Act Two: Guardianship

Scene One: Savior

"Look 'ere, a lone girl on the streets." The voice made me turn my head.

"How unfortunate fer 'er!"

A set of sinister chuckles followed. "How fortunate fer us."

Just around the corner after we piled out of the Pokemon League Registy, a group of seven or more menacing thugs surrounded a lone girl. The sight immediately sent a shiver down my spine. The individual was likely close to my age, with hair that seemed to shimmer like silver in the bright morning sun. She dressed in light-colored clothes, two Pokeballs at her hip, but she looked far too scared to move. Against a group this size, would it even help?

Sira tried to keep walking, ignoring the events unfolding right there, but Will and I weren't so complacent. He quickly drew his lance, sending out Valor quietly at his side. Clutching Snacks, I chose to send out Glimmer. She let out a loud, defiant 'baa!'.

Now the whole group of thugs turned toward us. Sira couldn't ignore it any longer and sighed. She drew Sinistra from over her shoulder, sending out her mighty Infernix.

"What're you lot lookin' at?" one of the burlier guys demanded taking a threatening step toward us. Will didn't react. I flinched, and Glimmer glanced back at me worriedly.

"There's these ugly-ass guys on the road," Sira replied, pointing her sword right at the man. Infernix let out a fierce, rippling snarl in support. "Wish you could see 'em, but…"

One of them guffawed. Most of them just cracked their knuckles, and I wondered if they understood the humor at all. "Girl's got a mouth on her," one of them said. "Wonder what else that mouth does."

A few more of them chuckled, and the tension in the air thickened. The way their intentions played out on their faces lit an angry spark in my chest, and I took a stride forward to stand with Glimmer, levelling an arrow to point directly at the speaker's throat. He only chuckled, holding my gaze. I wondered if he would see the arrow coming.

Will slid out in front of me, perhaps saving me from something I'd regret. "You would do better to pick out level opponents. Focusing on the youngest surely speaks volumes to your skill." He spun his lance, Valor emitting a piercing cry on his shoulder. "Come now. Which of you is fool enough to challenge Valor and me?"

The man chuckled eerily, jabbing his thumb at the girl behind them, still frozen stiff. "You think we give a rat's ass about honor? Could wallop a boy like you in my sleep, but kids're money. A boy for the Pokemon ranches sells well. And a pretty girl?" His laughter turned sharp. "Those're for the bedroom."

The men began to send out their Pokemon. I counted seven: a sturdy Graveler, a beefy Gurdurr, a savage Primeape, a huge Onix, a burly Machoke, a stalwart Electabuzz, and an insidious Krokorok all hit the cobblestone, one after the next. Many of the Pokemon were closer to our height.

Will tapped the Pokeballs at his belt without hesitation. Rocky and Blaze both popped out, taking his side. His voice came out tense and stretched. "Stay behind me, Ryoku," he murmured.

I didn't think he would strike first – he proved me wrong, and sprang forward with his lance. The men hollered and fanned out with their Pokemon and weapons. The man with the Graveler went for him, a hand-axe clutched in his meaty fist. Even I recognized Will didn't have a type advantage, but that didn't seem to bother him – Rocky lunged for the Graveler, fangs blazing.

Anyone who remained on the street – most having vacated when the girl got surrounded – quickly cleared out as the fight began in earnest. Sira, who started to cackle with the promise of a good fight, sent out Embera and Shadowfang as well as she went to help Will. The man with a Machoke was already in the fray, his beefy Machoke already throwing punches at Valor, who flew shy of each strike with ease.

The girl behind the thugs still looked stricken with terror. She might've been able to escape now that a brawl started, but she was rooted to the ground. If one of them started after her, we'd be hard-pressed to protect her. Her snowy eyes darted between them frantically. I started to wonder if she was worried for herself, or us.

Will's opponent nearly forced him down, but Sira, forcing her own opponent to the ground, lunged and cleaved Will's target from shoulder to hip with an enraged scream. He cried out, eyes bugged, and his weapon clashed to the ground. I saw the Graveler turn to see its trainer fall, fear in its eyes, but it didn't relent from trying to pummel Rocky.

At the fall of their leader, all the remaining thugs swarmed Will and Sira. My heart hammered in my chest, searching for my opportunity to interfere. How could they handle all these warriors and their Pokemon? Shouldn't the thugs have abandoned ship when their leader toppled?

Will rushed to defend himself, his Pokemon hard at work. Valor pivoted around frenzied punches from the Machoke. The trainer-less Graveler still didn't relent, trying to slam Rocky into the ground. The gold and black Electabuzz charged in, and Blaze bit it in the leg, latching on. It emitted a strange yell, trying to pummel the dog Pokemon with its fists.

Sira fought hellishly at his side. Infernix ripped his fiery fangs into the Primeape, which pummeled into Infernix's body unrestrained. Shadowfang and Embera were teaming up against the huge Onix, a monstrous rocky snake that took up much of the walkway. It emitted a deep, echoing roar, bringing down its rocky head to try and knock Embera off. Even as they battled, more closed in. A hefty Gurdurr swung his metal column at Valor, who barely dodged, shrieking up a storm. The Krokorok stomped in after Onix, trying to rip Shadowfang off of it.

I had to do something. If I didn't act fast, Will or Sira could lose some of their Pokemon in a fight like this, or get seriously hurt themselves. I wasn't used to big brawls like this, men fighting alongside Pokemon. I tried to swallow back my knowledge of my own mediocre skill.

While Glimmer awaited my command to strike, Snacks jumped out of my grip. I panicked, trying to reach for her, but her form shifted in midair and made her suddenly slippery as she landed in Vaporeon form. With a clairvoyant sound, she lowered her head and unleashed a blast of water from her mouth to crash into the Onix. Its roar echoed around the street, reverberating from buildings to rattle my eardrums. One of the thugs saw Snacks strike, elbowed his friend, and they turned their attention to me. With them came the column-wielding Gurdurr and the Krokorok.

"Alright, we gotta move, Glim," I said with what I hoped was determination, and took a deep breath. "We can do this. Go for the Gurdurr! Snacks, you take the Krokorok!"

But Snacks was already switching targets, her bright eyes turning to the Gurdurr instead. She spun around, unleashing a torrent of water from her scaled tail. It nearly hit Glimmer, and the dark sheep danced back with an angry 'baa!', almost bumping into me. I caught and steadied her, but as the two thugs zeroed in on me, I had to switch gears.

I dropped my bow and went for my knife, unleashing it just in time to block the club of one huge man. The force was more than I'd anticipated, and my knees nearly buckled right there. I reinforced myself, struggling to hold my own.

Snacks readied herself as the Gurdurr closed in on her. With Snacks acting on her own, Glimmer charged instead at the Krokorok, which narrowed its dark eyes and readied itself, its thick tail coming around for a heavy slam.

I didn't have time to think. A second man was coming at me with his sword. My options were almost as limited as my time. Summoning every last drop of willpower I had, I dropped to the ground. The thug's club sailed over my head, striking the cobblestone rubble and spraying debris behind me. I used my momentum to swing myself around in a way I'd seen Will do at the bar, slamming both legs into him with all my might. If I hadn't caught him by surprise, it'd never have worked – but he dropped like a rock.

"Glimmer, dodge!" I cried. "Your electric attacks won't be any good on Krokorok – go for brute force! Snacks," I added, turning to her as the Gurdurr prepared to swing its mighty girder, "make a barrier! I need you to look out for Glimmer – team up!"

Glimmer gave an enthusiastic 'baa!' and lowered her head, batting the ground with her strong hooves. I expected Snacks not to listen to me, but now I caught her bright gaze. With a clairvoyant cry, she summoned a shimmering barrier of water that enveloped her and Glimmer. Gurdurr's weapon slammed into the wall – it bent, but didn't break. With an impish giggle, Snacks unleashed a beam of water straight into its face.

Protected by Snacks, Glimmer rammed her head into Krokorok, dodging a swipe of its thick tail. The big crocodile Pokemon hurtled a few feet back, its claws ripping into stone. It didn't look very effective, but it gave her time.

Forcing myself to move, I spun around and blocked an incoming sword with my knife. This time I was ready for the force, and kept his weapon at bay with both hands on my weapon. I tried to kick his legs, but he stepped out of the way. I didn't expect him to take a hand off his sword and grab my arm. My stomach lurched. The thug's ugly mug warped into a grin. The one I'd knocked down was up now, whacking his dented club in his open palm with a menacing glare.

A blue flash lit the air, burning a bright light into my vision. It came accompanied with a strange, sweeping sort of noise, and a crackling like ice giving way underfoot.

Before my eyes, a blue beam shot from afar and struck my captor in the shoulder. He let go of my arm in his panic, trying to shake something off. Ice thatched its way across his shoulder, expanding to envelop most of his arm and back.

In the thick of it, the young girl had stepped forward. In front of her stood two small Pokemon: a tiny Swinub, giving a cute snort of victory as its attack proved effective, and a little Ralts, its green helm-like head lowered as it channeled some kind of energy.

Luckily for me, I didn't freeze up, and I lashed out at my second pursuing opponent. My knife bit in his unprotected side. He stumbled away, dropping his weapon as he clutched his side.

I turned away to catch sight of how Snacks and Glimmer were doing. Just then, the girl's Ralts raised its head, and a psionic energy appeared in a bubble around the Krokorok, leaving it defenseless as Glimmer rammed her head into it. The Ralts let it take the hit, then, using its energy, lifted the Krokorok off the ground and slamming it back down, hard. When the dust cleared, the Krokorok was clearly out like a light.

Meanwhile, Snacks traded blows fiercely with the Gurdurr, agilely stepping around its thick weapon and throttling it with short bursts of water. When it paused for a moment, trying to catch its breath, Snacks whipped her tail around and caught it in the side, throwing it easily into the air. She didn't pause to celebrate, however – her eyes zeroed in on the huge Onix.

The giant rock snake had pivoted, ensnaring Embera and Shadowfang in its rocky hold and squeezing them tightly. I saw Infernix trying to get away, but the Primeape kept it locked in battle, pummeling him with its fists while the fierce Houndoom clung to its furry body. Sira was too busy to give orders, a ferocious blur with her scarlet blade as she battled two of the thugs.

Will's team was no less battered. He, too, battled two men fiercely with his lance. Rocky rained ineffective blows against the Graveler, trying to prevent it from turning on Blaze as the Growlithe dodged the Electabuzz's disproportionate fists and electric shocks. Valor lashed out at the Machoke, its arms peppered with thin slashes, but it didn't relent in trying to snatch the steel bird from the air.

A sword came swinging out of nowhere. I barely rolled away in time, and it struck the road, spraying hot sparks at my ankles. The thug-sicle behind me was now swinging in a full rage. I stepped away again as he pursued me, this time just narrowly stepping out of range. The point of his sword ripped into my shirt, a hair's breadth from my skin.

I heard the Ralts cry out behind me. When I almost turned to see what it was doing, I instead came face-to-face with the club-wielding thug, psionically frozen by Ralts' power. With a gleeful 'baa!', Glimmer rushed in to my rescue, ramming the thug with the full force of her tough skull. Ralts' energy couldn't hold such a big target for long, but Glimmer's attack sent him tumbling.

The frozen thug flexed, and the ice encasing most of his shoulders shattered, shards raining upon the ground. The Swinub had turned its attention to helping the others, having just unleashed an icy blast upon the Graveler. With the Pokemon occupied, the thug advanced on the girl.

Stowing away my knife, somewhat motivated by seeing the power of the girl's Pokemon, I pulled out my staff. Truth be told, I was nervous to use it, worrying that it might not work as intended. But when I drew the staff, it was gleaming with a reddish hue. With a start, I recalled how I'd held the staff when Snacks turned into a Flareon yesterday.

As I swung the staff upward, I felt a strange spark in my hands. It was almost like numbness, but a feeling of warm energy that made my fingers switch. Beneath my sleeve, I felt my strange marking growing hot. The energy responded, flowing in an almost image-like pattern across my skin in ways I could suddenly understand. I clung to those images and held my staff tightly. Was this it? The power of the elements?

The sensation arrived with clarity through all my senses. It came with a dusty sort of smell, like an ancient library left untouched for eons, its pages inviting eager hands and open minds. A sound hung in my ears, like a thousand cries of ancient Pokemon – they whispered encouragement, adding their hands to mine as I stood. My tongue felt thick with sacred ash and a lapsing heat.

The final sense arrived with a savage whoosh. The reddish hue to that clear crystal on my staff spiraled out, and into flames that ignited as easily as Snacks' had that day, but with unprecedented velocity, like Infernix, Blaze, and Embera all added their own jettisons. Heat coursed through my entire body, sucking moisture from my skin, leaving me oddly winded and cold as the flames surged forward, soaring to a height well above my head - and crashed into my target with a sickening roar.

Regret instantly washed away every bit of glee and wonder I felt as a vessel of the Fire element. The thug let out a banal, unhinged scream as the flames overwhelmed him in seconds, bringing him to the ground like a hammer. I felt a pit in my stomach like the icy Swinub targeted my gut – and I realized I'd just sentenced a man to death.

A light sound next to me suddenly made sense. Next to me landed Snacks, her form the shimmering inferno of Flareon for just a moment before her legs gave out, and she hit the ground as an Eevee once more. Avoiding anything but what I'd just done, I cried out, picking her up in my protective arms.

The girl stood before me, what was left of my victim between us. She didn't look afraid. Her Ralts and Swinub joined the battle, leaving her standing alone, and I went to her. "Are you okay?"

Then she leveled her staff at me – a small rod not unlike my own. I stepped back, stunned, but she cried out, "Ryoku, watch out!"

What a hero I was. I clued in at the last second, and spun around. Her staff spiraled with a deep blue energy, and unleashed a wicked blast of cold air at the other thug I'd been fighting, now a foot from me, club raised. I strayed awfully close to the elemental burst, and it felt like opening a door to the dead of winter in no clothes before it shot over my shoulder.

However, the same trick might not always work. He threw up a torn leather doublet, and the ice struck it in his stead. I heard the girl gasp behind me.

"Alright," I murmured, half to myself. I spun around and pushed Snacks into the girl's arms. "Look after her, please!"

Before she could say anything, I turned back, choosing my knife again now that my staff was emptied. I didn't have time to think through my strike, just ducked into his oncoming assault and rammed my elbow into his chest, inciting a pained snarl. His hand caught me by the shoulder and threw me down, ramming my back into surprisingly sharp cobblestone. Frantically, I lashed out with my knife, but the thug pinned my hand, forcing me to let go of the knife. He picked it up, forgetting his club, and raised it overhead in both hands.

I felt a sudden unearthly chill, something altogether different than being close to an ice beam. This one sank into my core and settled there, coming to terms with the gnawing pit in my stomach at what I'd done. An instant later, a burst of midnight-black energy collided with the thug, knocking him off me with force.

My knife clattered to the ground, and I snatched it, nearly by the blade. I jumped to my feet, ignoring my marshmallow legs, readjusting my grip on my knife.

The thug recovered quickly, circling around me, his club back in hand. I wasn't sure who or what had hit him, but it seemed to be just a warning shot and not the thug's immediate concern. I didn't have time to wonder about it – he surged forward, club aimed for my head. I ducked aside, once, twice, each blow getting closer to causing serious damage. Recklessly, I lashed out, and my knife bit skin. The thug snarled, swinging again, and I stepped back, my lungs empty of air.

Instead, a force slammed into him from behind, knocking him into me. Whatever it was knocked him off balance, making his club hit me, but far less effectively. I heard a brief, satisfied 'baa!' before I knew to push back against the thug – and a bolt of electricity zapped him, singeing the hair on his arms and making them stand on end.

An arm came around the thug's throat from behind, ensnaring him. Another arm grabbed his and broke his grip, the club falling uselessly to the ground. A second later, and the thug followed suit – Will loomed over him like a stoic hero, pinning the last enemy to the ground with the butt of his lance. His chest rose and fell steadily, skin flushed, hair tousled, and a wild light in his sapphire eyes. A shallow cut marred under his left eye and he had a couple obvious bruises on his arms, but he was okay.

Sira was right behind him, Sinistra steadily dripping blood from its face as she fought to catch her breath.

"It is done," Will said vehemently. "Your friends are all dead. Would you press us to have you join them so swiftly?"

Instantly the thug started screaming profanities at Will, who appeared totally unfazed. Rather than follow through, Will stepped aside, and a pair of Harohtian guards and their Pokemon stepped in to apprehend the man, dragging him away.

Behind them, the scene was morbid. Will and Sira must have just finished off their targets to rush to my aid. To my relief, none of the Pokemon had been slain. Instead, Harohtian guards appeared to capture them in black Pokeballs – it didn't just suck in the Pokemon, but also their original ball from their trainer's belt. All of our Pokemon were okay, too. Infernix was riddled with smaller bruises, Blaze nursing a shiner, and Rocky limping, but nobody was down. Will and Sira started to call their teams back.

That was around when I noticed the crowd. The streets had been empty last I'd looked, but now people flocked. People and Pokemon lined every nook of the street around us. Many of them applauded, cheered, whistled, or shouted out encouragement. In my focus, I hadn't heard a single word.

I was glad I hadn't needed to kill him as the last thug was steered away, screaming bitterly at us, and I saw his glare long after the guards dragged him beyond the crowd.

"You did well, Ryoku," Will told me, clasping my shoulder firmly. "A fair step from your bar brawl or our practice round. I wonder, if I let you assist me back then, if you could have shown me you were so formidable back then."

I gave him a sheepish smile. I didn't think I'd done well. I'd barely survived, and it was mostly thanks to interference from the others. "Without you, I'd have been toast back in that bar. Now, I'd have been a splatter on the pavement."

Will chuckled. "Perhaps. But it is what I do, friend. I am only glad to have an official League Trainer at my side."

"You're a League Trainer?"

The girl spoke from behind me, drawing my attention back to her. She looked uneasy from all the attention, holding Snacks tightly in her arms. Her Ralts and Swinub returned to her slowly, both with little legs that couldn't make quick work of the distance. This close, I realized she was quite close to my age, dressed in a white skirt that reached her knees and a low-cut pink shirt that laced around her neckline. A think pink hair band tucked most of her silver hair from her face. Was that hair color normal in Harohto? I'd never seen anyone close to my age with anything like that color, except perhaps Kioru or Lancet Cooper.

"Yep, that's him," Sira replied at my side, looking the girl over. "We're working with him. He's new, but apparently not all too bad – shockingly. What's your name, kid?"

Coming from Sira, that was like poems written by a bard. The young girl gave me an odd look, as though waiting for my reassurance that my friends were good people. I gave her the smallest nod, and her head dipped down, looking at Snacks. Then she said, quite softly, "M-My name is Lusari Atella. I'm… I am a trainer from the Harohto Capital Academy. I'm afraid I have been absent for several weeks now, though, and I may no longer be a student proper. I'm just glad I was able to help somehow."

Sira nodded to her. "A trainer, huh? Well, you did alright out there. I'm Sira Jessura." She jabbed her thumb at Will, who was letting Sira do all the talking for some reason, his gaze somewhere else. "The guy with the spear's Willy-boy. Likes to be called Will Ramun, though, for whatever reason."

Will sighed, but Lusari giggled. The sound was like delicate wind chimes. "Willy-boy it is, then," she said softly.

"Please do not," Will said sheepishly, scratching his head. "Look what you have done now, Sira."

"And this is our League Trainer, Ryoku Dragontalen," Sira introduced me by poking me with her thumb. "I'll let you know when I find a better name for him. I was thinking dumbass or Slowpoke-head, but they don't quite have the same ring to them."

Lusari smiled at me. "I would eagerly await that." Glancing back down, she seemed to remember she was holding an unconscious Snacks, and she presented her back to me. "S-Sorry. Is she… Is she okay?"

Will reached around to check on Snacks in my arms, and he let out a relieved sigh. "Just sleeping," he said gratefully. "I do believe her ability wears her out, and she used it to a much greater extent than before."

"It was a marvelous ability," Lusari told me. "She was very brave, fighting for you like that. What's her name?"

"Snacks," I admitted with a small smile. As Glimmer rammed her head into my leg, I knelt down to scratch her behind the ears, and she let out a gleeful 'baa!'. "And this is Glimmer."

Lusari gave Glimmer a precious smile. "Such cute and unique Pokemon!" She knelt down to her own Pokemon who appeared by her feet. "This is my trusty Swinub, Snowball," she said, gesturing to the small, round ice-type Pokemon. Now that I looked at it, its fur appeared perhaps a little lighter than normal, with rosy cheeks and a playful twinkle in its eye. "I got him from the Academy as my starter. We've been through a lot together."

She then picked up her other Pokemon, a petit Ralts with a delicate, almost ethereal presence. "And this little one is Starlight," Lusari continued with a fond smile. Starlight had a radiant, star-shaped mark on her green head, and emitted a cute squeal at us. "She is a daughter from my mother's Gardevoir. Their line has been in my family for a very long time. Well, until recently…"

The two Pokemon huddled close to Lusari. Snowball nuzzled her leg, while Starlight titled its large head to rest against Lusari's chest. She held her Ralts closely.

"Did something happen to your family?" Will asked gently. When Lusari's head dipped down, he put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "I should have known. The raids, no?" The pain in her eyes was unmistakable, and even Sira's fiery glare softened. Will squeezed her shoulder. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Lusari. The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place. But you are not alone now; you have your excellent Pokemon. If there is anything we can do for you…"

Lusari gently wiped away a tear and nodded. "I should be saying the same for you. If you had not arrived when you did… I shudder to think what might have happened to me."

"You said you're a trainer at the academy, right?" Sira asked. "I think there just might be something you can do to help us…"

A sudden thought occurred to me, and I scanned the crowd. I wasn't focused at the time, but somebody had attacked the thug when he was about to impale me. Thinking back, I knew I recognized the attack.

There. Near the back of the street, I saw a man in a brown cloak, his white hair like snow beneath his hood. His Zoroark stood with him, wrapped up similarly to avoid detection. There was no mistaking it now. Kioru gave me a curt smile, and vanished into the crowd with a wave of his cloak.

Confusion washed over me. If we were right, and Kioru sold me out to Vincent Ordenstraum, then why would he step in to save my life? Wouldn't it be easier to step in and just collect Snacks from me?

I tried to grab Sira's attention, but she didn't heed me. Instead, she grabbed my arm and thrust it into the air with hers. The crowd erupted into raucous cheer, jumping into the air and shouting our names.

Will came to my other side and bumped my shoulder. "This is it, my friend! The beginning of our journey! Your first victory!"

"I think you have it backwards," I murmured, but he didn't hear me.

"Now we're talkin'!" Sira declared excitedly. "This is what it's gonna be like from now on! The heat of battle, the roar of a cheering crowd – I love it!"

She gave me the most gleeful, almost child-like grin I could have imagined from her. With her tone, this was almost euphoric to hr. I gulped, adopting a brave, shaky smile. What Sira found exciting only made my heart quiver. I still saw the burnt corpse of my first kill, even as guards remorselessly carted off the crispy thug along with the other kills of the fight.

I sighed inwardly. If it were all to be like this, how would I ever survive?