Swarm Knight

Note: mostly info dump chapter

I will admit the title and the summary gives the impression that the focus of this story is on Bug-Types. Truthfully, while there will be a lot of focus on it in general versus any of my other stories, this story serves more to play with type comprehension and test OC narrative while using the crutch that is the PKMN world for myself.

That and selecting from just a single type is.. asking a lot from me, given all the wonderful Pokemon.

I'm certainly glad to see the Bug Types be as favored as they are—both my SwSh and SV (wtf is BDSP) play-throughs used a lot more than I realized; at one point, it was just a team of bugs. However, he will not be a Bug Specialist in the normal sense. I even hint at the beginning of Rayol's team in the character listing. How it happens may be a massive detractor, but I've planned pretty far out already.

So, I apologize if I had misled ye.


-}°{-

Two years passed by without much fanfare.

Rayol struggled little at school because as soon as he finished his work, he was free to think about his Pokemon. That was enough motivation for him. The boy loved it. That allowed him to plan and daydream in mass.

He then took to training his Scyther with surgical precision—as much as he could as a five, six, then seven-year-old anyway—and dabbling into looking at the some Pokemon in the Bug sanctum and beyond.

In particular, he was often found relaxing among the Orbeetle larvae on clear nights, teaching them about the stars with his father. The King of the Loveliness and his pair of mates looked after him like the boy was their own. Other nights, such as this one before the big day tomorrow, he crawled into the miniature entry in the dirt, used by various Larvesta to travel across the land unseen, to find said Bug Type's base.

When he was younger, it was much easier to fit into...

Sometimes, he hung around his grandmother and sister for too long, and the vital chill he tried desperately to ignore seeped too deep despite his heightened tolerance. He needed warmth but didn't want to bother his parents. They had enough to worry about because of his sister.

Ever since he decided to train his Scyther himself, his grandmother pushed for him to be more independent. Sometimes, it would put his father against her. His mother was still undecided on the matter. Something to do with her upbringing as an orphan if he recalled correctly..

And so, Rayol would seek out one of the heat sources from his infancy, Larvesta. Apparently, he wasn't supposed to know where they stayed, but his grandmother saw no issue with it, given most people didn't fit into Larvesta burrows. As usual, they welcomed him into their collective with a short chitter before slumping back down to sleep. He remained with those on the outer edge because if he fell asleep deeper in, he'd wake up too thirsty. He had nearly gotten in trouble when he first did that and cried for something to drink. The Larvesta that warmed his bottle all those years ago recognized the cry (it was embarrassing to be reminded, he discovered) and found a way to fetch his grandmother.

Still, he was glad that his parents and grandmother figured out how to let his little sister travel. That was contrasted with his clear memory of a worse case scenario still being fresh in his mind.

Hopefully, it all went well.

Dealing with the youngest Bid's condition had become clockwork, becoming easier and easier as the days passed. So much so, they planned a trip for the girl outside Unova for once.

"...Ma, are you sure this is okay?"

Esmeralda sighed, turning to face her fretting son directly. "For the seventh time my son, yes." She splayed a hand towards his wife, "Saori isn't as worried either."

The black-haired woman paused from her menial brushing of her daughter's long silver hair to look up to them. The girl was swinging her legs back and forth, excited for the trip to come, but not so much that she would miss out on her close time with her mother. In between the legs of the seat, her pristine Vulpix had curled into itself, napping and ears twitching every so often.

["It's hard to argue with your mother's logic, love."]

With that, she turned back to her daughter, who waited patiently with a wide smile.

Irina was finally leaving home! She couldn't wait! Ever since her brother started leaving for school two years ago, and she herself learnt about the expanding wide world of the internet, she had been mostly docile. It wasn't enough to ebb away all of the wanderlust burning within her, but she no longer begged to leave with him and see the faces of her parents' twist with sadness.

Ever since her dad gave her Vulpix, she finally got an inkling about how much work it took for simple things to accost around her weakness. Despite that very thing being more of a happy coincidence, it would take months for any sort of usual breakthroughs to occur normally. They had been lucky she was born into a Bug ranch. That was solely down to the hierarchical structure (whatever that meant) and their rapid growth of Bug Types.

Her brother told her that one!

Her grandma, on the other hand, didn't believe in coincidences, often reciting the girl's weakness would become her strength. Sometimes, Irina found it hard to believe. It was hard not to doubt it when nearly everything would remind her of the burden she was when away from her grandma—or now, her very own starter!

She had gotten Illustrious, a name she picked out with her parents. She couldn't quite say it, she loved how it sounds! Nevermind the fact, she didn't have to wait as long as her older brother did to get a Pokemon either~

Normally, she'd shortened the name down to "Illy" or "Illya."

Irina stifled a giggle with her hand, drawing a questioning look from her mother through the mirror. She gave a cheeky wink before trying her best to copy the stoic image of her grandmother again.

Either way, her father had finally gotten her a large pile of translucent, neutralizing silk, created from the stores of Araquanid, interwoven with the local Accelgors' own wrap, and dusted with fairy ice from her very own Vulpix under her grandmother's astute eyes. They caught any stray particles with nearly 100% rate.

The adult female figures in her life had sewn various articles of clothing for her—even Auntie Bree! The pieces started with a base skin-tight bodysuit, covering almost all her exposed skin in a thin layer of silk. Since she was a child, she was growing rapidly and would need new clothing on at most a bi-monthly basis (her mom and grandmother never forgot!); some as early as every month when she was younger apparently. Occasionally, Irina was able to pick designs or ask for additions, and everyone would compliment her for it.

She had great taste after all! Auntie Bree had taught her a lot about fashion through their chats on the computer—even if a lot of it went over her head. But that was okay. She was a growing girl and was smart like everyone said! It was only a matter of time.

It was amazing to watch her little, white fox train with Esmeralda to make the pastel pink snow too. It inspired her to train instead of playing with her Pokemon—like she had always wished for before Vulpix, following in her mother and grandmother's footsteps. Oftentimes, she'd follow around her brother, when he wasn't training with the various Pokemon around the sanctuary, be it learning more about them or furthering the foundations of his Scyther. She still couldn't go that far out or that long, but he'd always make time for the backyard with her.


That was exactly where he was currently, making his final checks of his Pokemon's progress and growth before they departed for Alola. He took after their grandmother in this regard, having watched closely during his mother's own lessons from his grandmother or father, or his father's routine checkups around the land.

"—Scyyy!"

His Scyther glowed lightly, clenching all the muscles within itself tightly before a small boy, seven years of age. It was using the move: Endure. It would set the basis for the future for moves like Iron Defense or Protect.

"Hold it as long as you can, Zero."

The name came from one of his only mistakes with his starter. He had forgotten the gender of his Scyther in a fit of excitement and decided on Zero, a reference to a game his father used to play and one his sister had recently picked up. The Pokemon had taken to the name easily and with much affection, so it was too late to retract. To this day, he held himself in condemnation about it.

Since then, it heralded his desire to make as little mistakes as possible, meticulously woven by the teachings of his grandmother but softened by his loving parents.

Mistakes were a weakness. But to overcome weakness? Any person should be all the stronger for it, like his bones when he broke his foot, chasing after his speedy starter. His affectionate mother told him that in specific. She too felt the same when she couldn't hold his sister long and overcame that temporary shortcoming for the most part.

Or when his father crafted all the plans to circumvent all of Isis' issues. His grandmother gushed much more than usual about it, seeing her son become all the better because of it, and that warmed the aging woman's cold heart, which comforted him when his parents couldn't.

Unconsciously, that all taught him he should try to figure things out himself. He knew quite keenly how his grandmother and father raised Pokemon. The former did most of the training until she began homeschooling Isis a year ago. They were epic trainers in that regard. He had learned as much as he could from them. Most of the time, he'd make his loyal and serious Scyther sit in. It would be a mistake not to let her learn from them in person.

It didn't lessen his desire to do it himself. If anything, he felt more prepared for the future. His father had mentioned how much of an excellent job the boy had done studying from him and training his Pokemon.

There was one gripe though. Despite all the moves the Scyther knew and could learn, Rayol had mostly trained his Pokemon to wield status moves. He'd rather wait until Scyther finally evolved.

Either way, his grandmother held him off from doing so too early. For Bug Types to grow quickly and adapt rapidly, they drained their "lifeforce." If he treated them similar to, say, something like the Volcarona or Hydreigon line, species that were long-lived and took long stretches of time to evolve, his Bug would cultivate energy within, artificially copying those traits as a result.

Esmeralda's Frosmoth lived so long because their original home within the desert hampered both the Ice/Bug Type's growth and ability to adapt (something about the heat being the opposite of its normal habitat). He was glad about that happy accident. She of all people deserved to keep her starter, especially after giving up the rest of Ice-Type Pokemon.

Rayol still couldn't wrap his head about the last part. He couldn't imagine giving up any of his Pokemon, much less willingly.

There were further teachings from his grandfather's library that she wanted to pass down in his late grandpa's steed. It also explained why Rayol focused on so few moves. The boy didn't fully understand it all, but he trusted his grandmother, who allowed him to train his Pokemon mostly independently otherwise.

To hold back their instinctual adaptations, he would have to direct their energy internally—otherwise, status enhancement moves—and keep it consistent and a constant habit. Since Scyther didn't have a direct larvae or cocoon stage, this would be harder for him.

All the same, it helped immensely to reinforce their bodies as well. It would serve the foundations to his future Scizor very well.

"...Scyther...!" his Pokemon eventually deflated with a hiss, slumping onto the dirt, and the glow faded.

Rayol instantly stopped the stopwatch in his grasp and compared the times in his notebook. "Endure lasted twenty seconds longer."

Normally, trainers wouldn't train the move for endurance. His father had questioned it too. To Rayol, it seemed like a good enough substitute for the lack of cocooning.

"Good job, Zero," Rayol said as he approached and raised a hand to pet his scaly Scyther. "We've made a lot of progress on this move."

His eyes scanned the rest of the notes taken today as he did so.

Focus Energy took only three seconds to narrow Zero's heightened senses for battle and lasted for seven attacks of various energies. Swords Dance matched Focus Energy in startup and lasted five minutes without any attacks; three if Zero constantly attacked. The improvement to attacks sharpened Zero's bladed limbs to the point it only needed three swipes to fell an adult oak tree.

A part of Rayol would miss the blades when Zero evolved. However, both he and Zero wished to follow their grandfather's footsteps.

Double Team—refined with the help of its father, his mother's Scizor—took 5.2 seconds, down from 6.7 seconds, to start splitting. However, Zero could only make six fake copies in a short enough period. They were nowhere near what his mother called "true illusion clones," crafted more from speed and pure ability.

Summoning Tailwind, a move it could only wield so early through its superior physical genetics, took too long to ramp up with its eight seconds of rapid flapping. His Scyther was too frail, young, and small—despite being slightly taller than him—to call upon the swift winds with a single flap. Obviously, there was no fault laid with the green Pokemon, who took every test with utmost seriousness.

Once set, Zero finally reached the point to double its already breakneck speed (for a young Scyther) and the consequential whirlwind lasted six minutes. It was a rapid improvement. He had timed the distance it would take her to shoot from one side and back twice. The backyard was too small for discrepancies in one go.

However, Rayol noticed something weird. His Scyther grew dramatically faster as the constant whirlwind slowed during the last minute each time Rayol had Zero sprint or fly the entire duration. And so, he added another statistic: Final Minute Burst. They finally reached the 4x point on that front. Zero had some trouble steering itself, crashing into some of the trees or parts of the fence, but they would work on that later.

The boy wanted to figure out how that worked by himself. He could do at least that much, right?

For now, it was time to see the Bug/Flying Type's few attacking moves. His grandmother left him statues of ice to practice on just for that. The boy would remember to hug her for that later.

Rayol snapped to attention and called out, "Quick Attack!"

The Scyther's body took to the command, seamlessly and enthusiastically. The bursting energy it internalized was finally unleashed. In a split second, it was encased in a blaze of monotone energy, giving the young Pokemon quite the fierce visage.

His eyes could barely trace its burst of movement forward.

The rapid fluttering of the wings was a blur. In the next instance, a loud snap of crackling ice resounded, and two deep grooves appeared on the dense ice.

This was also why Rayol decided against furthering attacking moves. Zero was plenty strong with the offensive moves she did have. It showed extreme potential already. And, sure, this all was just in practice. When it came to actual battle, he assumed they would be at 75 percent efficacy across the board at the minimum. There was some data on this with some of the battles he was allowed to partake in. Eventually, they would iron out the kinks, he knew and paid it little mind for now.

He just didn't want Zero to be used to being a Scyther. Her biology and various abilities were leaning into it heavily—a misstep since his grandmother hadn't accounted for it. To be fair, Zero was almost a "perfect" Bug Type, acclimating to its abilities nicely. Despite his Pokemon's desire to become a Scizor, it couldn't completely shed its unconscious instincts for two years.

That was okay. Its evolution would be soon. His eyes briefly drifted over the hardened scales. They were almost at the perfect point for the Scyther to meld into a specialized metal coat.

For now, Rayol jotted a few notes to detail the damage and speed: 'Faster than Tailwind. Small cut again.' He made for a second glance at the ice and spied the cracks around the groove. 'Stronger than last week,' he added. Rayol hoped his parents would praise him for his notes. They liked to read it back to him at dinner or before bed together once a week.

With that done, it was time for the next attack. "Fury Cutter five times on the next one!"

The Bug/Flying Pokemon rushed forward with a sharp cry, "Scy scyth!" The bursting white energy bled away, giving way to the slight green aura that dripped from its two blades.

"Scy!" The first gouge simply nicked the ice figure at the. "Ther!" The second inched opposite, turning the combined marks into an X. "Scy!" The third traced the first, digging deeper. "Ther!" The four did the same for the second but caused cracks to appear.

"Scyther!"

The fifth? A combined strike of both blades struck the ice from the angled but aimed directly at the center. It was just like how they practiced. The ice crumbled under the onslaught, leaving a deep gash turned hole.

Rayol couldn't keep the grin from his expression. He failed in his attempt to emulate his grandmother. However, he couldn't help himself. It was the first time Zero broke through the ice!

"The accuracy training really paid off!" The boy ran forward to congratulate his Pokemon. "Right, Zero?"

The Scyther blinked up from her slightly chilled blades then buzzed her wings, excitedly. "Scyther!" she agreed with a nod and crouched slightly, so her Overlord could reward her with his touch.

She didn't quite have the control over herself that she demanded of herself. So, when her Overlord scratched at the area between the segments that made up her neck, she both shivered at the touch and fumed internally. Like her Overlord, she too tried her best to emulate another, her grandfather, Knight the greatest Scizor to have ever lived.

Esmeralda had taken both Rayol and the baby Scyther to meet the rugged green Scizor two months after her hatching.

It was everything she wished to become from then on: A steadfast and stalwart force of nature, who maintained their master's legacy. The many stories of the Ice Mistress shared to all the children, including Zero and Illustrious the icy Vulpix, referenced the model Scizor only reinforced the Pokemon's aim. She almost couldn't wait to become a Scizor but would do so simply because she was told to. Especially, to live a long, prosperous life like that Scizor, otherwise her grandfather.

She couldn't imagine leaving her Overlord's side because she would die. How selfish and worthless would that make her? Her very creation was for him. If she couldn't fulfill that purpose, she didn't deserve the blessing for the immense vitality that the Bid family imparted to her.

After all, they gave her power and strength before her very conception...

And so, as her Overlord stepped away and made to move into the house, she tried to follow as silently as she could. Regretfully, she was nowhere near the ability of the various spiders that laid in the shadows, just out of sight.

Her thoughts halted as they stopped at the back door.

"Zero, pl—"

In her mind, he need not even ask. This routine to protect the Ice Mistress Prospect. It joined a part of her duties as soon she mastered dexterity with her blades. And so, she blurred so she stood right in front of her Overlord and raised a blade before swiping down. Then, she summoned a miniature Tailwind to gust her master.

A thin film of webbing flew from the boy's body, having lost its invisibility due to the lack of contact with the boy's dormant aura. A part of her envied it, but she stamped it out. There would come a day she would take in his essence as well.

Hopefully, she could become a figure similar to her grandfather.

"Thanks again, Zero," her Overlord muttered before passing her to shuffle inside, else he would bring in more irritants for his sister.

She quickly did the same routine with herself and shed the webbing from herself. With that, she followed again after shutting the door after herself. She did pause to glance at the rest of the ice sculptures, before shaking her head.

They would still be there when they returned unless the Ice Mistress dismissed them. However, she couldn't stop mulling over her given name.

Zero.

Her Overlord still held some regret about it, she knew. A mistake, he dared to call it. The Z sound reminded her of the buzzing of her parents while she laid within the egg and the faint buzzing of the incubation device that tried to stimulate her home environment. She quite liked it. It would remind her of home no matter where they went.

Like now, the rest of the family were making last minute preparations for their trip. Unlike her Overlord, Zero was a little apprehensive about it. Her intuitive knowledge had very little about outside the Bid Sanctum.

It wasn't that she didn't trust the lording family. She wasn't sure if she could be the protector she wished to be quite yet. Nevermind the fact, all she had to go on was the bits and pieces of conversations she could understand. Still, it would be a wholly new experience, something she lacked much of given her heightened Technician ability and innate understanding. As much as she dreaded it, she would cherish it and hope to pass it onto her own future children eventually through stories or potentially through further understanding of their bodies if they make a breakthrough on their trip to a new land.

And so, Zero found herself all the more grateful about her name, regardless of her Overlord's distaste. She watched her Lords, all the while until it was time to depart for the private jet—whatever that was.


Rayol sat patiently, watching his father fret about flying and his mother try her best to calm him down. Normally, the situation was the other way around, but this was the former's first flight ever. Roger had found it hard to trust several tons of metal to safely carry them through the sky.

Beside the boy, Esmeralda watched with a small smile the whole time. Every so often, the woman's hand would drift to Irina's arm to double-check her condition. Rayol assumed it was aura stuff to which he wasn't privy. He wished he could help. Playing with Irina didn't seem like enough.

His younger sister glanced up every so often from her miniature, retro handheld. Her own Pokemon was curled in the girl's lap, snoring and twitching ever so slightly. In the main walkway, Zero laid asleep, curled into herself, finally too exhausted to remain up any longer.

Rayol stifled a giggle.

She had been overly alert and admired everything, particularly taken by the view over the clouds. To be fair, his father's Butterfree rarely flew that high for extended periods, so it was his first time seeing the breathing-taking sights as well. And, that wasn't counting the breakneck speeds they were passing the clouds at.

His grandmother has told him clouds weren't slow. And yet, this metal jet easily overtook them all the same. Faster than his father's Butterfree ever could.

His eyes drifted back to his father again. The man found it hard to trust the metal cage shooting through the sky, despite being a man of science.

A familiar feeling brushed over his mind. It caused his gaze to slide to his mother, who remained stalwart in her efforts to calm Roger.

'Your father is just being silly, Ray.'

The boy sent back the equivalent to a nod through the connection. In return, he received what amounted to a hug. Rayol relished the feeling, shutting his eyes and relaxing back. His starter, having taken the seat to his other side, glanced away from the window to look at her Overlord. She had gotten better at moving silently.

It wasn't often the boy relaxed.

Zero tried her best to align her schedule with the boy if just to learn more about her Overlord. He was always so busy, unable to sit still. That was unless at the behest of his parents. Unlike his elders, he treated Pokemon as companions.

Zero assumed he would grow out of that and eventually take over the entire Hive with the same rule as the Frost-Given-Life, otherwise her Overlord's grandmother. He looked up to the Elder immensely after all. The Bug/Flying type found some solace in that. Strength was power, and power was strength.

And yet... her Overlord decided to stay her blades. It was mildly frustrating. In due time, that would change, she knew. There were genuine reasons for it, she knew. However, it went against all of her instincts that interwoven themselves into her body from her ancestry.

A wild Scyther sought challenge and battle. A good Scyther, however, would listen to their Lord. If nothing else, Zero was a good Scyther. Each member of her Overlord's family remarked as such. She just needed to be patient for now.

A shift beside her drew Zero from her thoughts.

Rayol had cracked open a bulky laptop, and Esmeralda had switched seats with Irina, so she could watch better. The latter was guiding the boy on how to use the device. Soon, they were all watching a sanctioned Pokemon battle. It was an unfamiliar one, focusing on a familiar figure.

It was their mother on screen.

Before she retired from the spotlight of professional battling, the woman had reached the quarter finals of the United Grand Circuit. Her black hair was much shorter with bangs swept to one side. For this occasion, she wore a slim fit, strapless black dress. She was stoic as ever and met her opponent's icy gaze.

Her opponent was an Ice-Type specialist from Icirrus City and son of the current gym leader there. He wore clothing befitting his clan and perhaps in spite of the land, a blue robe-like uniform that revealed half his upper torso.

They both released a starting Pokemon a moment later.

The children's younger mother held up a pokeball towards the field. She was stoic with her emotionless face that nowadays seemed so rare. Her first choice? It resembled a fat Clefairy if made out of stone.

Both of the siblings looked at one another. It wasn't a Pokemon they saw too often. The Rock-Flying type Pokemon would normally raise itself high into the atmosphere, up to the Ozone layer. When it got too heavy or in Irina's words, bored of the sky, it would come crashing down to return to its pokeball to regenerate its shell in the comfort of luxury and peace.

Irina in particular liked the round, star-shaped Pokemon. Anything that reminded her of the far reaches of space made her want to reach for the stars. If Rayol liked falling asleep to the stories his parents shared, his sister loved asking for more space fantasies. The only issue was understanding it all. Space was complicated. It helped that the core-form of their mother's Minior was a bright pink, one of her favorite colors.

"Minior!" The Pokemon warbled with no obvious mouth in sight, tilting back and forth in the air.

Their mother's opponent had sent out a massive blue walrus. The tusks on the Pokemon were longer than Minior. Seeing the miniature size of its opponent, the Walrein scoffed at the Rock-like Pokemon's greeting.

Its trainer frowned slightly but said nothing. Both trainers waited for the judge to start the match.

"Start!"

Like the children expected, their mother didn't say a single word. Minior twirled upwards, using the sun to mask its movements, even from the cameras. The Irricus Trainer expected the muteness and called for his own opening move.

"Blue Hail!"

For most Pokemon, weather setting moves took a couple seconds too long, but the training this Ice-Water Pokemon underwent circumvented that.

"Wallll—!"

A roar of rain and ice took over the Pokemon's shout and field in half a beat. In spite of the sheer white, a pink glow radiated from Minior's spot in the sky. It was just high enough to be out of range of the wintry wails.

A pair of commentators in the video joined in, popping up in the corner. The one on the left was in a suit; atop his breast pocket laid a tag that read: "Psychic." The second was a Irricus native rocking their home colors and famous clothing.

"Ladies and gents, with that, the two of them have started! It seems Saori is reinforcing her elusive Pokemon with Cosmic Power! Despite how small it is, there haven't been very many Pokemon who could crack the shell!"

Rayol frowned. Did he not notice Calm Mind going off? There were two different glows of pink and indigo happening at once.

"Yeah, that's right, Bill. But this is Walrein we're seeing here, the literal 'Ice Break' Pokemon. Those tusks you see on that thing are MADE just for this. Irricus would have nothing less."

"That's what everyone said about the previous trainers with their fighting types, Big Chill. This Minior was a star of toughness or power when needed. Every time the shell has been shed, it's by Saori's own demand, and she just seems to win."

The Irricus commentator went to reply but a deafening "DOOOM" shut them up. All at once, the rain and hail were snuffed out. No longer blending in with the surroundings, Walrein struggled to move beneath the unseen pressure.

The Irricus Trainer didn't flinch, calmly commanding for a single move. "Crunch, Walrein."

Darkness flared from the tusks, breaking whatever hold Minior had on it.

The psychic expert quickly explained, "Such forcefulness to that Gravity! Great play by Brycen to break the hold so quickly!" A serious look took over. "Although, it'll be one thing to hit the Meteor Pokemon, even if hampered by its shell currently."

His partner for the video smirked. "You'll be in for a treat. Their clan has overcome their weaknesses in every shape or form." As if to back up the claim, a cracking of ice, summoned between the Dark-drenched tusks, raised pillars of ice for Walrein to reach the airborne rock creature. "Utilizing two Types at once! Amazing!"

The camera zoomed onto Saori, who had yet to move even with the reveal. It quickly shifted back to the Pokemon Battle as her Pokemon gathered silver energy into a ball.

"Miii!"

The Steel energy rotated rapidly, gaining extra heft and power as Walrein approached.

"Gyroball? That's quite the choice over something like Rock Slide" came the left commentator.

The impromptu ice beam shifted towards Minior, having made all the platforms Walrein needed to meet Minior face-to-face. It slowed the rotating ball of heavy Steel energy enough that the large Pokemon made it up to the small brown Pokemon. As the ball dispersed the lance of ice, it masked the approaching Walrein.

Both of the commentators waited with bated breath. The children joined them. It was hard to tell what their mom was planning when she wasn't mentally tied to them.

'Minior will be fine,' came the familiar voice of their mother, followed by the mental warmth of a smile.

Right on time, Minior glowed a dirt brown, somersaulting into the air. It gathered speed as its opponent grew closer.

"Rollout mid air?" gasped the Psychic expert Bill. "Without the ground, there's no limit to how fast this Pokemon could go!" The man paused in thought, "Can they get dizzy?"

Minior tilted and shot away from the glowing tusks. Walrein tried its best to realign, showing off impressive dexterity for the large Pokemon. However, it was no match for what was, effectively, a large throwing star swerving out of the way and clubbing the Walrein in the back of the head.

It just so happened to be one of the few places that lack the fat the rest of its body carried. Another hit, then a second stunning hit followed.

"Break out of it with Liquidation!" Brycen's bellow shook just Pokemon out of the eventual barrage. This time, it wasn't just the tusks that glowed, but the entire body.

"Reeriin!" In a twist of its body, the large Pokemon slapped Minior away at each Rollout attack. The Water energy easily overtook the sturdy Rock energy in the initial clashes. Nevertheless, there seemed to be no change to Minior's orders as it just kept up the barrage.

Rayol noticed one thing. Each clash added cracks to Minior's armor. While the attacks of the Walrein's were strong, it compared nothing to the toughness of their tusks that were sure to crack the shell. Minior somehow dodged at each attack from those formidable weapons, even at the cost of a hit, nonetheless.

Minior's incredibly dense shell should be able to withstand hits from the flesh easily in spite of the Water energy. It could take a drop from the edges of space, half the time, using a more literal Shell Smash to complete the breakage.

His eyes widened.

Minior was letting momentum carry the spin, hiding another move between each clash. Shell Smash, he decided, nodding to himself ever so slightly. It was done in small bursts in order to hide its weakened defenses.

Rayol didn't know his mother could be so sneaky. This wasn't the first time he's seen her battle but normally she'd steamroll her opponents and only reveal three or four of team members in each match. His grandmother would scoff at that, muttering how weak the new generation had become. Which was kinda ironic since before that, he could faintly recall flashes and visions of his mother and grandmother clashing. Rayol was pretty sure his mother won.

He had yet to ask about that. The boy had never seen any of his elders fight in actual battles against one another, so he wasn't too sure.

His sister glanced at her brother's small movement but was soon drawn back into the match.

"—There's the core-form of Minior! This is a rare sight. Without their shell, they're more aggressive but all the more vulnerable."

"Min—IOR!"

His eyes zoomed in on the bright pink form of his mother's Pokemon. It had two large eyes and an animated mouth that was no longer muddled by celestial rock.

Its figure blurred, disappearing from the hi-speed cameras. In the next instant, Walrein cratered into the floor, having broken through its ice. Both commentators were as stunned as Brycen.

The boy recognized the attack, if just barely. His grandmother favored the attack heavily. Aerobatics was very versatile and taught the Bug Pokemon how to move rapidly in a digestible manner. It was a side-grade to the famous 'Aerial Ace' and would also assist recently evolved Pokemon to get a handle on their new bodies. Instead of the sure-hit trait in the former, Aerobatics was rapid movement, made to look random to approach a target. A true hunter's toolbox had to

The Flying Type was made to move after all. Scyther was the same. In all his research or lessons with his grandmother or father, it only made sense. Flying energy made moving that much easier or much more accessible. His father's oversized Butterfree would struggle under its own weight or any extra cargo, if not for the constant Flying energy it produced after specific breeding.

Again, it was something his grandmother lacked but his father found an immense sense of pride in.

Nonetheless, with Minior liberated from its shell, the attack's effectiveness was doubled if just due to the fact that it was used to the extra heft. The speed was more than incredible. His eyes slid to his starter, who couldn't help but gawk. She had seen Minior before, core form or otherwise. However, she had never imagined the ozone-borne Pokemon that lazed in the skies could be so fast.

"You'll be faster, Zero." His Pokemon blinked up to him. Her sharp eyes, resembling polished emerald, burrowed into his.

For a moment longer they stared at one another before she gave a slight nod, "Scy."

"—Gran-gran, Mommy's so strong," his sister whispered. On screen, Minior was chipping away at a new Pokemon. The snowflake-like Pokemon, Cryogonal, famed for encircling snowstorms in Unova, much like Magnamites to rumbling storm.

Esmeralda merely smiled. "She was younger then. She's stronger now."

Rayol heard his mother make a noise he hadn't heard before. It was similar to a Bug's screech, he thought. The boy tried to look over the seats to see what she was doing, but she was snuggling up to his dad, as if to hide herself like his sister had when they decided to let her see the world more, full of people and new Pokemon. His father sent him a small wave before hugging Saori to him.

A cold pat to his arm drew him back to the battle. "Ray! You're gonna miss the knockout again." Her hands fleeted over the keyboard and turned up the sound. With it, the commentators got louder, but Rayol was absorbed by the battle.

Brycen's Ace took to the field. It was a large beast of a Beartic, one that still had ways to grow based on its current iteration as the new Irricus Gym Leader's Ace now. Despite only evolving once, this Beartic had changed and grown so much since this battle.

His gaze briefly slid to his starter.

He hoped to bring similar growth to his future Scizor. His eyes shut, recalling and relishing the time he met the mythical Scizor of his grandfather that could rival the resting Volcarona Queen. Then, he mentally corrected himself. He, instead, wished to surpass Brycen's path and force out a second evolution on very much willing Zero.

He struggled to hold back his giggle at another memory.

His grandmother mentioned it wasn't going to be easy and that she had done the same herself. Apparently, Knight's current form had another on top of his current appearance, having not shed a molt in years—keeping his current look in case his Master ever returned. When she answered some more of his questions, she let slip the true nature of these new forms: "Mega." The bond of humanity's undying will and Pokemon's Potential given second wind—or so, most that knew about it thought.

At that time, Esmeralda could only scoff at their shortsightedness. They needed a pair of refined stones, made from aura given matter and the ashes of Pokemon. 'Keystones,' she had angrily spat. They could only temporarily empower the Pokemon to artificially reach these new forms that almost always carried a heavy price for power.

She had only explained herself further, having sensed how serious Rayol was about this. Despite his age, she only treated his words with the utmost seriousness as she always did, expecting the same from him. So far, he had done well to meet them in his opinion. He only felt he needed to learn more.

Between his grandmother's ancient texts and his grandfather's many heirlooms, both of which necessitated him learning two extra languages, which came easier for him than his mother, who he had tried his best to help but Grandmother said it was easier for him because his brain was more.. Malleable? He didn't quite get it, but either way—

"Raaayy!" came the annoyed voice of his sister, so he reopened his eyes. "You miss the entire thing!"

"Missed," he corrected reflexively.

The girl deflated at that, turning to their grandmother. "Graannd!"

"He's correct, you know, my little Dweeble?" Esmeralda chided every-so-slightly. Then, she turned to the boy next. "Ray, your agreement stated you'd watch with her. Your awareness kept shifting."

He could only nod, lifting his sister's hand into his own.

"I'm sorry, Isis."

While sensitive to touch given her usual lack of contact, it helped to distract his sister and cheer her back up all the same. A small grin overtook his lips as Irina went back being happy again.

"It's okay, Big Brother!"

Sadly, there wasn't another battle from their mother following this one in the circuit. She missed her next match, being disqualified and dropping out. Somehow, she had gotten a job with the league afterwards.

Apparently most of her battles prior to this battle, like her gym challenge, had gone dark too. The people forgot about her. It was odd to Rayol.

Those who won their challenge against all eight gyms were closely watched by the REGION itself. They weren't forgettable. They were anything but. His mother was strong, and her strength of many facets couldn't be denied.

'Ray, you're thinking too hard.' His gaze shifted back to his mother, no longer hiding into his father. The slight reminder made the woman's cheeks dust with pink. 'T—, thank you for the kind thoughts, dear. Look at you with your grownup vocabulary.

'However, all the same, I did not partake in any other activities outside of battling and bounties, using this exact tournament to gain a sponsor with the government. They saw all they needed and did not want me to reveal my cards further.'

He nodded, but his unconscious frown deepened. There was something missing from her explanation.

'It's nothing so important, Ray. I did not want fame nor did my contact. I wasn't to become a gym leader like my opponent The shadows of Unova were my enemies. The less they knew, the better.'

That made sense, but he didn't like it. Of course, his mother wouldn't be a figurine on the level of his grandfather. Still, her service should've been repaid better with the fame, be it as a reserve Elite Four member or a champion of the state instead of a forgotten, semi-retired Ace Trainer, falling in the rankings each season due to lack of public battles.

A warm flood of love filled him, drowning out his thoughts.

'I'm more than happy with how everything turned out, Ray. I love my thoughtful son, my cheerful daughter, my dutiful husband, and...' her eyes met Esmeralda's, 'my only mother.'

It all overwhelmed him so suddenly, he could only freeze in his seat, but tried his best to survive the siege.

His grandmother came to his rescue. "Saori."

Immediately, the link between them closed. However, he wanted to relish in the feeling longer and went to rise, but a chilling thumb across his cheek stopped him. It was then he realized he had been crying.


Esmeralda knew that strength wasn't everything. It had taken decades to learn that, and with it, a chunk of her admittedly vast pride. Her grandson did not know that, however. He had taken after her a lot more than she realized.

On top of that, her cute grandson did not realize he was projecting how he felt regarding the treatment of Esmeralda herself rather than purely reacting to Saori's disappearance from the spotlight. She cursed herself for not catching onto it. While she was sure her name had mostly fallen out of use for one reason or another, she was neither a figure of legend like her husband nor someone he could brag about.

He could not mention her in school, all the adults in his life had said to him in different shapes or forms. Her grandson only spoke about the things that captured his attention but had to locked that away when it came to anything Esmeralda had taught him. And it ate at him.

He was a good boy. Perhaps, too good.

They hadn't expected him to follow through perfectly. Their mistake for assuming otherwise when treating him like a mature adult in every other situation. And in his mind, nearly everything that he obsessed about tied back to his grandmother. Because of that, he only spoke when spoken to outside of their home. While it didn't particularly bother him, he struggled to make friends—to socialize because of this.

His elders had only connected the dots just now.

Esmeralda switched seats with her granddaughter and wiped his tears before pulling Rayol's head into the side of her bosom. She felt Roger and Saori's worried gaze but ignored it in favor of her distraught grandson.

A spark of pride relit within her. She noticed his tears before they fell because his scent had actively changed. It was a sign of his Bug Type Aura. His aura usage was very minute and easily mistakable—even for her off all people—but it was there. She theorized it took after Saori in this manner. The dark-haired woman's control was a feat all on its own. Sadly, it was one that couldn't be taught.

Becoming a true Psychic amidst recovery in bed shouldn't happen. Else, many chronic patients in the hospital with any inkling of Aura sensitivity would see similar awakenings. Saori was strictly and positively just built differently. And this was before any actual studies regarding Aura in general with Esmeralda as the sanctuary and the younger woman's recovery took their attention first.

However, comforting the boy, who couldn't understand his complex feelings yet, took priority. She cooed some words of comfort into his full head of hair. To her other side, she held Irina's cold hand, just in case her condition reacted unfavorably with her emotional state.

Eventually, the two children fell asleep. Perhaps, the excitement of travel bore down on their mind too much. Or a combination of assortment of things. Either way, they were peacefully asleep against the glacier of a woman.

Esmeralda glanced at her grandson's starter. The poor thing didn't know what to make of Rayol's burst of emotion. Still, it blinked up to her, looking for guidance and to return any respect.

The aging woman bit back her smirk. It was harder than she'd ever admit. Her grandson certainly taught his Scyther the proper manners, just by watching his elders work. It was not easy to teach Pokemon that reacted instinctively, such as the Scyther line, that not knowing wasn't enough. That guidance was just a question away. That knowledge was strength all on its own and no less tangible than the physical kind.

While she had agreed to allow Rayol to raise his Pokemon alone, Zero deserved a reward for her dutiful nature. She did not fault him for not balancing that better. The sheer intelligence in the Pokemon's eyes—poke-treats and playtime were not sufficient despite its youth.

"Zero," Esmeralda acknowledged. The Pokemon's blades and wings twitched but held her gaze steadily. "Your master doesn't know how to fully express himself, unlike his sister." Ironic given how she arguably spent more time with Esmeralda.

The Bug/Flying Pokemon processed the words before nodding. It was clear it didn't fully understand. That was fine. The Sanctuary Overlordess had more to say.

"Like the stress of holding back your instincts, it will build up within him until he bursts at the slightest prod. It's not for his own good, whereas your energy internalization is." Esmeralda turned carefully so the Pokemon could get a better look of her. "Please watch over him," she requested.

The Scyther nodded, paused, gawking slightly before catching herself, and nodding again. Her chest puffed itself slightly towards the end, and her wings fluttered slightly as a sign of happiness.

Esmeralda's lips turned into a faint smile. Honest showings of loyalty always made her warm.

Her cute grandson didn't utilize Zero's Bug Type enough. Bugs worked best with order, but not demands; there was a slight nuance. She would leave it up to him to figure it out. It was an easy mistake. Knowing him, it should be sooner rather than later.

Although, she wondered how he would deal with it as no one would directly tell him. Both her son and daughter-in-law didn't see the need to fix something that most trainers dealt with. Rayol was practically perfect in comparison. It would do him good to eventually be humbled. She couldn't point out his every mistake.

He wasn't going to be a soldier but a Pokemon Trainer. Every trainer needed such a moment to grow beyond their scope. She couldn't facilitate everything in his path to greatness. Her studious son grew the most away from her for example. She hoped her adopted daughter in Hoenn did as well...

'...Thank you,' Saori sent, feeling the calm return.

'Of course,' Esmeralda returned.

With that, she shifted so she could relax in her seat. It had been decades since she last entered a mechanical beast. She didn't fear it like her son, thankfully, but it certainly brought back memories.

She shut her eyes to settle in better and allow her memories to overtake her again. Her children could take guard for now. And if she fell asleep with the children, no one would blame her. She was only getting older.

Though, she did try her best to ignore her son's teasing of her daughter-in-law. Hopefully, they didn't get any frisky ideas.

The comms sparked to life. Following it, a mature woman's voice followed. "Your Huuro Pilot here. Just two more hours before we touch down again. It seems like it'll be smooth air the way there, so just kick back and relax. I'm talking to you, Roger."

The woman didn't have to be told twice.

-}°{-


Aes: there will be no pokephilia or whatever it's called. Just saying before anyone gets any funny ideas..

Originally planned to do more childhood stuffs, but there was no real need for it besides immersion and "unnecessary" word count. Kinda tired of writing about children in my stories, a fault of my own making obviously since I want to be so friggin in depth.

Things will be ramping up soon (without factoring my update speed), eventually moving away from the slice-of-life vibe, I promise. I'll probably update Storm Sworn at least once and/or post another Pokemon story before returning here though.

Words: [8,787]
Edits: sum


Rayol's Team

Zero (Scyther) -
Focus Energy, Swords Dance, Double Team, Tailwind, Quick Attack, Fury Attack, Wing Attack