I, BlueRaptor629, have finally bring this brand new chapter!
Sorry for the delay because of my personal issues with a little bit of poor time management skills. Glad that I managed to find the time to do so. With that said, let's get started!
Chapter 2: The Wave of Catastrophe
Previously, Tyler went to a bookstore in hopes that he would get better with his... issues. Just as he was about to leave, he stumbled upon a strange book about four heroes before he was transported to another world. In the new world, not only does he obtain a unique looking gun but also two potential allies, Naofumi and Raphtalia.
Now, Tyler and his Hydreigon are currently walking with them as they continue their trip while also telling them (Naofumi and Raphtalia) about themselves.
"Let me get this straight. You're from a world where creatures like that Three Headed Dragon are living amongst people like you." Naofumi stated with his usual scowl. "And there's the fact that you came into this world like how I did, but with a little difference. It's almost hard to believe."
"If I was in your shoes, then I'd probably say the same too." Tyler said. "But I'm just telling you like it is."
"I'll take your words for it." Naofumi said sarcastically.
"Geez. Do you have some trust issues or something?" Tyler asked.
"Not something I want to talk about." Naofumi retorted.
"If you say so..." Tyler said as he looked at Raphtalia. "Say, uh... Naofumi. What's the deal with the little girl? I doubt she's human when she has furry ears and a tail."
"Now that you mentioned that, her smell is not the same as humans." Hydreigon added.
"She's a demihuman." Naofumi answered. "I bought her from a market several days ago."
"Hold up. You said that you "bought" her?" Tyler asked as he was surprised by the Shield Hero's answer. "Is she like... a slave."
"Sort of." Naofumi said. "A lot has happened which led her to become a slave. And besides, the place I bought her allows slavery."
"I see. So, you have your reasons." Tyler said as he approached Raphtalia and kneeled to her eye level. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"
"I'm Raphtalia..." Raphtalia introduced herself, slightly nervous.
"Okay, Raphtalia. I know this sounds personal, but what are your feelings toward your *ahem* master?" Tyler asked her, feeling awkward about asking a slave.
"Master Naofumi is... very kind despite how he usually frowns." Raphtalia answered as Naofumi stared at her. "At first, he was going to be treated horribly just like the others but he wasn't. He always took care of me and even cured my illness. There's no one I'd rather be than Master Naofumi."
"I see." Tyler said. "So, in a nutshell, you're satisfied to be in Naofumi's care?" He asked again.
"Yes." Raphtalia replied.
Naofumi looks on before turning to the other way.
"In that case, I see no reason to go into this matter any further." Tyler said as he stood up.
"Was that really necessary?" Naofumi asked, slightly annoyed.
"Just makin' sure that you're not a bad person." Tyler replied. "As someone who takes care of six Pokémon, I have to be sure that my Pokémon are treated with due respect."
"Fine." Naofumi said as they kept walking.
And so, it begins... The journey of the Shield Hero rising with a Pokémon Trainer.
(One week later...)
A week has passed since Tyler joined Naofumi's party despite their first encounter. The Pokémon Trainer managed to bond with them and the two, in return, managed to get to know five of Tyler's Pokémon. After hearing that Trainers have at least six Pokémon in their team, Naofumi, more or less, asked Tyler about the sixth one. Unfortunately, Tyler replied to the Shield Hero that the sixth one is quite the wild card. In return for telling him about Pokémon, Naofumi told the Pokémon Trainer about the weapon he's holding, which has the same power as his shield but with some minor differences, as well as the new world.
Of course, Naofumi had told Tyler to not let any of his Pokémon out, including his partner Hydreigon, for it will attract unwanted attention from everyone in Melromarc. Especially from the royalties of the kingdom and the other three Legendary Heroes. Tyler can't help but think that Naofumi's past is not so different from his. He can tell that the young man was betrayed by someone at some point... but Tyler decided to not pry into it... for now.
Of course, Tyler is close to Raphtalia. The raccoon dog girl was nervous towards Tyler and his Hydreigon. The gun wielder explains that while Hydreigon's species are known to attack anyone indiscriminately, the situation can be avoided if they establish a bond when the Pokémon is still a Deino. After a couple of tries, Raphtalia mellows out and eventually begins to play with Hydreigon. She's also rather close with Vivillon and one of Tyler's Pokémon.
Speaking of Raphtalia, Tyler can't help but notice that she grew taller and older as time went on. What's more surprising is that when he asked Naofumi about it, the latter couldn't see the change, leaving Raphtalia to huff in anger and Tyler in confusion as to wonder how he did not see something that was very obvious to see.
Then, Tyler's view of Melromarc is not a good one. Naofumi informed him that Melromarc is a human supremacist kingdom, meaning that they would discriminate against anything that is not human. The Pokémon Trainer is even more shocked that he sees several demihuman slaves being pushed around by their master, an obvious contrast of how Naofumi treated Raphtalia. There was a time that Tyler had to stop one of his Pokémon from beating a guy up and it didn't help that particular Pokémon hates bullying. Naofumi then warned Tyler about a certain someone that ruined his life, which the latter decided to watch his back.
Lastly, Tyler received a set of clothes from Naofumi at some point. He now wears a magenta tunic with a chain mail underneath the clothing, dark blue chest armor protecting him, brown fingerless gloves, and black trousers. He still kept his boots on.
Right, he and Raphtalia are currently chasing after a Sandslash looking creature that suddenly appeared and managed to slightly wound Naofumi.
"Get back here, you Sandslash rip-off!" Tyler said as he and Raphtalia are chasing the creature. The gun wielder then realized that the porcupine monster was heading towards Naofumi's direction. "Naofumi! That little bastard's comin' for you!"
Just as the porcupine tries to lunge at Naofumi, The Shield Hero already prepares a countermeasure.
"Shield Prison!" Naofumi's shield glows as it traps the little monster in a metallic sphere. He then deactivated the move to allow Raphtalia to finish it off with a downward slash.
"I say we've done a pretty good job." Tyler noted as he sees his level going up along with his party members. He then looked at his weapon tree. 'It's been one week, and I already got a handful of new weapon forms. Time sure flies, doesn't it?'
"All right." The Pokémon Trainer then sees Naofumi as he stands up. "I think it's time for an equipment upgrade."
(Several minutes later...)
"Well, look at that..." A bald man commented as he saw Raphtalia. "You've turned into a pretty little lady." Right now, they're in a weapon store or sorts.
"Hmm...?" Naofumi raised one of his eyebrows before looking towards his slave.
"I haven't seen you in a while." The man continued. "What've you been up to?"
"I've finally learned the correct table manners from the innkeeper." Raphtalia answered. "I want to eat my food properly like Master Naofumi and Tyler..."
"Tyler...?" The man repeated. "Who is that?"
"That would be me." Tyler said as the man turned towards him.
"You don't say..." The man said. "Are you a part of his party?"
"As a matter of fact, I am." Tyler said. "I just recently joined him a week ago."
"I see..." The man said. "I'm Elhart. But just call me Boss, kid. Everyone who comes here does it. Well... almost everyone at least."
"Okay." Tyler said as the man turned his attention back to Raphtalia.
"You know, you've really grown up. Certainly not like the pipsqueak you used to be."
Hearing that comment made the demihuman girl pout.
"You think...?" Naofumi said with a dumbfounded expression.
"Dude. Are you really that dense?" Tyler said while scratching the back of his head.
"It's quite hard to see this, you know." Naofumi said. "I'm really surprised that people in this kingdom are full of lolicons."
"Naofumi. She's hardly a loli by the way she looks now." Tyler deadpanned.
"The other kid has a point." Elhart said as he leaned towards him. "Maybe you should know something about demihumans."
"Excuse me!" Raphtalia interrupted them. "Can we forget all of that stuff! We're here to buy some armor for Master Naofumi!"
"I thought we were here for your equipment." Naofumi retorted.
"I appreciate the thought, Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia retorted. "But I think you need something to protect yourself first!" She said as she pointed her finger towards her master. "You just got hurt in the plains or did you forget that!?"
"Of course, I haven't forgotten." Naofumi replied. "But you need a weapon as well-"
"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia interrupted him. "Stop messing around with your life..." She then proceeds to grab and unsheathes a sword behind her. "Or you will die!" She said as she brandished it in front of Naofumi.
"Wow. She's a lot braver now." Tyler commented. "I wouldn't want to piss someone like her."
"I have to say, this sword is really sharp, Boss." Raphtalia commented as she shifted her attention to the sword she used to threaten Naofumi.
"Yeah, that's magic iron." Elhart replied. "Feel like trying it out?"
"What kind of discount can you give us?" Raphtalia asked the man.
"Oh don't worry about that, Miss..." Elhart answered. "Anything for you."
"He he~! Thank you so much." Raphtalia said happily as Naofumi stared at her. "While we're at it, can you please show us some armor too?"
"Of course." Elhart said as he proceeded to do just that.
'She sure can stand up for herself...' Naofumi noted, noticing how Raphtalia behaves today. 'Or she's just plain rude.'
"The most we can pay is around 180 silvers." Raphtalia continued.
"Well in that case..." Elhart said as he looked towards a full set of a knight's armor to his left. The rest look towards it. "How about this one?"
"I don't think that would suit him." Tyler said with a sweatdrop.
"I can agree with you on that one." Naofumi added.
"That would take Master Naofumi's individuality." Raphtalia also agreed.
"No problem. I could whip up something special that is made to order." Elhart said. "If you don't mind me using whatever materials I got in hand, I can finish it by tomorrow."
Raphtalia went towards him and grabbed his hands in a begging manner.
"Please! Please do!" Raphtalia begged.
After agreeing to make the armor, Naofumi and his party decided to go to a tavern for dinner. As they walked through the place, Tyler could tell those other patrons were looking at him. For the Pokémon Trainer, it was not the first time he was given a weird look by some people ever since he got into this world.
Fortunately, it's dio take long for them to find a table to dine at as they sit down. The moment they sit, they can hear someone's stomach grumbling.
"That wasn't me! I swear it." Raphtalia said as she was blushing in embarrassment.
"Don't worry, Raphtalia. It was me." Tyler assured her.
"Are you ready to order?" A waiter asked them once he approached their table.
"Me and him will have the cheapest lunch set you got." Naofumi said as he pointed towards Tyler, who is next to him. He then looked towards Raphtalia. "She, on the other hand, will get the children's lunch set-"
"Master Naofumi, I'm not a kid anymore!" Raphtalia shouted at him while slamming her hands on the table. "That's the last time I've ever heard of it!" She then turns to the waiter. "I want the cheapest lunch set too! And make it quick!"
"S-Sure. Right away." The waiter said as he left them to prepare their meals.
"There's really no need for you to act like a grown up, you know." Naofumi remarked, causing Raphtalia to blush in embarrassment.
"I'm not forcing it!" Raphtalia retorted.
"You know, Raphtalia. Trying to act like a grown up is a sign of immaturity." Tyler added.
"I don't want to hear that from you too, Tyler!" Raphtalia shouted as they proceeded to eat the meal. After that, they decided to return to the inn to get some sleep.
(The next day)
They gathered around at the back of the store first thing in the morning. The good news was that the armor is done while the bad news was that...
"Doesn't this make me like a villain?" Naofumi stated as he glanced at the new armor he just wore.
"No! It's really good on you, Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia denied as she was impressed by how the Shield Hero looked in his armor.
"I call it, "Barbarian Armor"!" Elhart stated. "You rock, kid! You look like a real bandit!"
"Is that really something a hero should wear?" Tyler asked. "Not that I call you a crook or anythin'."
"Exactly, my point. I'm supposed to be a hero, not a crook." Naofumi complained.
"I think you look dashing." Raphtalia added.
"Then again, you did make this for me..." Naofumi said as he reluctantly accepted the armor he's wearing. "It would be a waste not to wear it."
Suddenly, they hear a horse cry as they turn towards the source. Surely enough, they see people gather around the sidelines as a group of soldiers on horseback make their way through.
"It's clear that everyone in town is on edge now." Raphtalia stated.
"Sure, they are. The Waves are nearly here." Naofumi retorted. "If only I knew where the damn thing is, I can formulate a plan."
"Really, kid? Didn't anyone tell you about the clock?"
"The clock?" Naofumi repeated with curiosity.
"Can you elaborate there? I'm not gettin' about what you said there." Tyler asked, also confused.
"You know that church you see from the town square? There's a huge hourglass inside." Elhart explained. ""When the last grain of sand inside falls, the hero and their parties will be sent to wherever the Wave begins"... at least that's what I heard anyway."
"Thanks for the info." Naofumi said before glancing towards Raphtalia and Tyler. "Let's go."
"Right." Two of them said in unison as they followed Naofumi.
After several minutes of walking, they arrived at the church that Elhart described. Then, they met and were guided by a nun to the aforementioned hourglass.
"Come this way." The nun said as everyone looked towards their right. A staircase began to appear as Naofumi and his party members noticed the hourglass.
"Whoa. Could this be the Dragon Hourglass that the king was talking about?" Naofumi said as he and the others approached the hourglass.
"What an interesting lookin' hourglass they got." Tyler commented. "I wonder how did they got their hands on it?"
Surely enough, the gemstone of Naofumi's shield begins to glow as a string of light starts to come out of the weapons and hits the hourglass. The Shield Hero
"Is this really counting down the Waves?" Naofumi muttered.
"Strange...?" Tyler questioned as he looked at his gun, wondering why the gem didn't glow like Naofumi's shield.
"Hmph! Don't compare me to those lowlifes!" A voice said in his head. "The thought of being labeled as the same sickens me."
Tyler looked around for the voice, but no one except his party were talking to him.
'That's weird...' Tyler wondered. 'I could've sworn I heard someone...'
"Is that Naofumi I see...?" His thoughts are snapped as Tyler and Naofumi notices three men in armor and a redheaded girl.
"Wait a second..." Tyler said as he recognized some of them since Naofumi mentioned it. "These must be the other Heroes that Naofumi was talking about..." He then saw Naofumi walking through them without making eye contact. The Pokémon Trainer could tell that something is wrong with Naofumi at the moment. It was as if they had a bad history or something like that.
"Hey! Sir Motoyasu is talking to you, Naofumi!" The redhead girl next to the ponytail guy called him. For some reason, Tyler sensed something... off about her.
'Geez. Why did she have to remind me of her...' Tyler thought as he was trying to forget the one person he wished he'd forget.
Little did he know, his presence was noticed by two other Heroes.
'Never seen that guy before...' The young man in green clothing noted.
'Is he with Naofumi? Even with those rumors around him?' The young man in blue wondered.
"Hi there." The young man named Motoyasu said as he approached Raphtalia. "I'm Motoyasu Kitamura, the Spear Hero. Nice to meet ya~!"
"You're a Hero...?" Raphtalia repeated.
"Oh boy." Tyler muttered as he facepalms. "Don't tell me that this clown would judge someone by their... pretty much everything he hears."
"Wow you're cute." Motoyasu complimented, causing Raphtalia to blush... a little.
"Why are you praising a demihuman, Sir Motoyasu?" The redhead girl complained.
'And she's definitely racist.' Tyler noted.
"A girl as adorable as you shouldn't wield a sword. Allow me to protect you from now on."
'Now that's just being sexist.' Tyler said as he fed up with Motoyasu's advances towards Raphtalia. "Hey, Lover Boy!" He then pulls Raphtalia away from him. "She can handle shit by herself! She doesn't need someone like you to fight her battles."
"Oh yeah? And who're you supposed to be?" Motoyasu asked.
"Naofumi's friend, that's what." Tyler answered, shocking the other Heroes including Motoyasu.
"So, you're with that criminal, huh?" Motoyasu said before he grinned. "I guess it's not much of a surprise that a thug like you would join up with him."
"What was that?" Tyler said as he began to get pissed. "At least I'm not as dense as you are about women, you lame-ass mark!"
"What did you call me!?" Motoyasu said, equally furious.
"I'm gonna say this once..." Tyler said with a dangerous tone. "You better stay the hell away from Raphtalia if you know what's good for you. She belonged to Naofumi."
"No! That's a lie!" Motoyasu denied.
"It's true!" Raphtalia said. "It's my sworn duty to fight with Master Naofumi as his sword!"
"You're kidding me!?" The Spear Hero exclaimed. "That's insane! If you stay with him, you'll be in danger-"
"That's enough." Tyler said as he pulled out his gun before aiming it towards Motoyasu. "One more word and you're gonna get popped to the skull."
Knowing what that would do to him, Motoyasu reluctantly backed off. Even Naofumi is surprised at this.
'Hold on...' The young man in blue then noticed the gemstone in the gun. 'Something tells me that gun was no ordinary one...'
"The same can be said to you too, you bitch!" Tyler said before he aimed his gun towards the redhead girl, who was also surprised. "If you do somethin' to hurt Naofumi again, I'll pop your pretty little head too. Princess or not."
The redheaded girl couldn't help but to feel dreaded by Tyler's threats. Not only does this peasant know that she's a princess, but he also has no qualms of killing her should the occasion rise.
"Come on. We best be going." Tyler said as he lowered his gun before he left. He then stops when he's near Naofumi. "You shouldn't waste your anger on that loser and his bitch. They're not worth it."
"Fine." Naofumi said as he left together with Tyler.
"Master Naofumi! Tyler! Wait for me!" Raphtalia said as she followed them.
'This isn't over, peasant.' The redheaded girl thought with an angry look as the three left. 'No one threatens me and gets away with it.'
(The next day)
As the time of the Wave draws near, several adventurers gather around a part of the town. Naofumi and his party are in a spot amongst many adventurers there.
"Master Naofumi." Raphtalia called out the Shield Hero.
"What is it?" Naofumi asked.
"And Tyler." Raphtalia said.
"You call?" Tyler asked.
"Well I... I just... want to say... That I'm truly grateful and... and honored to have met the both of you." Raphtalia said as she remembers all the time she spent with Naofumi. "Master Naofumi, you gave me medicine and cured my illness. You allowed me to have more meals. And most importantly... you taught me how to live." She then turned towards Tyler. "Tyler, you've taught me so much about Pokémon. Not only that you encourage me to move on, but you're the only person besides Master Naofumi to treat me like your Pokémon. I couldn't thank both of you enough."
"Don't mention it." Tyler said as he scratched the back of his head.
"I also thank you for giving me this." Raphtalia said as she showed the young man a plushie strap of a Pokémon that was called a Zigzagoon.
"Oh. You... kept that." Tyler said, slightly flustered.
Raphtalia then turns her attention to Naofumi again.
"Master Naofumi. I swear to be your sword forever." Raphtalia vowed as Naofumi turned towards her. "So, wherever you go, I'm alway be there by your side."
"Same can be said for me." Tyler said to Naofumi. "I'll be there with you every step of the way. Because that's what friends do, right?"
"Oh yeah...?" Naofumi muttered as he turned away for a second. He's still bitter about that fateful day.
All of a sudden, the skies turned red, shocking Tyler.
"The hell-" The Pokémon Trainer didn't get to finish as he was covered in light before being teleported someplace else.
Once the light disappeared, Naofumi and the others became aware of their surroundings.
"What just happened?" Tyler said, still surprised about what he just felt. He then saw something swirly in the sky which was also moving slowly. The gunman can't help but feel like the situation is akin to an apocalypse. "What the hell is that?"
"The Wave..." Naofumi answered. If one looked closer, there were several monsters raining down to the ground from the swirly shaped portals.
Then, they hear footsteps as they see the other Heroes and their parties heading towards somewhere.
"Those guys...!" Naofumi said before he glanced toward his two-party members. "Let's go, Raphtalia! Tyler!"
Just before they were about to go after them, Raphtalia shifted her attention elsewhere.
"Look over there!" Raphtalia pointed the boys in the other direction. "The village of Lute."
"I hope those villagers have evacuated." Tyler said as he and the others saw something being launched to the sky. "Is that a signal flare or somethin'?"
"Yeah, it is." Naofumi answered. "But I don't think it's enough to let the knights know where they are. Even though the castle's not far from here, that village will get wiped out long before the knights arrive."
"Well then. What's your call, Naofumi?" Tyler asked.
Luckily, it doesn't take the Shield Hero to make up his mind.
"We're going! To Lute Village!" Naofumi told them as he proceeded to run towards the direction of the village.
"Right!" Raphtalia said as she puts her hand on her sword before following
"It's go time!" Tyler said as he pulled out two Poké Balls. One particular Poké Ball was light blue with a yellow pattern on the center that stretched to the back. "Scrafty! Rapidash! I choose you!"
As the pokeballs opened up, two Pokémon appeared after the blue energy that envelopes them dissolved.
One Pokémon resembles an orange, bipedal lizard with thin arms. It has oval, wide-set eyes with small pupils and gray eyelids, as well as small nostrils and a wide mouth with bared teeth. It sports a red crest on top of its head, making it like a mohawk. Besides that, it has a gray, scaled body, it also has baggy yellow scales hanging off from its shoulder like the jacket's hoodie and loose skins that cover its legs and tail like a pair of baggy pants. The other is cream colored Pokémon that resembles a unicorn but with fiery mane, fetlocks, and tail.
"Yo! Glad to be out for a while, homie." Scrafty said as he pulled his "pants" up, but it instantly slid down.
"So, what's the situation?" Rapidash asked her trainer.
"We need to save some villagers as well as having them evacuate the place." Tyler said.
"If that's the case, hop in." Rapidash suggested as Tyler and Scrafty hop onto her, surprisingly, they didn't get burned off by the fiery mane. "Better hold on real tight, because I'm gonna go fast!"
Just like that, Rapidash sprinted towards the direction of the village like a bullet train.
(In Lute Village)
Just as a zombie was about to kill a young man, Naofumi came between them and blocked a downward slash from the zombie. This allowed Raphtalia to finish it off with a sword.
"Sir, are you alright?" Raphtalia asked the villager.
"Raphtalia, look out!" Naofumi said as he saw a zombie was right behind her. Just as it was about to kill her, it was impaled by a glowing horn, preventing the killing blow.
"And High Jump Kick!" Scrafty then kicks the zombie away, killing it.
"That was a close one." Tyler said as he arrived with Rapidash.
"Raphtalia, you should go help with the evacuation!" Naofumi ordered her.
"But what about you?" Raphtalia asked him.
"Don't worry. I'm with Tyler and his Pokémon." Naofumi assured as he turned towards Tyler. "I'll try to lure them as much as I can. You can help me by killing some of the monsters that I'm unable to lure."
"Whatever you say, man." Tyler said.
"We can handle the heat they're throwing at us, no problem." Scrafty added as Rapidash nodded.
"In that case, let's go!" Naofumi said as he, Tyler, and two of Tyler's Pokémon ran further into the village.
It didn't take them long to find most of the villagers that were trapped by the monsters.
"Hey, look! It's one of the Heroes! The Shield Hero is here!" One of the villagers shouted as he and everyone else noticed the aforementioned Hero.
"And is that a lizard and a fire horse?" Another villager said as he and the others noticed Scrafty and Rapidash.
"I hope they're not with those zombies." The third villager added.
Naofumi manages to punch a zombie in the face. Despite not being able to kill it, he's still able to get the attention.
"Listen up, everybody! I'll keep these zombies busy!" Naofumi told the villagers there. "So, all of you get out while you can!" He continued as he ran towards somewhere, which caused the zombies to pursue him.
"You heard the man! Get the hell out of here while you still can!" Tyler said as he shot some of the zombies down before following Naofumi
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi shouted as he protected a man from one of the zombies, which was headshot by Tyler.
"Oh no you don't!" Tyler said as he sees a mother and her daughter are about to be swarmed by bees. He then had his gun change form. "Spread Shot!" He shouted as he shot an energy bullet that turned into several smaller bullets, killing some of the bees.
Unfortunately, some of the bees avoid the attack as they fly towards Tyler.
"Not on my watch, you don't! Stone Edge!" Scrafty said as he punched the ground, causing several rock pillars in blue energy to rise up from the ground and kill a few of them.
"Flamethrower!" Rapidash shouted as she spewed out a stream of fire towards the bees, burning them off instantly.
The bees then shift their attention to Naofumi for an easy target.
"Damn it!" Naofumi cursed before making a run for it.
"Be careful, man!" Tyler warned before shooting a couple of zombies down.
"I will!" Naofumi replied as he headed towards a platform, which he ducked and slid underneath. He then comes through the swarm with a stick he uses as a torch. "This way, you stupid zombies!" He mocked before he ran towards somewhere as the monsters pursued him. 'Why am I risking my life to defend total strangers?' The Shield Hero wondered before he waves the torch toward a swarm of grasshopper monsters, causing them to chase him. 'I'm such a fool.'
(With Tyler)
"Go to hell, you zombies!" Tyler shouted as he shot several zombies down.
"You're all dead!" Scrafty shouted as he let out another Stone Edge on the zombies and some insects too. Rapidash also lets out another Flamethrower towards the enemies as the Fire Horse Pokémon follows up with another Megahorn (the same attack she used when attacking the first zombie).
"Damn. There's still too many of them." Rapidash pointed out that zombies and insects kept appearing.
"They're not making this easy for us, homie." Scrafty added.
"We'll just have to push through." Tyler said as he readied his gun.
"Right." Scrafty and Rapidash said in unison as the Pokémon prepared themselves.
(With Naofumi)
Things aren't looking good as the zombies are trapping some of the adventurers.
"Back away!" One of the adventurers said before everyone, including the monsters, heard a bell ringing. And the culprit was none other than Naofumi. The monster decided to target him instead.
"Hope this works." Naofumi said before he felt shaking. The Shield Hero looked below him and saw a large number of zombies swarming to get to the top of the tower. In response to that, Naofumi starts pouring some flammable liquid on a zombie before pouring them on the floor. Then he threw the torch towards the zombie before jumping off of the tower. Due to the liquid, the tower and zombies are being set ablaze.
Luckily, he's able to land safely thanks to his Rope Shield.
(On the other side of Lute)
"Come on, this way!" A young woman urged the villagers to evacuate from the village, seeing that several zombies and monstrous insects are attacking. She has long black hair with bangs long enough to cover her right eye and blue eyes. She wears a green tunic with a brown vest above it, beige trousers, and brown boots. From looks alone, she's the same age as Tyler, if not older.
She then saw a large fire in the village.
"I wonder what's behind that fire?" The girl muttered before she headed towards the village.
"Kurisu! Don't go there!" A woman told her. "It's too dangerous!"
"I'll be fine. Don't worry." The girl named Kurisu replied before she resumed her way to Lute.
(With Naofumi)
As he stood up, he saw some of the monsters got killed by the fire.
"Sir Hero!" Naofumi turns to see some of the villagers, who for some reason, have things like shovels and pitchforks.
"What are you all doing here?! Get out of here!" Naofumi told the villagers.
"We all changed our minds and came after seeing how courageous you and your companions were fighting." The man that Naofumi saved earlier said. "Lute is our home. It's all we have. We can't just run away and abandon it!" He continued before looking towards the Shield Hero with a determined expression. "We decided to fight with you."
"Good choice." Naofumi replied. "Help me keep the enemy pinned down until we can finish the evacuation."
"Okay." The man said before something big looming over them. Naofumi then saw a hulking zombie in armor about to strike both of them. Even though Naofumi blocks the attack, the attack alone sent both him and the man flying towards a tree, causing the man to get knocked out.
The big zombie approached them, intending to finish the job before a villager stabbed one of the tips of the pitchfork in the arm. Unsurprisingly, it didn't bleed.
"Die, monster!" The villager said as the zombie looked towards him before slamming its weapon towards him. Luckily, Naofumi stepped in between as he used his shield to block the assault.
"You guys fall back! You can't deal with this one!"
"Sir Hero!" One villager called out.
"Forget it! Think about your family. There's no reason for you to die here!"
"Master Naofumi!" Naofumi widened his eyes as he recognized the voice.
"Raphtalia!" Naofumi shouted as the zombie pulled back before trying to overpower the former's defense. Luckily, he dodges at the last second. "Take care of this thing!" He then slams his shield towards the zombie's face, stunning the thing long enough for Raphtalia to finish it off.
After the zombie collapsed, Naofumi stood up and saw Raphtalia, who had sheathed her sword.
"Great job, kid." Naofuni complimented.
"Amazing..." One of the villagers muttered before his friend noticed something.
"Sir Hero! Behind you!" Another villager warned Naofumi as a zombie was about to attack him from behind.
"Oh crap!" Naofumi cursed.
"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia shouted.
"Naofumi, dodge!" A familiar voice said as the zombie got shot in the head and then got hit by a rock pillar. As a result of the attack, the zombie dropped to the ground dead.
"Looks like I made it just in time." Naofumi then saw Tyler and his Pokémon, who had just arrived.
"Tyler! You're okay." Raphtalia said before she looked towards Rapidash. "I can see you're fine too, Rapidash."
"As if I let some zombies get the best of me." Rapidash replied with pride. Truth to be told, the demihuman looked up to her because of how strong and beautiful she is.
"Now where have you been?" Naofumi asked Tyler.
"Busy with pest control, that's what." Tyler answered.
"But when we saw some villagers coming back with a weapon on 'em, we decided to follow them." Scrafty added. "Though we got lost on our way here."
"That or we ran into some "roadblocks" on our way here." Rapidash said as she and Scraty got their guard up.
"That aside, it looks like some clowns are creeping on us." Tyler said as everyone except the two Pokémon see more monsters appear before them.
At the same time, Kurisu has just arrived at the place. However, her presence has not been noticed yet. She then sees Naofumi.
'Is that the guy from the other day...?' Kurisu wondered before she saw Tyler. 'Never seen him before... Is he an adventurer-' She stopped pondering as she saw Scrafty and Rapidash. 'No way. Is that a Scrafty and a Rapidash!?' She exclaimed in her head as she looked back at Tyler. 'Looks like he's a Pokémon Trainer. I wonder if he's someone from my world too.
"Damn it. Their numbers aren't diminishing." Naofumi commented. "Now what?"
All of a sudden, several energy spheres were launched into the sky like fireworks before they combined with one another, forming an oval shaped energy sphere.
"What's that?" Naofumi muttered.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Tyler added because the attack reminded him of Hydreigon's Draco Meteor. The energy sphere then exploded into hundreds of pieces as it rained down from the sky towards them.
"Watch out!" Naofumi shouted as he sheltered Raphtalia before using his shield. The villagers decided to run for cover from the attack.
Tyler then spots Kurisu just as Rapidash was about to do something to counteract.
"Hey, look out!" Tyler said as he sprinted towards her in order.
"Tyler!" Scrafty and Rapidash shouted as they went after their trainer.
Tyler proceeds to do exactly what Naofumi did as Rapidash stands in front of him.
"Protect!" Rapidash shouted as a light blue energy dome covered them as the projectiles made contact with the dome.
Luckily, the only thing that the attack hit were the monsters as their numbers had dwindled significantly.
Once the attack ceased, a group of knights appeared on the scene.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! We burned all of them in a single strike!" The knight with a mustache laughed before spotting Naofumi. "Hmm? The Shield Hero? You're pretty tough." He said as if he's feigning ignorance.
"Tch. They didn't even care about us!" Naofumi stated as Raphtalia starts boiling in anger.
But she isn't the only one as Scrafty is also pissed off. The Hoodlum Pokémon doesn't need to hear as he knows right away that those pansies in armor didn't care if he and his homies get caught in the crossfire. Especially the one with the mustache.
"You punk ass bitch!" Scrafty shouted angrily as he charged towards the knight along with Raphtalia, who was lunging with her sword.
As fun as the thought of seeing the knight get beaten up by two furious fighters, their attacks were blocked by the knights' leader.
"Did you know we are here?" Raphtalia asked angrily. "Answer me or I'll have your head!"
""Protector of the kingdom" my ass!" Scrafty added, surprising some knights with his ability to talk. "You better come up with an apology or I'mma help this chick clapping your sorry ass!"
"Draw your swords!" The leader said as his subordinates pulled their swords, ready to engage. Then Raphtalia and Scrafty backed off while keeping their guard up.
"We'll back you up, Scrafty." Tyler said as he and Rapidash came to his defense.
"What's this? Are you all with the Shield Hero?" The mustached knight asked smugly.
"I am Master Naofumi's sword! Respect him or die!" Raphtalia retorted.
"Listen, motherfuckers! We work our asses off protecting this village while you fools took your sweet time getting here." Scrafty added with a glare. "And what do we get? Getting caught up by your bitches! I swear, clowns like you got no fuckin' respect!"
"Damn freaks! How dare you two talk back to a royal knight!?" The knight said as Kurisu stepped up, feeling offended by the claims.
"How dare you, first?!" Kurisu intervened. "It's one thing to recklessly use magic to destroy the monsters at the risk of harming those able to fight, those who volunteered to fight, and even risk destroying the village. Frankly speaking, I don't care as those who volunteered to help fight know what they were signing up for, and a destroyed village is something that can be fixed. However,... in case you bozos haven't noticed, there are people here who are forced to fight because you imbeciles didn't arrive in time to help. Innocent villagers who lack the proper combat experience to fight back against the monsters terrorizing their homes! And not only that, but you risked killing off the lives of the two people who give a damn about this place! You call yourselves knights? Then do your job, and protect those that need it!"
As she said that, one of the zombie soldiers appeared from behind the royal knights to attack. They turned to see the monster, but were unable to react fast enough. Only two people did. One was Naofumi, raising his shield to stop the strike. The other was Kurisu, who stabbed the monster in the head with her hoe. "Otherwise, you're just in the way," the girl added, removing her weapon from the all-dead zombie's head.
"Well damn..." Tyler said as he was quite impressed with Kurisu's statement. He then sees something sneaking up behind the knights. "That being said..." He said before aiming his gun towards the knight, causing the rest to be on guard. "I'd watch my back if I were you."
He then shoots an energy bullet as it hits another big zombie in the chest armor, causing the armor to crack and for the zombie to be stunned.
"Scrafty! Raphtalia! Finish it!" Tyler told them.
"You don't need to tell us that, homie! Iron Head!" Scrafty said as his crest glows white before the Hoodlum Pokémon headbutts the zombie.
For a good measure, the attack is then followed up with Raphtalia doing a downward slash, killing the zombie.
"Great teamwork they have." Kurisu muttered before she killed another zombie with the hoe.
"Listen up! We're gonna buy you time! Use it to get into formation!" Naofumi told the knights as he and Raphtalia proceeded to fight the zombies.
"Looks like I'll have to go all out for this one." Tyler said before pulling out Rapidash's Poké Ball. "Great job so far, Rapidash. Now take a good rest." He said as Rapidash was recalled, shocking some villagers and knights in the process. He then proceeds to pull out his partner's Poké Ball. "Come on out, Hydreigon!" He shouted as the Brutal Pokémon appeared.
"All right! Time to roll up my sleeves and rock their world!" Hydreigon said, eager to fight.
"A Three Headed Dragon!?" A young knight exclaimed as he and most of his comrades were surprised at seeing Hydreigon.
"Whoa! He has a Hydreigon!" Kurisu said as she was also impressed. "I have never seen one in real life." Seeing Tyler gave her an idea as she pulled out a Poké Ball. "Help Hydreigon out, Riolu!" She shouted as a Pokémon appeared beside her. It is a small, blue, canine Pokémon. It has black legs, which stand by its toes, and torso, a blue tail, and a yellow collar. It has rounded bumps on the backs of its forepaws. It has a black "mask" and two appendages that hang down, and red eyes. This is Riolu, a special Pokémon that Kurisu has.
"I'm ready to help out, Kurisu!" Riolu said, ready to battle.
"You have a Pokémon!?" Tyler exclaimed in surprise.
"Guess I forgot to tell you that I'm not of this world." Kurisu told him.
"There's something I'd like to ask you about, but..." Tyler said as more monsters kept appearing. "These bastards needed to be taken to the curb the hard way!"
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Kurisu said as she readied her weapon.
"I'll hit them with Force Palm then you swoop down and finish them." Riolu said to Hydreigon.
"Sounds like a plan to me! Try to keep up!" The Brutal Pokémon replied as he and Riolu proceeded to fight the monsters.
"Hey! Save some for me!" Scrafty said as he went after them to fight off the monsters.
As the battle went on, the party and Kurisu ended up helping some of the knights who were having trouble fighting the monsters.
"Come on! Let's provide reinforcements to the other heroes!" The rude knight ordered as he and some of his comrades were leaving.
The leader, on the other hand, is planning after seeing Naofumi, his party members, and Kurisu fight courageously. With no objections in his mind, he decides to lend them a helping hand.
"Phalanx formation to support the Shield Hero!" The leader shouted while raising his swords up.
"Phalanx formation!" The other knights said as they gathered around for said formation.
"To battle!" As the leader said that, he and his men proceeded to fight off the monsters. And they do it courageously as a knight should.
"Master Naofumi! Look at the knights!" Raphtalia told Naofumi, which the latter looked towards the knights indifferently.
"Idiots." The mustached knight said before leaving with his men.
(With the other heroes)
"Wind Arrow!" Itsuki (might as well call the rest of the heroes their names) shouted as he shot a green energy arrow towards a chimaera.
"Crimson Blade!" Ren shouted as he attacked the monster with a fiery sword.
The attacks caused significant damage towards chimaera as it backs away.
"I'll end this!" Motoyasu said as he readied for an attack with the chimaera lunged towards him. "Lightning Spear!" He shouted as he launched the attack towards the chimaera, killing it instantly.
As a result of that, the skies immediately went back to normal.
"Like a walk in the park." Motoyasu remarked.
"This wave was a piece of cake." Ren added.
"Yup. And the next Wave will probably be easy too." Itsuki said.
"By the way, has anyone seen Naofumi?" Motoyasu asked as the redhead girl cling towads him.
"I'm glad that he and that thug of his weren't here." The redheaded girl said. "Especially Naofumi. He would've held us back and we wouldn't have had as much fun!"
Motoyasu laughed as he couldn't help but agree with her. "That's for sure."
"Heroes!" Everyone turned towards the mustache knights and his subordinates who had just arrived. He then stands up after catching some breaths. "Job well done."
"Isn't it a bit late to show up?" Motoyasu asked in a carefree tone.
"Thanks for the help." Ren said sarcastically.
"Now, now, don't be like that." The knight said. "His Highness has rewards for each one of you. So... Shall we go?"
The other heroes couldn'tt help but smile as they followed the knight.
(In Lute Village)
After a while, the villagers returned to the village since the Wave had disappeared. Fortunately, not many villagers suffered casualties.
Naofumi then traded glances with the knight leader before the latter took his leave.
"Master Naofumi..." Naofumi turns to see his slave. "There aren't many more monsters here. All of them are dead." Raphtalia continued.
"That's good." Naofumi said.
"I guess it is..." Raphtalia muttered. "But did we win?"
"Maybe... Maybe not." Tyler said. "Looks like those three chumps beat a powerful boss or something."
"Those motherfuckers just got through with it by sheer luck." Scrafty said. "If you ask me, they ain't special."
"Could've said it better myself." Riolu added, agreeing with Scrafty.
"Speaking of which, you were a huge help in the battle." Hydreigon complimented the Emanation Pokémon.
"Yeah, dude. Despite what you are, you were able to handle just fine." Scrafty added.
"Thank you." Riolu said. "That was my first battle actually."
"You don't say? That's even more impressive, little homie." Scrafty said as the three Pokémon continued to talk with each other.
Tyler watches with a smile as they're seen talking with Kurisu's Riolu.
"Perhaps a congratulation is in order. However,... the worst has yet to come." The same voice returned as Tyler looked around him.
'Who said that?' Tyler wondered before he put together what the voice had said to him and now. He then turns to his gun, which the gemstone is glowing. 'Did the voice come from this gun?'
Unfortunately, the light on the gemstone died down as he didn't get a response.
'I guess it was the gun after all... Must have talked to me through telepathy.' Tyler noted as he was still processing how a gun could communicate with him.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kurisu asked him. "Were you thinking about something?"
"It's... not a big deal. Don't worry." Tyler answered.
"As much as I wanted to call you out for lying, I shouldn't pry." Kurisu replied to him, surprising Tyler.
'Shit! She saw right through me!' Tyler thought.
"Sir Hero!" Everyone turned around and saw the village elder and the villagers. The elder proceeds to bow towards the Shield Hero. "Thank you very much! Please accept our gratitude. There's no way we could've survived without your help and courage!"
"Same can be said for me." Kurisu said as the party turned towards her. "You helped protect this village. More than that, you saved us. For that, you have our thanks. I don't know about everyone else, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We will gladly lend our assistance to our savior. At least, I will."
"Don't thank me." Naofumi replied with a scowl as he turned his back. "We were lucky, that's all."
"No." The man that was knocked out by a big zombie said. "If you and your party hadn't been here, we would never have been able to push those monsters back all on our own."
"We will never forget what you've done for us." The one villager who tried to attack the big zombie added.
"Yeah, whatever." Naofumi said as the villagers left him. Kurisu and Riolu were about to leave, but they were stopped.
"Hey." Tyler called Kurisu as she turned towards him. "You were... kinda great out there. Thanks for the help... I guess."
"No problem." Kurisu said as she remembered earlier. "Is there something you'd like to ask me?"
"Oh right, that..." Tyler said before speaking up. "Are you from the Pokémon World? If so, where are you from?"
"I'm kinda am." Kurisu answered. "From Japan."
"Japan? Are you sure?" Tyler asked. "Because when I asked this guy, who is also from Japan by the way, he knows nothing about Pokémon." He then points towards Naofumi, who is talking with Raphtalia.
"You don't say?" Kurisu said. "So where are you from?"
"Lumiose City, Kalos." Tyler answered.
"Never heard of that." Kurisu said.
"What?" Tyler said in surprise.
"Man, this is so confusing!" Scrafty said as he had a hard time processing the information.
"From the way I see it, you come from a world just like this Hero." Hydreigon said. "Except that yours have Pokémon. Am I not wrong?"
"No, you nailed it right." Riolu replied.
"Hey, Tyler!" Tyler and his Pokémon turn around and see the Shield Hero calling him. "We're about to leave. Are you coming or what?"
"Coming!" Tyler said before he turned to Kurisu. "See you later, I guess?"
"Yup." Kurisu said as Tyler and his Pokémon departed with Naofumi and Raphtalia.
"Shall we return with the others?" Riolu asked her.
"Yeah." Kurisu nodded. Just before she left, she noticed something lying on the ground. "What's this?" She wondered as she picked it up, revealing it to be a strap. With a small Vivillon-like doll attached to it. After putting two things together, she deduced that this belonged to Tyler. "That Tyler guy must've dropped it."
"Should we go after them?" Riolu asked her trainer.
"We should. But later since we're so tired." Kurisu told her Pokémon. "We could go to the castle tonight after things are settled here."
"What for?" Riolu asked.
"I heard from the knights that there's going to be a celebration banquet for the Heroes there." Kurisu answered. "There's a good chance they could be there."
"Okay then." Riolu nodded as they headed back towards somewhere.
Next: Chapter 3: Duel of Dishonor
That's it for today's chapter, I hope you like it!
For those who don't know, I have changed Vivillon a little bit. Check the previous chapter for it.
Special thanks to Coral the Leviathan for helping me with the creation of this chapter. As well as her OC, Kurisu Hanatabi.
That being said, comments and reviews are appreciated~!