(Day 10)
Lucryn yawns, chest twinging a bit in pain. Thanks to Steven calling the professor, work wouldn't start for him until tomorrow, but to make up for the loss of hours he'd be working Thursday this week. At least he's almost fully healed, largely thanks to Steven's Stoutland who knows Helping Hand and was able to speed up his recovery and keep him alive until they reached the pokemon center and he could be treated.
Lucryn was mainly filled in by Lance on the events, as Steven after recounting them to Lance had left to 'vent' on poor and unsuspecting pokemon as Lance had put it. Lance had explained that Gallade had gotten away, having used teleport to escape, Steven not allowing Metagross to give chase as Lucryn's life was more important to him. Lucryn was rather amused by that, he wouldn't have been injured had Steven not intervened, he was pretty positive of that.
The look in Gallade's eyes was one of someone seeking out strong opponents to train against, not to kill. He knew that look well. Lucryn wanted the battle to end quickly, as well as to train himself a tad, and while he was fully prepared to be injured, perhaps gravely, he didn't expect it to happen in the way it had.
Coming back to himself, Lucryn stares at the Sandslash, his appointed babysitter according to Steven. Sandslash is rather amusing, the little one is so rigid and serious, Lucryn has been rather amused messing with him.
Lance walks into his room carrying two cups of warm water, handing one to Lucryn, who hesitantly accepts it. Taking a sip, the warmth soothes his body, and he gives Lance a nod of thanks. Lance sits at the edge of his bed, giving him some space.
"Steven might be mad right now, but you know, he was rather impressed by you. Oh, but also he called you some not so nice things." Lance laughs. "You know it;s really rare that he curses, you really surprised and worried him."
Lucryn takes another sip, quietly listening, the scene peaceful as Lance begins telling stories about Steven. Lucryn doesn't show it, but he's rather impressed as he listens. 'Steven really is strong. Lance...should also be strong.'
"Alright, I can't stay longer, but listen, you can die, you have to be more careful. I don't know how to be a good guardian, Steven doesn't either, but we're going to try our best, so you...just try to keep yourself alive." Lance states, a serious look in his eyes, and Lucryn can feel the aura of power radiating from Lance. 'He is strong.'
After Lance leaves, Lucryn calls out his two Charcadet's who instantly begin complaining to him if their tone of displeasure is any indication. Lucryn can't help his lips curling up as he watches the two. Their rather funny. 'Names, huh.'
Pondering on it, he thinks, 'I'll call the left one Omni and the right one Blayz.' With that thought, the two pokemon look at Lucryn in surprise, and Lucryn feels a shift, a new, strengthened connection forming between him and the two Charcadet's. Omni and Blayz study him, a hint of happiness and pride in their eyes.
Omni: Master named us!
Blayz: Thank you master!
Lucryn finds two voices echoing in his mind through their link, recognizing them as his pokemons. He can differentiate their voices in his mind, and he found out another shocking thing. The communication is double sided, Lucryn can also communicate with them through sending them his thoughts.
Omni/Blayz: We will forever be by your side!
The two seemed to be making an oath as they stated this fact, their wisp like eyes glowing brighter. Lucryn smirks at the two.
Lucryn: You've promised, a promise can't be broken.
The three communicate back and forth, Lucryn rather quiet as he listens to the two. They were very excited to communicate with Lucryn, and they chattered nonstop, Lucryn beginning to understand their moves and powers, and also gaining some insight into the summoning arrays.
The day passes swiftly, only near the end of the day is Lucryn given permission to leave the bed. Lucryn wanders outside, followed by the two Charcadet's. Outside to the left of the house is a battle arena, set up with a barrier that can be activated once inside to help negate some of the pokemons power from leaving the barrier and damaging the surroundings. Entering, the barrier activates, Sandslash standing outside, watching them.
Lucryn commands the two through the link to face each other, asking them to show off their moves so he can get a grasp on them.
Blayze starts using leer, Omni flinching a bit, but steadying himself right after and using ember. The embers fly swiftly, Blayz dodging and using Lava Plume. Lucryn's eyes widen as a plume of lava shoots from the ground right under Omni's feet. Omni jumps, avoiding most of it and barely suffering as his body is composed of fire, if anything the move just made him stronger, flames burning brighter as he uses Heat Wave, the heat causing Lucryn to back up.
After an hour of going back and forth, Lucryn has a good grasp of each of the moves, but also a good understanding of the Charcadet's fighting style. Omni likes to fight directly, being decisive in his every blow. Blayz is a bit more cautious, playing defensively, but striking as soon as an opening appears. Lucryn yawns, calling the two to his side.
He's determined how to begin their training. 'Their foundation is unstable, they must first learn how to fight, then they can learn how to battle with their powers in sync.' Lucryn's thoughts fall back to that Gallade. The Gallade knew how to fight, he was strong, but his foundation was unstable. Pokemon seem to rely too much on their powers, they skipped learning the basics of fighting.
Lucryn shows the two a basic battle stance, having them mimic him. Walking them through a few poses, he leaves them to train for the next hour, rotating through the poses, improving their flexibility and understanding of the different fighting stances. Heading inside, he enters the library, grabbing a few books and flipping through them, learning more about Charcadet's and their moves.
'Learning to fight will take time, but they seem like fast learners. It'll be rather fun to teach them how to fight and create unique battling styles for each of them.' Lucryn thinks, summoning his shadowy creature before he forgets.
Blood red eyes stare into his own, Lucryn thinking, 'I'll name you Lye.'
Lye: Master
Lucryn: What are you? I can't find any info on you.
Lye: I am Marshadow, the Gloom Dweller Pokemon. I am of the Ghost and Fighting type.
Lucryn analyzes the little shadow creature, nodding in understanding. It's along the lines he expected, so now the main matter is getting the remaining answers he wants.
Lucryn: Why me?
Marshadow gazes at him quietly, time flickering by before Marshadow begins recounting his first encounter with Lucryn.
In a snowy landscape, Marshadow goes from one shadow to the next, coming to a stop at a bizarre sight. A human child lies in the snow, blood splattering the snow all around the child. Marshadow observes the human child, seeing no rise and fall of the child's chest, he determines one thing. This human child is dead.
Approaching closer, Marshadow reaches out to touch the human, deciding to bury the human child. The smell of blood will irritate the nearby pokemon and the dead child will attract humans into these woods. It's better for the child to just vanish into the shadows of the night, never to be found again.
Just as his shadowy hand touches the child, something very strange happens. Something very wrong.
The child's body flickers in and out of existence, fading and reappearing, eyes snapping open to reveal blood red orbs that were filled with pain, so much pain Marshadow couldn't believe it. As the gloom dweller pokemon, he had witnessed much pain and suffering, but this was different, this child was too young, but there was no mistaking that look.
The child's body fades almost completely before reappearing, those blood red eyes never leaving Marshadow's own, and Marshadow feels something stir within him, a hint of a connection with this human child.
The human child coughs, heart resuming to beat as he no longer fades in and out, becoming fully corporeal, but now he could see the color draining from the child's cheeks, the life truly fading away as the child collapses. Marshadow silently gazes at this human child. 'This child is different.'
With an idea in his mind, Marshadow fades into the shadows, reappearing before two Charcadet's, the only two pokemon he often communicated with and the two he currently lives with, the two being rather amusing and still very young, having lost their parents to an enraged Swampert. Explaining the situation to the two, they happily follow along. Having never interacted with humans, they didn't understand the pain humans have brought to pokemon. Marshadow is grateful for that, and in his mind a small inkling of an idea involving the human child and these two is forming. 'Maybe it's time to take a side. Humans and pokemon, I can't stay in the shadows forever.'