girl. If you're going to start something, you can do it outside." Elhart said. While he was a bit intimidated by the fact that the king's knights are here, they are here at his shop. If they're planning to fight Naofumi's party, as his confidant and lender, he has the right to cooperate with the party and kick those arrogant knights out of his shop.
"Indeed, let us be civil about this." Merleo agreed. "Especially since it is more because of us that the Wave has been stopped. Wouldn't you say?"
"Only because you have the assistance of monsters of your own! Monsters that are strong and obedient are far too good for mere party members of any heroes to have! Especially that of the Shield Hero!"
That statement did not sit well one bit for the Trainers, who took that comment quite offensive.
"Pokémon are not just monsters. They are just as alive and intelligent as any of us!" Raphtalia retorted. "They're not slaves you can control, but allies you trust! Right?"
The last sentence was directed to the otherworldly Trainers, who were more proud of what she said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Chelsea agreed.
"Shut your mouth, you filthy demihuman!" The knight captain said. "I see now that you are all not willing to comply. If that is the case, then you're all nothing but fugitives!" It was then that all of the knights drew their swords.
This action baffled the party and Elhart.
"Come now! There's no need for needless violence!" Merleo exclaimed.
"Silence, traitor! Save it for His Majesty." The captain replied.
Kurisu had enough with what she was hearing, a stern expression formed on her face, as she stepped up to the plate. "Okay, I have tried to be civil about this long enough. I think it's high time to call it into question." she spoke, getting confused expressions from everyone present. "You just said the king's words are final. Meaning everything he says is law. Is that correct?"
Everyone grew confused by her question, as the captain answered, "Of course that's what it means! Not only are you a mere petty criminal who dares lay a hand on Princess Malty, you question that of all things? You must be very stupid, aren't you. Just proves that you are even less worthy to have such creatures under your control."
"Why you little–" Tyler was about to step in and slug the man in the face before Kurisu raised her arm, stopping him. He was confused by her action while seeing her determined expression. 'Why's she plannin'...?'
"So, no matter what that king of yours says, it is something that cannot be gone against. Is that it?" she continued to question, slightly irking the captain even more.
"For the last time, yes! That is exactly what it means, you slow, stupid girl!"
"That's very strange then. Remind me who is the crown princess of this land." The question Kurisu brought up confused the people present even more.
"Kurisu?" Raphtalia spoke up.
"Didn't Mel say-?" Before Filo could finish her sentence, Chelsea covered her mouth, curious to see where Kurisu was going with this.
"You must be from some small village not worth mentioning, no doubt. Of course it is Princess Melty." the captain answered with an obvious tone.
"So, the king is the one who decided the second princess is the next queen, yet from what I have been hearing, he seems to side with the Spear Hero his daughter is supposedly aiding to a high extent. Why, he went as far as to allow her to assist the Spear Hero by cheating in duels between him and our leader. Not only that, but there were also times when that meddlesome first daughter of his goes around blabbering off about being the crown princess herself when she clearly doesn't have that right, yet she's not getting punished for it. I gotta say, even if they are family, that's some form of mixed feelings right there." Kurisu remarked.
Her words angered the knight captain greatly. "Your point being, wench!? In fact, why are we even bothering to listen to a nobody such as you? Or what? Are you planning to buy time for the Shield Hero to arrive? He's in a meeting with His Majesty that will take a long time to finish. Assuming he will even be smart enough to comply!"
"My point is, he has his duty to uphold as king. Yet he seems to be giving quite the vast favoritism to his eldest daughter to allow her to do things unbefitting for someone of her position. You can't even go tell me she gave up on her right to the throne when she keeps bringing up her royal position to get what she wants. Unless it's different here, abusing one's authority to selfishly get what you want is nothing more than a crime. Especially if it leads to another person's life being ruined. Yet we're not hearing any of that for that so-called 'princess.' Correct me if I'm wrong like any normal civilian would, but considering the fact that her sister is made crown princess, shouldn't the king be doing something to keep that first princess in line? Especially if she goes around using her fake authority?" Kurisu continued, further enraging the captain with her words.
The captain was not having any more of Kurisu's questions, as he tightened his grip on his sword. "If you do not hold your tongue, I will gladly remove it for you in the name of His Majesty!" Before he could swing his sword out of its sheath and cut the former police intern down, he was enveloped in a blue outline and found himself unable to move. "I can't… move!" He looked and saw Chelsea have her Delphox use Psychicto incapacitate him.
"Don't make this harder on yourself. You'll embarrass yourself if you do." Chelsea said with a cold tone.
"I have zero tolerance for idiots who think we Pokemon are mere mindless beasts. Idiots who think that they can control us. Choose your actions carefully. It may be your last." Delphox threatened the captain, causing him to gulp nervously.
"One last thing. Earlier when I asked if what that king said was law, you confirmed it as such. That especially makes it very strange." Kurisu stated. "For some odd reason, I don't feel the least bit convinced by that. That king is the one of the highest authorities in these lands, right?"
"O-Of course he is!" The captain stated fearfully.
Kurisu raised a brow at the response before she nodded at Chelsea.
"Delphox. You know what to do." Chelsea commanded her Pokémon to release the captain from Psychic.
The captain sighed in relief as he smirked, thinking that he was out of the woods. "Heh… Heheh. I don't know what that was about. But—!"
"Shadow Ball." At those two words, a black and purple ball of energy with purple static electricity formed on the tip of Delphox's wand stick before firing it at the human, sending him flying out of the shop.
"That's on you for not listening to my warning." Chelsea remarked as she turned towards the rest of the knights. "Unless you want to end up like your captain, you all better get out of my sight on a count of three." She threatened them before she brandished her hammer to prove her point. "One…"
The knights immediately went to their unconscious leader before leaving the premises with him.
"And stay out!" Elhart shouted as he and Naofumi's party watched them leave.
(Flashback end)
"That geezer's really pushing his luck this time." Tyler commented. "I've been through hell and back with my Pokémon and he expected me to hand them over? Screw that old fart! He can't tell me what to do!"
"He's really giving us humans a bad name." Chelsea said.
"It's disgusting. He's treating Pokémon no different than how demihumans were treated." Raphtalia added, repulsed by the king's action.
"It seems I misjudged His Majesty's recklessness." Merleo said. "This was no longer about the kingdom. Now, this is all about him."
"I have to say, I'm disappointed in him." Kurisu remarked. "As a king, you would think that he's smarter than this, but clearly he couldn't get past his hatred to be able to make a logical decision."
"It's sad to think this is how the king acted these days." Elhart said. "I can't really blame the kid for hating a king like that."
"Yeah, he can't go one minute without telling me how much he hates me." Everyone then turned to see Naofumi, who had returned.
"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia greeted.
"Oh, you're back. Something tells me the meeting didn't go well." Elhart greeted him.
"It looks like something happened here while I was away." The aloof young man stated as he looked at the damages on the shop.
"It goes like this…" Chelsea said as she proceeded to relay the event that the party experienced to her leader. In return, Naofumi proceeded to relay the meeting to them.
"I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he wanted our Pokémon." The Shield Hero remarked.
"I can understand why His Majesty is being cautious by your newfound power but putting his treatment of you into consideration, he doesn't have the right to demand answers." Merleo said.
"We actually contributed really well on that last Wave and this is how he repaid us? It just shows that he's selfish, petty, and ungrateful." The Showcase Performer stated.
"I have to agree. This is beyond messed up." Kurisu agreed.
"Then I assume that you ended up picking a fight with His Majesty?" Elhart asked him.
"Let's keep the fact straight: He picked a fight with me." Naofumi clarified.
"Oh, that reminds me! What about Class Upgrades?" The blacksmith asked. "If those knights' behaviors are anything to go by, It's unlikely that they let you use the Dragon Hourglass."
"Funny you mentioned that. We actually dropped by the church the other day and they told us that the shitty geezer banned us from doing it." Tyler replied on his friend's behalf. "And judgin' by what we saw today, I don't think he's gonna change his mind anytime soon."
"I am ashamed to admit it, but Sir Tyler is correct." Merleo sighed. "Our best course of action at the moment is going to another country."
"Yeah. I was thinking about going to either Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden." Naofumi told his confidant.
"I figured you're going to either of those places." Elhart then pulled out an old map before unfolding it on the counter. "If anything, I suggest going to Shieldfreeden."
"You know, the merchant at the slave market said the same thing." Naofumi remarked. "It's a demihuman country that is welcoming to humans."
"I figured that's what you say. I'd recommend Siltvelt, but seeing you have party members that are humans…" Elhart trailed off, confusing Tyler.
"What's so bad about this 'Siltvelt' place?" The delinquent-looking Trainer asked.
"Siltvelt is essentially like Melromarc. Except it is a demihuman-supremacist country, where humans are treated like slaves." The former court mage explained. "While their devotion to the Shield Hero is notable, their ways… are a bit extreme."
"I see." Kurisu said as she made a mental note of it. 'I wonder if Pokemon are considered to be either on the same level as or below the demihumans there…'
"Master, are we going on another trip?" Filo asked.
"Mhm." The Shield Hero nodded.
"Oh right!" Filo jumped in joy as she got to pull the party's wagon once more.
"Normally, it takes about four weeks. I'm sure she's able to get all of you there in less time." Elhart stated. "I'll get everything you need then load it up on the wagon." He then started walking to a door to his left in order to make preparations.
"Oh. And, um, I like a new sword for Raphtalia." Naofumi said.
"Master Naofumi, I already have a spare." Raphtalia chimed in, not wanting her master to splurge the party's funds any further.
"Wait a sec…"
"This is going to be a long journey. We should save some money."
(Later on…)
"I can't believe you actually talked Master Naofumi into getting another sword for me, Merleo." Raphtalia scolded Merleo, while holding the reins of FIlo.
After getting everything they needed from Elhart, the party immediately set out to Shieldfreeden.
"You can't be too careful when it comes to purchasing a weapon." The mage reasoned. "Also, the mana sword that you acquired will be very useful in case we encountered a foe just like that Glass woman. As it allows to inflict those who can't be damaged through physical means."
"So it's a magic sword that can cut even ghosts." Tyler remarked. "Make sense to me."
Other than the mana sword, Naofumi acquired an accessory for his shield that allowed him to analyze other types of shield and also a pair of empowerment gloves that he had given to Filo.
"For what it's worth, I think it's best that we buy something useful." Naofumi said. "Who knows? It may help us when we're in a pinch."
"I hope so…" Raphtalia agreed reluctantly.
(Somewhere…)
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" Something blue just zoomed through the trees as it was being chased by a group of lizard-like monsters. "Get away from me, you bullies! I'm not even that tasty!" The mysterious creature proceeded to turn left and jumped into a bush. Before something long with eyes sticking out from the bush slightly There, the lizard monsters rushed past the bush, still thinking that their prey was still running.
As soon as the coast was clear, the black object was pulled before the creature came out of its hiding spot.
"Phew. I think I lost them." It said.
The creature in question was a tall, blue creature with a soft body. Its eyes appeared to be scrunched, and it has a jagged upper lip. It has flat arms that are wider towards the tip and four stubby legs at the base of its body. And the "long thing" that stuck out of the bush turned out to be its tail.
"Whatever this world is, it sure is not friendly." The blue creature said. "I know I'm able to take hits like a champ but I really, really hate pain."
Just then, it heard a snarl as the creature looked towards the source, where the same lizard monsters appeared before him.
"Oh no, not again!" The blue creature immediately make a run for it as the lizard monsters went after him.
(With Naofumi's party)
After two hours and a half had passed, the party was still on their way to Shieldfreeden to get Raphtalia and the others (excluding Tyler and Chelsea) Class Upgrades. As they ventured through the road, they kept being ambushed by monsters. Though they had to take turns in fighting the monsters, with those who weren't fighting look after the stuff at the wagon so that no monster or a bandit could steal something when they weren't looking. While it was a nuisance that they were jumped by monsters several times, the party saw it as an opportunity to train and gain EXP. And currently, Naofumi, Tyler, Filo, and Merleo were fighting a group of large monkey-like monsters while Kurisu, Raphtalia, and Chelsea stood on the sidelines.
"On your right, Dunsparce! Use Drill Run!" Tyler commanded his active Pokémon.
"Leave it to me!" Dunsparce complied as he used the move on his weakening target, finishing it off.
"Zweit Holy!" Merleo shouted as he launched a light spell on one of the monkey monsters, killing it instantly.
"Hraah!" Filo shouted as she punched one of the monkeys using the gloves that she got from her master, sending said monkey monster flying and crashing into the others.
"You're up, Lairon! Bury them with Rock Slide!" Naofumi commanded his Pokemon.
"Whatever you say, man." Lairon said as he launched multiple large rocks at the monsters, finishing them for good.
"That's the last of them." Kurisu declared.
"Not that I'm complaining, but the monsters here sure like to get a drop on us." Chelsea said.
"No kidding. But it helps us gain some EXP."
As Naofumi said that, blue energy came out from Merleo.
"Oh, my!" Merleo shouted as he saw his Abra coming out of his Poké Ball when the blue energy faded. "Abra, is there something troubling you?"
"…" Abra said nothing as he was enveloped in a familiar blue light.
"What is this strange phenomenon?" Merleo asked curiously as he saw his Pokémon grow.
"Merleo, your Abra is evolving." Chelsea informed him.
"Evolving, you say?" The mage saw that his Pokémon grew a pair of mustaches and what appeared to be a spoon suddenly formed in his right hand as he immediately grasped it.
The party managed to get a look on the newly evolved Pokémon once the light settled down. He is primarily a yellow, humanoid Pokémon. He has two long, pointed ears on top of his head, a red star on his forehead, narrow, deep-set eyes, and wide cheeks leading down to a thin snout. Extending from each side of his snout are two mustache-like tufts of fur. His torso is segmented with bulky shoulders, a thick, brown chest, and a small abdomen marked by three red, wavy lines. Attached to the Pokémon's abdomen is a large, thick tail encircled with a brown band near his base. His arms are thin with brown elbows and end in three-fingered hands with white claws. His legs have prominent knees and large, three-toed feet, also ending in white claws, with two of his toes facing forward and one backward. He also was holding a silver spoon on his right arm.
"My, this is a welcoming sight." The newly evolved Pokémon said as his personality changed drastically. "Through that evolution, it seems my mental capacity and psychic prowess has ascended to even greater heights. I believe that I am capable enough to assist my Trainer.
"Now what kind of Pokémon does Merleo's Abra evolve into? And why is it holding a spoon?" Naofumi was baffled that a Pokémon was randomly holding a spoon.
On cue, Tyler pulled out his Pokédex.
"Kadabra, the Psi Pokémon. And the evolved form of Abra. If it uses its abilities, it emits special alpha waves that cause machines to malfunction."
"If the description of the Pokedex is any indication, it's safe to assume that Kadabra have grown stronger." Merleo then turned towards his Pokemon. "I look forward to your further assistance in the near future, Kadabra."
"You're too kind, Merleo." Kadabra said.
"Master! Why's that Pokemon holding a spoon?" Filo asked her master.
"The spoon that Kadabra likes to hold is used to amplify his psychic powers." Kurisu explained, having seen a Kadabra before in her world. "Without it, his powers become very weak."
"In other words, can Kadabra use psychic powers like Chelsea's Delphox?" Naofumi asked.
"Well, both Delphox and Kadabra are Psychic type Pokemon, so yeah." Chelsea said, stating the obvious.
"I see." And with that, the party set out a little further before deciding to take a break.
It was late afternoon by the time they made a stop and only were finally able to have lunch because the party kept being jumped on by monsters. Other than themselves, most of the members send out their Pokemon to eat.
"Nothing beats a delicious lunch after a hard day's work." Tyler said.
"Tyler, you sounded like an old man when you said it." Chelsea said as she shove a spoonful of food to her mouth.
"No, I ain't!"
"Now, now. Don't bicker at a time like this." Kurisu scolded them.
"No, no. Do continue. I'd like to see where this goes." Gengar said gleefully.
"Gengar, you're not helping." Hydreigon told his teammate.
"Good."
"You know, I'm curious as to why you're Tyler's secret weapon." Raphtalia wondered.
"Because he is a massive troll of a Pokemon." Gengar's Trainer answered. "He likes to toy with his enemies and is pretty much of a prankster in general. But it did turn him into a competent battler."
"I live my life trolling everyone because trolling brings me joy." The Shadow Pokemon said. "And also because chaos is content."
"Spoken like a true Wild Card..." Chelsea remarked.
"He may not look like it, but Gengar is just as loyal to Tyler as any Pokemon on his team." Hydreigon explained. "And as someone who knew him way back when I was just a Deino, I treated him like he was my brother."
"Like brothers, huh…" Kurisu said as she suddenly thought about her late friend.
"A Deino? Is that what Hydreigon used to be?" Merleo asked.
"That's right." Tyler then proceeded to show his party members a picture of said Pokémon via his Pokédex.
It is a small, blue quadrupedal Pokémon with black fur covering its head and neck, concealing everything but its mouth from view. The fur around its neck also has six purple spots encircling it, which resemble bruises. The hair on the top of its head takes the shape of a single small horn. It also has a short tail that appears to be bitten off. Its body is seemingly covered in wounds.
"Deino, the Irate Pokémon. A Dark and Dragon type. Lacking sight, it's unaware of its surroundings, so it bumps into things and eats anything that moves."
"Wow… who would have imagined that Hydreigon used to be like that." Raphtalia complimented. "It's really cute if I'm being honest."
"Big Sis Raphtalia! Don't praise that blue meanie!" Filo stated.
"Yo! You don't get to dissin' my homie like that." Scrafty said.
"That three-headed meanie's looking to fight me."
"And for the last time, Hydreigon ain't like that!"
"That's enough, both of you!" Rhyperior got in between the two. "But, Filo. I appreciate it if you refrain from demeaning Hydreigon even though he has done nothing to deserve such prejudice."
"Hmph!" Filo simply huffed and proceeded to go back to eating her lunch.
"And Scrafty, try not to get heated with her. She's younger than you."
"Ain't my fault if she keeps talking shit Hydreigon the first chance she gets." The Hoodlum Pokémon scoffed.
"Still, evolution is a weird thing." Naofumi agreed.
Something crossed Kurisu's mind when she looked at Tyler's Dunsparce. "Hey, Tyler. Your Dunsparce is pretty strong despite his size."
"Yeah. When push comes to shove, Dunsparce is a pretty capable fighter in his own right. You saw how he handled Spear Idiot, right?" The gun wielder replied.
"Yes, I remember." Kurisu continued. "Though, I'm surprised he hasn't evolved by now."
This hooked the attention of everyone, especially Tyler and Chelsea.
"What are you talking about? Dunsparce can't evolve." Tyler said.
"If he has, we would've noticed by now." Chelsea added.
This confused the former police intern.
"That's weird. I thought you'd know. Here, let me show you." Kurisu then pulled out her Poryphone to show them what she meant.
The screen then shows a Pokémon that is identical to Dunsparce except for a few things. It's longer and bigger than Dunsparce. It has three "prongs" on the chin and its eyes are partially open, revealing its two pupiless, white colored scleras. It has two pairs of body segments, with two blue stripes and a pair of two-feathered wings on the first body segment, and one blue stripe and a pair of one-feathered wings on the second. It has a dark blue spiral pattern on the underside of its first body segment, and its tail has a blue "cap" on it.
"Dudunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon. A Normal type. And the evolved form of Dunsparce. This Pokémon uses its hard tail to make its nest by boring holes into bedrock deep underground. The nest can reach lengths of over six miles."
"The hell!? You weren't kiddin' when you said that Dunsparce can evolve." Tyler said, flabbergasted that a Pokémon on his team that was supposed to be unable to evolve can evolve.
"Yeah. This is my first time seeing it too." Chelsea agreed.
"Whoa… I'll evolve into that?" Dunsparce said in awe.
"But I don't really see the appeal." Naofumi said. "It's just Dunsparce, but bigger."
"You're not the first one to say that." Kurisu said. "And you clearly underestimate it too."
"What's that supposed to mean? If it attacks, I'll just use my shield to block it." The aloof young man said.
"So you think, but that's where you're wrong." The former police intern replied. "Dunsparce and its evolution, Dudunsparce, has a move that is exclusive only to them known as 'Hyper Drill'. Not only is it a powerful Normal type move, it can also break through protecting moves like Protect and can hit a target who is using Detect. And since you using the shield is like a Pokémon using Protect, it will pierce through your defenses and hit you."
"That move can break through my shield!?" Naofumi flabbergasted. 'So, it's like that one attack that Glass used on me.'
"There's a similar move called Feint but it's weaker." Kurisu continued. "In addition, Dunsparce needs to learn Hyper Drill in order for him to evolve."
"So, a Pokemon like Dunsparce needs to learn a certain move to evolve?" Raphtalia asked.
"Yup. Like I said, there are a few Pokemon who evolve through other methods besides reaching a certain level."
"All Dunsparce needs to do is to learn Hyper Drill, huh?" Tyler repeated before he turned towards his leader. "If that's true, I might need your help on it."
"If it's to help you get stronger, then sure." The messy haired young man replied as he looked into the sky and saw a bird monster soaring high. 'I like traveling. It makes me and the party feel free, shackled by no one. No royalties to deal with. And not even the other Heroes…'
"Found you!" Naofumi immediately recognized whose voice it belonged to as he looked at the road. There, he saw a carriage and knights on horseback coming in their direction. And inside the carriage was none other than Melty, who poked out from the left side.
"Are you kidding me!? Did she really follow us all the way here?" Tyler exclaimed.
"Oh, it's Mel! We're over here, Mel!" Filo waved to her best friend.
"Filo…" Naofumi called out one of his slaves.
"You know, I'm still on the fence on whether she can be trusted or not." Chelsea began. "But on the other hand, I think we should listen to what she is about to say."
"Come on, Master! Mel's a good person." The human-Filolial reasoned.
"We'll see about that, squirt." Lairon scoffed as he went back to eating.
The party, sans Filo, returned the majority of their Pokemon to their Poke Ball as Melty walked up to Naofumi.
"Ah, Princess Melty. I believe it's been quite some time since I last saw you." Merleo bowed to the crown princess.
"Oh, Merleo! I did not know that you're in the same party as Filo and the others." Melty stated. "Have you been well? I heard you were away for untold reasons from Father."
"I'm well." The former court mage replied. 'That cur... He's even willing to lie about why was I out here with Sir Naofumi and his party...'
"Sir Shield Hero, I have a request. Please return to the capital and speak with King Aultcray again–"
"Not a chance." Naofumi intercepted, causing the second princess to be taken aback by the response.
"I want to you to apologize for your conduct and reconcile–"
"Forget it!" He interrupted her once more, this time feeling offended by the request.
Melty barely contained her composure and was moments away from snapping in anger at Shield Hero but she decided to calm down and try again. "I need your help, SIr Hero! We can't stop the Waves without you. Besides, where would you be without the king's financial help?"
"Sorry. I missed the part where that's my problem." Naofumi began. "And besides, I'm the one who's been graciously helping you guys. Up until the Waves are gone, that is."
"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia scolded his Master for his lack of tact.
"What? She's royalty too. Like Chelsea said, talk is cheap." Naofumi retorted as he and the other saw the young princess looked down and was shaking.
"And she's also a child. Try not to be such a manchild towards her." Kurisu reprimanded her leader.
"What did I do?"
"Um… guys. I have a bad feeling about this." Tyler told them.
"Why…?" Melty began. "Why must both you and Father act this way!? It's ridiculous!"
"Whoa…" The party was taken aback by her outburst.
"A Hero and a king should not be fighting amongst themselves! Absolutely not!" Melty continued.
"Hey! Don't make it sound like we're the bad guys here, that old fart started it!" Lairon snapped, defending his Trainer. "That waste of human flesh wants to make slaves out of us Pokémon! Do you think we're gonna stand by and let him do that? He's the one with the problem, not us!"
"Though I admit that the demand is outrageous, that's no way to talk to my father like that!"
"And what are you gonna do about it? Try me, brat. I'll flatten you just like the rest of them." The Iron Armor Pokémon challenged her.
"Lairon, there's no need to get violent." Hydreigon tried to calm his colleague down before turning towards Melty. "But I won't deny that your father rubbed us the wrong way."
"Still, that's all the more reason to come back and apologize!" Melty then turned towards Filo. "Don't you agree that this is silly, Filo?"
"Uh…" Even though she supported her best friend, Filo was at a loss for words.
"You agree, right Raphtalia? Merleo?" Melty glanced towards the aforementioned demihuman and former court mage.
"Well, um, actually… I am Master Naofumi's sword, you know…" Raphtalia trailed off.
"Though 'silly' is not quite the word I use to describe this…" Merleo added.
"How about you Pokémon Trainers?" The second princess looked at the three otherworldly Trainers.
"Well…" Tyler was unable to find the right words to say and Chelsea was not any different.
"Actually, Naofumi is—" Kurisu began but she was interrupted.
"You see? They agree with me! All six of them!" Melty continued.
"Actually, they don't. Stop putting words in their mouths." Naofumi replied.
"Look, just apologize to Father! Just this once!" Melty kept pushing the Shield Hero to reconcile. "Otherwise, Mother's going to yell at him when she comes back."
'Geez. She threw a tantrum just like her dad.' Naofumi pondered before he realized one particular tidbit. 'Wait. Mother…?'
Kurisu also noticed that one detail. 'Mel's mother? Could she be…?'
"To be frank, Princess Melty. I would prefer Her Majesty to come back and scold him right now for all the stupid actions he did in her absence." Merleo chimed in, shocking the second princess.
"Merleo! What are you saying!?" Melty said. "As someone who has served the royal family, you should be agreeing with me instead of siding with the stubborn Shield Hero!"
"Believe me, Princess Melty. My loyalty is as strong as ever." The former court mage began. "However, Sir Naofumi could not simply apologize to King Aultcray because he had done nothing to deserve the king's hatred towards him."
"Done nothing!? I heard he had his Pokémon to attack the knights!"
"That's only because I realized that words aren't enough to get through the thick skull of that vindictive, petty, old idiot that you called 'Father'." Naofumi chimed in. "So I have them unleash their moves as a warning. To remind him and his underlings what happens if he threatens my party again."
"But—"
"Princess Melty. I understand you are doing what's best for Melromarc, just as your mother." Merleo intercepted her. "But if you are to succeed her as ruler of this country, you must be open minded towards another's perspective."
"Open minded?" Melty repeated.
"You may think this feud between King Aultcray and Sir Naofumi is 'silly' as you put it, but it is much more complex than that. One that not even a simple apology could fix." The mage continued. "Have you ever considered why Sir Naofumi became hostile to you the moment you revealed yourself as royalty? And for that matter, where does the origin of this hatred come from?"
This made the young princess stop and think about what her family's former court mage was saying. In truth, she was just told to have the Shield Hero establish a positive relationship with her father and nothing more. Initially, she believed that both Naofumi and her father were arguing over a trivial matter, thinking that the problem was just them being stubborn. But there was something in Merleo's words that made her reconsider. She also never bothered to ask her father why the Shield Hero hated him.
But before Melty could speak up more, Naofumi suddenly tensed up as he felt a foreboding sensation in the air. A feeling of which he knew all too well. 'This feeling…It was the same as that other time…!' His mind suddenly flashed to where he was framed by Malty and was persecuted unfairly by King Aultcray. The flashback ended with Malty mocking him for being an easy mark. 'This whole thing… it reeks of a set up!"
It felt everything slowed around him… as he noticed a knight rushing forward as he pulled out a sword. He immediately knew who the knight was targeting.
Fortunately, he was not the only one who noticed this.
"Melty! Look out!" Hydreigon pushed Melty out of the way and proceeded to have his left head to bite down the sword, catching it in time..
"What…" Melty was taken aback as she saw one of her knights was attempting to kill her.
"Hydreigon! What's wrong?" Tyler asked his partner as everyone was taken aback by the sudden turn of the events.
"Did that knight just try to cut Mel down!?" Chelsea exclaimed.
"Mel!" FIlo called out her best friend's name.
"Hey, buddy. Isn't she one of your princesses!? Why were you trying to kill her just now!?" Hydreigon asked as he tried to push back the blade.
"Curse you! How dare you take Princess Melty hostage, the monster slave of the Shield Hero!" Instead of answering the question, the knight threw an accusation at Hydreigon, shocking the party and Melty.
"Hey, now! No one's taking hostages!" Naofumi denied. "And for the record, he's not mine!"
"Liar! The dragon is evil incarnate! Therefore, only the Devil of the Shield could command such a ferocious monster!" The knight continued, unaware that he offended the Brutal Pokemon with that comment.
"The hell did you call me!?" Hydreigon snapped at him, shocking the party except Tyler with this new side of him. "You did not say the e-word right in front of my face! Tell me you did not just call me that!"
"Oh no… Not again…" Tyler facepalmed as he knew what came next.
"You see? A savage dragon through and through!" The knight said before he turned towards his men. "Let's slay this evil dragon and the Shield Devil!"
Some of the knights let out a battle cry before they charged towards the party.
"You shitter! You did it again! That's it! No more Mr. Nice Dragon!" The enraged Pokemon said as he lunged towards the knights.
"Hydreigon, wait!" Tyler tried to stop his partner but it was all in vain.
"You want evil? I'll show you evil! Dragon Pulse!" He fired a Dragon type move at some of the knights, damaging them.
"Don't give up, men! As long we have justice on our side, this evil incarnate shall never defeat us!" The leader of the troop rallied his forces.
"Oh my Arceus! Can you just shut up!?" Hydreigon retorted furiously. "Dark Pulse!"
The party watched on as Hydreigon single handedly took on the knights.
"I don't understand. Hydreigon is not the type to get easily offended and attack someone out of rage." Raphtalia said as she remembered the times of how the Dark and Dragon type Pokémon were kind to her.
"There's a reason why Hydreigon was classified as the Brutal Pokémon in the first place." Kurisu stated as she saw Hydreigon lift a knight by the neck with his left head before throwing at two other knights. "I heard Hydreigon can be pretty vicious at times, especially towards humans… but seeing it for myself is a different experience."
"Are we gonna forget that one of those bastards just called me the Shield Devil?" Naofumi pointed out.
"I have an idea on why…" Merleo said.
Amidst the chaos, Kurisu saw some of the knights who were not fighting. One of the knights was holding a crystal ball in his arms. 'Wait. Don't tell me the crystal ball is doing what I think it is.' She then turned towards Tyler. "Tyler! Hurry up and call off Hydreigon! The fight is being recorded!"
"For real!?" Tyler exclaimed as he and everyone else were surprised. "Hydreigon! Stop! You getting pissed off is exactly what they wanted!"
"Shut up, Tyler! You can't tell me what to do!" Hydreigon yelled as he blasted some of the knights with Tri Attack. "These goons had to be taught a lesson the hard way for calling me evil!"
"Damn. And he said I was violent." Lairon commented.
Some of the party were shocked at the sight just now. Hydreigon never talked back to his Trainer before. Not once.
"Just put him back to his Poké Ball!" Chelsea told him.
"On it! Hydreigon, return!" Tyler tried to send his partner back into His Poké Ball. Unfortunately it didn't last long as Hydreigon immediately came out from his Poké Ball and continued pummeling the knights to submission.
"No way! He immediately got out of his Poké Ball!" Naofumi exclaimed.
"Return again!" He demanded before the same result repeated itself.
"It seems that rage has consumed him completely to the point where he refused to be recalled back into his Poké Ball." Merleo commented.
It did not take long for the knights who were fighting were on the ground, overwhelmed and heavily injured by the onslaught.
"Such power… coming from a savage beast." The leader of the troop muttered in exhaustion before he was lifted by the neck by Hydreigon.
"Say it again. I dare you." Hydreigon threatened him. "Go on. Try and call me evil one more time and see where that gets you…"
"You… and the Shield Devil will pay for defiling this kingdom…!" The knight said. "You… are nothing but an evil dragon!"
A purple orb with multiple black rings began to form in front of Hydreigon's right head. "Congratulations. You got death! Now die!"
"Hydreigon, don't!" Chelsea as she and the others realized that the Dark and Dragon type attempted to murder out of sheer rage.
"Filo, try and beat some sense into him." Naofumi said.
"Of course, Master!" Filo transformed into her Filolial Queen form before charging towards Hydreigon. "Hey, you blue meanie! Tyler just told you to stop!" She shouted as she jumped upward before diving towards rampaging Pokemon with a kick.
However, Hydreigon was no fool as he immediately saw the attack coming. "Don't interfere, pipsqueak! Dark Pulse!" The Dark and Dragon Pokémon launched a Dark type move at Filo, damaging her in the process.
"Filo!" Raphtalia shouted as she saw Filo fall down to the ground.
"This is concerning. He even went as far as attacking Miss Filo." Merleo commented.
"I don't have time to deal with your Tauros shit, Filo." Hydreigon warned the young girl before he realized why Filo was attacking him. "I see how it is. You finally decided to come after me, is that it?"
The party and Melty widened their eyes as Hydreigon just changed targets. Now, it was Filo who was going to feel his wrath.
"I know for a fact that you hate Dragons, so I bet you were doing something behind my back?" Hydreigon hovering before Filo as she felt threatened.
"N-No… I…" Ordinarily, she would try to push back the fear and fight on. But there was something about how Hydreigon acted that made her intimidated. It was something much more terrifying than the Zombie Dragon.
The knights took this as an opportunity to withdraw.
"Everyone! Retreat!" The knight leader barely stood up as he and his men escaped.
"Damn it! They escaped!" Chelsea pointed out.
"That's not our only problem." Kurisu reminded her as she and her fellow party members watched as the frenzied Hydreigon flew closer to the downed Filo.
"You called me a blue meanie just now, right? That's the same as calling me evil!" Hydreigon continued. "I have to ask: Why do you hate me even though I absolutely did nothing to deserve this treatment? You know what? I don't care what the reason is. You're just like those idiots who immediately assumed I'm evil." The Dark and Dragon type Pokémon looming over the vulnerable girl menacingly.
"Hydreigon, that's enough!" Raphtalia stepped in between them. "Calm down! This isn't who you are!"
"Out of my way, you half-breeded freak! I'm not in the mood for any of your friendship games!" Hydreigon said in a cold tone, slightly hurting her feelings.
"She's younger than you! Think about what you're doing!" The raccoon dog demihuman continued.
"So? That's no excuse." Hydreigon said. "I'm simply giving her what she wants. What right do you have to get in between that!?"
"Please, Hydreigon! Calm yourself!" Melty said as she went to Raphtalia's side. "Yes, I am aware that Filolials and Dragons are not exactly in a positive relationship. But you need to stop and consider what you're doing!"
"I don't need advice from a naive little girl who didn't know what her old man has been doing!" Hydreigon said, shifting his attention to the very girl he just protected. "Naofumi was right. You're no different than that geezer and your two-faced older sister! Time to pay for your family's mistakes! Tri Attack!" The Dark and Dragon type Pokemon shot a beam of fire, electric, and ice towards Melty.
"Mel!" Filo cried out as Raphtalia pushed the princess out of the way, narrowly avoiding the move.
"I won't miss again, you hear me!?" Hydreigon proceeded to open fire once more.
While that was happening, the other members scrambled towards Hydreigon's Trainer.
"Hey, Tyler! This is getting out of hand!" Chelsea told him.
"Can you stop him!? At this rate, he's going to kill Filo along with the others!" Naofumi asked him.
"Since he's pissed off like this, I don't think words are getting through to him." Tyler said. "I'll just have to battle him."
"How can you be so sure that will work?" Merleo asked.
"Trust me, guys. This isn't the first time Hydreigon went Primeape shit." Tyler assured his teammates as he turned towards Kurisu. "Kurisu, you don't happen to know something that will knock him out?"
"Depends. What are you trying to do?" Kurisu asked with curiosity.
While the others were discussing subduing the berserk Pokemon, Hydreigon swat Raphtalia's sword away from her before pushing her aside.
"How dare you treat Lady Raphtalia that way!" Honedge rushed forward with a Fury Cutter ready.
"Weaklings like you should stay out of this! Dark Pulse!" Hydreigon fired another Dark Pulse, damaging the Steel and Ghost type Pokémon greatly.
"Graaah!" Honedge grunted as the move sent him plummeting into the ground, revealing that he fainted from that one move.
"Honedge!" Raphtalia cried out one of her Pokemon's names.
"Now that the nuisance is out of the way…" He began hovering towards Filo and Melty. "Why don't we pick up where we left off, shall we?"
"I… won't let you hurt Mel!" Filo barely stood in front of her best friend.
"Filo, don't! He's after you too!" Melty told her.
"You want this, right? You can go first! Tri Attack!" Hydreigon opened fire at Filo, sending flying backward and she fell on her backside next to Melty.
"Filo!" Melty cried out before she turned towards the enraged Pokémon. "Stop this! That's enough! Filo doesn't deserve this!"
"Mel… Don't…" She tried to stand up but ultimately was unable to.
"Shut up! This little bitch has been begging for a fight with me from the get go." Hydreigon then lifted the second princess by the neck. "But I guess I can break her spirit first by watching me kill her best friend!"
Melty was suffocating as Hydreigon's right head biting down her neck hard. It did not help that he was preparing a Dark Pulse from his left head to finish her off.
"Please…! Not Mel…!" Filo begged him, but she was shot down when she tried to save her.
"Stay down, you bitch. You'll get your turn soon." He then looked back to Melty one more time before he prepared a move.
'Mother… Help me…' Melty began losing consciousness as she was about to be executed.
"So long, dead meat princess—" Hydreigon was then struck by a rock pillar that just rose from the ground, releasing Melty from his hold.
Melty immediately took a deep breath as she was finally released from the hold.
"Mel! Are you okay?" Filo scrambled to her friend's side.
"I'm fine… Filo." Melty muttered as she barely escaped with her life.
"Who was it!?" Hydreigon looked left and right before he turned to see his Trainer and Scrafty, who was responsible for the move.
"Sorry, buddy! But you just went too far with this!" Tyler told him.
"Pull yourself together, homeboy! I don't like getting physical with one of my homies, especially you, but I will if you keep being an asshole!" Scrafty proclaimed.
"Stay out of this, you two! I won't stop until I destroy every single moron who tried to stand up against me!" Hydreigon zoomed towards them.
"Scrafty, use High Jump Kick to intercept him!" Tyler ordered.
"Homie, you ain't thinkin' straight. Here, let me help ya!" Scrafty said before he used the Fighting type move at Hydreigon, nailing him with the attack.
"Gaaagh!" Hydreigon cried in pain as he felt the attack.
"It seems that move was very potent against Hydreigon." Merleo pointed out.
"High Jump Kick is a Fighting type move, which is effective because Hydreigon is part Dark type." Tyler informed the mage.
"Tch… There's no way you're beating me! Tri Attack!" The Brutal Pokémon launched another beam of fire, electricity, and ice at Scrafty.
"Block it with another Stone Edge!"
"You got it, Tyler!" The Hoodlum Pokémon then punched the ground, causing several light blue rock pillars to rise from the ground. Eventually, one rock pillar hit the Tri Attack and ended up canceling out each other.
"I'm not done yet! Dragon Pulse!" Hydreigon launched another move at his opponent.
"Go through it with Iron Head!"
"Let's go!" Scrafty's head crest glowed white before he lunged towards his opponent headfirst.
The Iron Head collided with Dragon Pulse as both sides were trying to overpower the other.
"Damn, man. You ain't pulling any punches this time around." Scrafty remarked as he kept pushing himself forward.
"I did say I'm done being nice!" Hydreigon said as he put more power into his Dragon Pulse, finally pushing the Dark and Fighting type Pokémon back.
"Oh, shit!" Scrafty cursed himself as he was completely overwhelmed by the attack, sending sprawling to the ground.
"Scrafty!" Tyler called out to his Pokémon as the latter lay down on the ground.
"Damn… Sometimes, I forget that you are a pseudo-legendary Pokémon…" Scrafty muttered as he saw Hydreigon hovering towards him.
"I admit, that was a good try." Hydreigon stated. "But in the end, it's useless. You never had a chance of beating me before so why do you think this time will be any different?"
"Here's the thing: I wasn't trying to beat your ass." Scrafty smirked, confusing the Brutal Pokémon. "I was just a distraction."
"Huh!?" It was then he felt something just jumped down on his back. "The hell!? Who's this!? Get off!" The Dark and Dragon type Pokémon shook his body wildly.
As it turned out, the one who was on his back was none other than Kurisu. "Took you long enough to notice!"
"Kurisu!" Raphtalia smiled.
"Sorry, Hydreigon. But it's time for you to go to sleep!" Kurisu then pinched a certain nerve on his neck, causing him to widen his eyes before he fell forward to the ground, having fallen asleep.
"Whoa…" Tyler mouthed as his berserk partner was finally subdued.
"I admit. That's actually really cool." Naofumi said as the party and Melty rushed towards Kurisu.
"That was amazing, Kurisu!" Raphtalia complimented her teammate. "What was that technique? It looks like it's able to stop Hydreigon."
"It's a little something I learn back in my world." Kurisu said. "Useful for taking down all manner of rampaging Pokémon without battling them."
"Such a splendid work indeed, Miss Kurisu." Merleo said.
Tyler approached his sleeping partner before pulling out his Poké Ball. "Sorry I had to do this to you, bro. You weren't yourself back then, so we have no choice. Return!" The red light enveloped Hydreigon as he was back inside his Poké Ball.
"Is he going to be okay?" Chelsea asked Tyler as he put Hydreigon's Poké Ball
"He's not going to go feral the next time he's out of his Poké Ball, is he?" Naofumi asked.
"Don't worry. He'll be back to his usual self by the time he wakes up." The gun wielder assured his leader.
"And how can you be so sure?"
"Like I said, this isn't the first time something like this happened. Though I had to knock him out by punching him. But the result was that he eventually went back to his friendly self." Tyler said.
"I'd ask more on that, but…" Naofumi said. "We should get out of here right now! Those knights might come back soon."
"Good idea, Master Naofumi." Raphtalia said as she and the others returned whatever Pokémon that had been out in the open before hastily leaving the area with Melty in tow.
'If Kurisu's right about that crystal ball actin' like a video camera, then we're in deep shit…!' Tyler pondered as he left the area.
To be continued…
Party Data
Tyler Bryant - Level 44
- Hydreigon (Male) - Level 71
Ability: Levitate
Moves: Dragon Pulse, Draco Meteor, Dark Pulse, Tri Attack
- Vivillon (Elegant Pattern) (Female) - Level 68
Ability: ?
Moves: Hurricane, Signal Beam
- Scrafty (Male) - Level 69
Ability: ?
Moves: High Jump Kick, Stone Edge, Iron Head, Crunch
- Rapidash (Female) - Level 67
Ability: ?
Moves: Megahorn, Flamethrower, Protect, Extreme Speed
- Dunsparce (Male) - Level 68
Ability: Serene Grace
Moves: Thunderbolt, Drill Run, Coil, Last Resort
- Gengar (Male) - Level 69
Ability: ?
Moves: Shadow Ball, Icy Wind, Sludge Bomb
Naofumi Iwatani - Level 39
- Lairon (Male) - Level 34
Ability: Sturdy
Moves: Headbutt, Protect, Iron Head, Rock Slide
- Quilladin (Male) - Level 26
Ability: ?
Moves: Vine Whip, Bite, Needle Arm, Pin Missile
Raphtalia - Level 40*
- Linoone (Female) - Level 24
Ability: Pickup
Moves: Headbutt, Pin Missile, Slash
- Honedge (Male) - Level 34
Ability: No Guard
Moves: Slash, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Filo - Level 40*
Kurisu Hanatabi - Level 40*
- Riolu (Male) - Level 38
Ability: ?
Moves: Force Palm, Quick Attack, Metal Claw, Quick Guard
- Floette (Red Flower) (Female) - Level 49
Ability: ?
Moves: Vine Whip, Moonblast, Aromatherapy
Chelsea Arel - Level 43
- Vanilluxe (Female) - Level 67
Ability: ?
Moves: Water Pulse
- Delphox (Female) - Level 70
Ability: ?
Moves: Mystical Fire, Psychic, Shadow Ball
- Rhyperior (Male) Level 68
Ability: Solid Rock
Moves: Dig, Megahorn, Rock Wrecker, Thunder Punch
- Sawsbuck (Spring Form) (Male) - Level 65
Ability: ?
Moves: Double Edge, Horn Leech, Jump Kick
- Arbok (Female) - Level 68
Ability: Intimidation
Moves: Toxic, Venoshock, Sucker Punch
- Altaria (Female) - Level 68
Ability: ?
Moves: Dragon Claw, Cotton Guard
Merleo Goneri - Level 40*
- Kadabra (Male) - Level 18
Ability: ?
Moves: Teleport
That's it for the first chapter of The Devil of the Shield Arc.
And from how Dudunsparce were brought into the conversation, Gen 9 Pokémon will appear in this story. Expect them to appear later in the story.
For those who found Hydreigon's hidden side to be a bit much, I think it's more or less fitting if you take Violet's Pokédex entry into consideration. You could say his rage mode are not so different than Bowser during the final battle of The Super Marios Bros. Movie.
I'm gonna try to post some more chapters, so be sure to stay tuned.
As always, be sure to leave a review!