My attempt at a Mystery Dungeon story based on a role play with friends, I hope you all will like and support. Enjoy.
Prologue:What War Can Do
Burning, everything was burning. This was war, the war of land and sea, where the waters churn and shifted and the earth reshaped and broke. Pride, ego, bigotry, and mania were the catalysts and only one mysterious infernape was the cause of it all. This one Pokemon's corruption and mysterious influence roused the rage of two demigods against each other. Now the lands were burning long after a battle was concluding, peace was finally within their reach.
However the legendary beasts of land and sea would not be satisfied. Something was missing for them to feel at peace after all the bloodshed. The very cause of their war had to be dealt with.
Across a ravaged grassy plain, flames and broken landscapes. Pokemon littered the floor from both sides, the Pokemon of the earth and flames broken and slashed while water Pokemon were crushed and battered. Through the chaos sprinted a Lucario, his fur dirty and matted, his eyes wide and tired. He rushed across the battlefield, doing his best to keep his eyes forward on the mission. He closed his eyes and felt the blue and black aura of another, and bolted for him.
He came to a stop in the scorched dirt before long and panted, his lungs weary from the sprinting. There he found his comrade and mentor, a Typhlosion sitting atop a small stack of ghost and rock types. He looked up to the Lucario with only one right eye, for the other was permanently shut and scarred.
"Furnace, I found him! I think he's alone...!"The Lucario finally sat down in the dirt to take a breather.
"You're absolutely certain...?"The Typhlosion had a deep voice, riddled with grit and pain.
"Yes... He's in a trench burrow from all those trapinches. We can take him."
"I know we can, and I'm ready right now if you are." He slowly stood up with a growl.
""I...of course. But...are you sure you wanna do this? You've been through something horrible, you might not be-"
The Typhlosion sharpened his gaze down at the young Lucario, and he responded by looking away.
"It's just...he's like you... Are you sure you wanna...kill him after all that's happened?" The Lucario asked while fearfully keeping his eyes away.
"Understand this, Lucas. After all he's done, I don't give a shit who he was to me! As far as I'm concerned, he's a dead man walking!"He raised his voice and gave a light tap to the student's chin with his paw to make him look up," If you're getting cold feet you can go back to Shoreline and Annie. But I have to do this! Now how far is he?!"
His lip trembling, Lucas the Lucario was left speechless by his mentor's rage. Though he could not deny the option he offered him in the heat of his anger.
"He's a half a mile before the plains start to turn to hills. The trench will be easy to spot... Just keep heading west..."Lucas looked down again.
"I'll be back by sundown... You can come with or go back to the city... I won't force you..."Furnace sighed and nudged Lucas aside to start running on all fours.
He disappeared through some smoke, leaving Lucas to his own decisions. He looked back to the east where a city in recovery and the love of his life awaited him. Then he looked back to the west where Furnace had charged off with blood and vengeance on his mind. He sat down, his ears lowering as he then stared at a ring on his paw, a ring reminiscent of the god he was a pokemon of. Arceus was the only true god among a pantheon of demigod legendaries, and he had followed this god's teachings from the day he was just hatched.
He sighed, rubbing mud off the ring that took the shape of the ring that surrounded the god's torso.
"What do I do... Please... I need your guidance...!"He put his head to the ring and felt himself wanting to break down.
His head quivering and his teeth gritting as two tears managed to squeeze out and drip into the mood. He put his paws together and prayed, and thus a ray of sunlight broke through the smoke. Gracing him with the warmth of the sun and offering clarity to the situation. He looked up to the sun, and it was setting in the west. He then slowly nodded and rubbed his eyes, if there was ever a sign, this was definitely a sign.
"Ok...ok... Alright, I understand. This started with me and them...It'll end with me and them…"Lucas quietly understood the message and kissed the ring on his paw,"Thank you, Arceus...!"
With that, he got up and sprinted to the west, searching for Furnace through the chaos. Hoping he could at least reach him before Furnace found the target. With his ability to see the aura, this was easy, Furnace appeared to have made some distance, but he could make it. As always, his old lessons from Furnace swam through his head, eyes must be forward, never look back. This helped him continue to not let the death and destruction distract him, his eyes and his senses must remain in focus.
He leaped through some fire and craters blasted into shape by Groudon himself. He was panting soon, but he found Furnace, and he did in fact stop right before the trench. For the first time today he cracked a smile, before tripping over a body and slamming into a puddle of blood.
He groaned, and then whimpered in a panic as he opened his eyes and frantically tried wiping his face off. Only to be grabbed by the fold of his neck and dragged right to the edge of the trench. He looked around and got a paw shoved against his mouth, compliments of Furnace.
"Quiet, I just saw that ghosting toad, Reaper strut about the trench...!"Furnace warned and helped wipe off Lucas's face,"Lets go... He'll lead us to him..."
Furnace let Lucas go and began to shimmy along the trench wall. Lucas shuddered but nodded as he did the same, crawling through the tarnished dirt. Silence was almost deafening between the two as Furnace eyed the trench and noted the Trapinches that laid dead. All of them pawns for a sick and malicious was bringer, all their work was a means to an end. What was it all for?
He never got a proper answer from this fiend. But he was done now, Furnace had no intention of listening to this war monger's rants any longer about the new world order. He crossed a line days ago, and their history meant nothing now. He snapped out of his thoughts and memories and stopped Lucas in his tracks. He shushed him and then pointed forward into the trench.
Lucas had a feeling about what Furnace found, and a quick peek confirmed it. There was a mound-like burrow at the end of the trench, that was where he last saw their target before leaving to tell Furnace. He gulped and nodded to Furnace to confirm it, and then he closed his eyes to sense the aura. Within he spotted two red auras from within, one was a haunter, and the other was an Infernape. He opened his eyes and pointed to the burrow, they had found their target.
With Lucas confirming their mark, Furnace slowly climbed down into the trench. He made his landing as soft as possible, he wanted to truly make this enemy feel as though he was caught with his pants down. He gestured for Lucas to quietly come down and get into position. Furnace quietly walked to the side of the mound and he showed Lucas his open palm, gesturing for an aura sphere breach. Lucas nodded and swallowed again, he felt sweat running in his fur as he got into a stance.
He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, before rearing his arms back to form an aura sphere. Finally with a sharp light in his eyes, his confidence was roused from slumber. With a growl he threw the sphere with all his might, and with a powerful slam it blew apart the burrow open like a hollow pillar. Shards of clay and globs of mud went in all directions. Some light dust and dirt poured all over the ground and wood beam floor.
Silence was upon them once more, it was almost...unnatural. Lucas got into a stance to ready a bone rush, his instincts were flaring with impending danger. He clenched his teeth and widened his eyes to a sudden rush of cold wind and a scream.
Suddenly a haunter rushed out, preparing a shadow ball as Lucas formed a bone rush. Thankfully, Lucas was not alone, and before the snake of a ghost knew it. He felt a crushing and concussive fire punch drill the side of his head, the Haunter violently flew straight into a wall with a crash. His mind was vibrating and threatening to force him out cold. There was a reason Furnace was given the title of… The Brawler.
The ghost Pokémon twitched and grunted trying to look upon the duo. Lucas smiled again and looked to Furnace.
"Thanks for that..."He professed his gratitude.
"Secure Reaper. I'm going in...!"Lucas was quick to do so by holding the Haunter down.
Furnace moved some left over mud and dirt and marched into the burrow, kicking aside a table.
"SCORCH! WHERE ARE YOU! YOU KNOW WHY I'M HERE! COME ON OUT YOU SON OF A BITCH!"Furnace flipped over a cod and a shelf,"This is it! This was bound to happen! You wanted this, and you had to kill her to make it happen! Now get the hell out here and die like a man! DALE!"
His roars were almost deafening to Lucas's ears, he grew very nervous, almost biting his lip. Furnace was turning the place upside down, but then he noticed the Typhlosion freeze. All chaos had stopped abruptly, he wasn't even loud any more.
"Furnace? Is he in there?"Lucas called.
"Shit...! LUCAS MOVE! HE USED DIG!"Furnace yelled from the entrance so abruptly.
Lucas barely could gasp as he jumped away from Reaper. The floor had then exploded where he was in a shower of dirt and wood pieces. He had dodged an upper cut paired by the dig as a tall and stocky Infernape arose from the ground and landed with a stomp. His eerie grin paired with a chipped fang was what marked him as the one they searched for, his bloodshot orange eyes staring. Looking at the young Lucario and Typhlosion, then there were the chuckles, the blood freezing chuckles.
His laughter was poised with madness and violence, the very aura of it drove tides of Pokémon to chaos. His teeth laced with venom that whispered their way into the ears of even legendary Pokémon. Forcing everything into a war that hungered to destroy everything, and for what?
"Oh my... You're awfully loud, my old friend. I must have really messed up to get you beating down my door...!"He giggled through his words.
"You know what you did...! And now...I'm gonna kill ya...!"Furnace crushed the burrow entrance and moved in.
Lucas followed up with a bone rush swing to the head, but the Infernape caught it in his palm. He slowly looked to Furnace's pupil who fought and struggled to wrench his attack away. Before taking a low kick to the stomach, the force nearly took his breath away. Lucas knew what came next from past encounters with this one, he used his bone rush to dodge a flurry of mach punches that came in flashes. Though he could not block them all as he alternated between head and body with jabs.
He barely dodged a hook that cut a gash above his eye, he readied another kick. But jumped back to dodge Furnace swinging a fire punch between them. He then clashed fists, a clash of fire punch and mach punch was scorching to the touch. Their moves perfectly mirrored, until Furnace went low and struck the stomach. Knocking Scorch into a wall, and forcing him to dodge the next punch. With a half smirk and a sneer, he suddenly took off running, an attempt to escape his pursuers.
"AFTER HIM!"Furnace roared and gave chase.
Lucas gave a nod and was right behind the Typhlosion, this wasn't gonna happen again. This was the end, they would not let this monster run from them again. His laughter only fueled their urge to hunt the fiery ape, and their scowls only served to irritate the Infernape. He tried mach punching the walls, letting debris become his savior, but all they did was jump over it. He then tried a fire blast on the floor, but the fire barely singed them, he was immediately low on options without Reaper.
Rain began to fall around them, and the silent flashes of lighting filled the sky. The faces of anger alit the very faces of their burning souls. The musky stench of decay and soaked wood almost choking their lungs. Panting, the Infernape jumped to the left and out of the trench. Furnace and Lucas followed, the student almost tripping as he scraped his paw on the edge. In the open, the situation seemed dire as Scorch began to build distance.
"He's got the whole land to use!"Lucas warned and made it to Furnace's side.
"No he doesn't!"Furnace denied this.
For he then did a small leap and plunged his paw into the dirt. He then activated his earthquake attack, quickly the land began to explode and collapse before their very eyes. Bodies flew or sunk into the cracking earth while Scorch felt everything shake around him. He growled and suddenly felt his leg get stuck in a fissure. He was then pelted by shifting pieces of land before a half mile crater collapsed and formed like a massive mudslide, he could only yell in rage and panic.
Thunder finally crashed for the first time as the rain grew heavy and the clouds darker. As the earthquake began to subside, revealing a deep hole where rocks and rubble littered the bottom. As the dust cleared, they saw their target laid out and sprawled, barely coated in the rubble.
"Super effective and direct shot by an earthquake. He's gotta be-"
"Don't assume! We need to confirm he's gone before you can give the signal...!"Furnace reminded the student.
Lucas sighed and nodded reluctantly, before the both of them then hopped down and slid into the crater. Lucario was nervous, yet the Typhlosion remained focused, his fury now masked by this mission. He moved forward, while Lucas stayed back a bit, allowing Furnace to confirm the kill. However, he was spooked by the sudden raise of his mentor's voice.
"I know you're not dead, you piece of shit! Don't try playing possum with me! Get up!"He didn't even check for a pulse or anything, yet he still called out to his foe.
Confusion nearly settled in, until the fiery ape began to laugh once more. Though it now felt stiff and riddled with gagging and signs of pain. As the Infernape slowly rolled to his belly and began to slowly lift himself onto his knees.
"Furnace...you really know me so well...don't you-"
"Drop the act, Dale... The kid knows about us. He knows what we really are...!"Furnace cracked his knuckles.
"Hehe...! Is that right? Well then...tell me something...Phil... Is that what it took to make you see it...? What the world really is..."He chuckled and coughed out blood,"All this chaos...for a woman...turned to a damn FROG...! Kahahahahaaaa...!"
"All I see is a man, that I should have ended a while ago... I should have known you being in this world would be a threat..."Furnace responded.
"Hehe…yeah...But that's your problem...woulda...coulda...shoulda... But you just kept being soft...!"He chuckled and looked at the blood stained dirt,"So nice...so restrained...so...righteous... But now..."
"You get your wish... You can fight...or just take it... But I'm done with you...! You're not worth saving...anymore...!"Furnace readied another fire punch.
"Really? Well...on that...we can...agree!"
Suddenly Scorch rushed forward to grab the legs. Furnace responded by uppercutting Scorch in the chin and across the cheek, but he toughed it out. Grabbing the Typhlosion and lifting to slam him to the dirt, it shook him up, but he didn't waver. He dodged a mach punch that struck the dirt. Just in time for Lucas to tackle the Infernape off his master.
He saw a counter attacking mach punch and kicked it away before using metal claw to stab into Scorch's shoulder. He screams in pain, but uses a low kick to sweep Lucas's legs out from under him. He falls and Scorch stands. Only for Furnace to drive a fire punch into his cheek and send him crashing into a pile of dirt. He then jumps on Scorch and they wrestle, throwing some wild punches.
At one point Scorch held his arms up to block, but the sneaky jabs began crushing his nose. Blood began to drip from his mouth as Furnace pounded like mad at his arms. Screaming and yelling, Furnace did not let up, all his anger was on display as he tried hitting harder and faster. Almost drooling as he finally pounded an arm away. He promptly threw his weight into a punch and caved in Scorches left eye, a bit of payback of sorts.
With his one good eye, the Infernape saw Lucas getting up to help. He then thought fast, and saw an opening. With a mach punch, he swung and struck the chin of Furnace. His eyes grew wide as his body began to shiver and his vision grew blurry. He swore he heard a pop in his lower jaw as he toppled over. As he fell to the left, Scorch sprung up and punched Lucas in the gut to force him to the ground.
He lightly chuckled till Furnace tried grabbing his leg. He growled and used another low kick to curb stomp Furnace in the face, in a daze he was wide open. Allowing Scorch to straddle him and start punching him tiredly in the head, hoping to put his lights out.
"You REALLY gotta work on what you promise to do! For all your talk, that jaw of yours was always like glass!"He yelled with laughter and an elbow to Furnace's right eye,"If you truly think...! That this is the moment we've been waiting for...! Then I guess...all I can say is... I win!"
He then threatened to start up a flare blitz, hoping to blast Furnace apart with one solid hit. Only to feel a bone rush loop over and under his chin. His attack faded as Lucas growled and with all his strength tried to choke Scorch out. He manages to wrench the ape off Furnace and slam him into the dirt. Choking and drooling, he reached back to claw at Lucas's eyes to break free.
Ultimately, it took Scorch leaning forward and ramming the back of his head into Lucas's nose to force him off. This stunned the Lucario and made him fall to his knees to hold his bleeding snout. Spitting blood, Scorch angrily ran back and winded up a kick for Lucas. Only for the young pokemon to slash the incoming leg at the ankle and make Scorch stumble into a kneel. Though he managed to dodge an aura sphere that Lucas whiffed and blew clouds of dirt into the air, he was just as tired as them.
Furnace could barely see, in the clouds of dirt as he saw glimpses of his student fighting. Their fight reduced to a bum level brawl, no powers, no pokemon like attacks. He could see Lucas headbutt Scorch to the dirt and jump on him, attempting to strangle Scorch. Only for Scorch to kick him off and punch him across the mouth and kick him in the side of the leg. Lucas dropped down, only to rise immediately and uppercut the infernape.
Groaning, Furnace was slow to roll to his stomach, quivering as he tried to stand. As Scorch stumbled back and was then tackled and pushed back a bit. Before kneeing Lucas in the face twice and throwing him into the dirt. Scorch attempted to straddle Lucas as he did Furnace. Only to feel the young one's legs lock around him and for the paws to grab his neck again. Choking, the growling and snarling maniac lifted the student up to walk with him.
He then ran away from a now crawling Furnace that reached for his comrade. As Lucas was promptly slammed into a rock, the breath immediately drained from his lungs. Before Scorch slammed him into the dirt not once, not twice, but three times over, finally forcing him to let go. Grunting and growling like a Neanderthal he grabbed Lucas with both hands by the sides of his face. He proceeded to slam him against the wall of the crater.
Grunting in pain, Furnace slowly stood up, realizing the danger Lucas was in. Scorched had then lifted him high in the air and laughed with high pitched madness. His fingers groping at Lucas's face.
"You think because you know us...that you're some all knowing hot shot now...don't ya…?"He snarled and slowly grinned,"Everything I shared with the likes of you...all that THEY shared with you...! And this pointless resistance is your response…?!"
Lucas began to scream, he felt the fingers digging into the sides of his head and his cheeks. Blood began to stream like tears as Furnace slowly walked with an unsteady fist. He heard his student's cries and pushed with grunts as Lucas kicked for freedom.
"You DON'T know us, BOY! You're just like all the rest! No amount of profound knowledge or training will change that!"He growled and squeezed harder, blood dripped on his face,"In the end...! You're still a soft hearted, preachy, means to an end...CHOIR BOY!"
Lucas screamed but managed to open an eye a bit as he felt his cheeks ripping. He still kicked at the crazy Infernape while his ears rang from his mad laughter.
"And now...you're going to die like the rest of those followers you cherished so-"
In that moment, the Infernape felt his chest explode, blood gushed from his mouth while some sprayed on Lucas. In mere seconds, Lucas felt the vice grip of the fire Pokémon's hands loosen. Allowing him to open his eyes enough to witness Furnace had attacked from behind. With a mighty mega punch, he bored through the Infernape, body and all as the maniac coughed and gagged. Shock was etching across his face as he released Lucas and fell to his knees.
"Phil...? Have I really...crossed the line...that much..."
With a light smile barely clinging and a final chuckle, he slumped over and fell to his right side. That was where the Infernape Scorch met his end, his body still and silent. Blood pooling under him as Furnace fell to a crawl and panted and groaned in pain. Lucas held his cheeks in pain that brought tears to his eyes as he witnessed the long awaited demise of this monster. His face still in shock yet able to hold a smile that burned into Lucas's mind.
"Lucas...Lucas...!"Furnace yelled out with a throbbing jaw and fast crawled to him as the thunder began to subside.
"Furnace!"Lucas called out, the mere movement of his lips burning his cheeks..
Only for Furnace to fall to his side and sit against the dirt wall with him. Panting, they were both tired, breathing was nearly impossible, they were wet, cold, and in deep pain. Clenching his blood stained paw, Furnace scowled at the corpse of the fallen foe. While Lucas merely looked to his mentor, he could see the broken pieces of what was once an unwavering teacher. The more he watched, the more he saw Furnace clenching in anger and tears, his breath shuddering.
"Furnace...?"
"Give those demigod bastards the signal. He's dead..."
Lucas gulped, but dared not disobey him now. He managed to whip up an aura sphere, and with what strength he had left, he managed to throw it to the sky. It soared like a small sun rising on a new day through the rain. Blowing up once it nearly hit the first layer of the atmosphere. Its glitters spread like sand in the wind, and could be seen across the lands as Lucas fell back.
"That's...it...it's all over now..."He breathed out.
"Yes...it is... We did it... We did it...Aqua... He's gone now..."Tears welled and streamed down Typhlosion's cheeks.
Lucas lost his voice, witnessing his mentor shuddering and choking. His quiet sobs erupted as he slammed his head against the wall.
"It's over...! It's all..."He whimpered and covered his mouth as the tears flowed with the rainfall.
Lucas let a tear roll down his cheek as well, his heart aching as he weakly scooted close to Furnace. With a grunt, he managed to get a paw around Furnace and hold him. Only then did he quietly sobbed, feeling his mentor's cries grow louder.
"It should have been me... Why wasn't it me...?!"
"Don't...please don't...!"
"Why wasn't it me?!"
Furnace lowered his head wept, with almost ghost-like wails. While Lucas held onto him, his own tears streaming free, hoping to find comfort for the both of them. Their souls bitter, yet offered a touch of sweetness by the fall of this war bringer.
'On this day, we did what we set out to do. Vanquished the Bringer Of War, bringing him to justice for everything he did. But this was no victory... There are no winners in war, just losses on both sides. I don't know if life will ever be the same, but hopefully Arceus finds it in his divine heart that a brighter future may come. Though many people I cared for died, I must not waver. I must remain steady and strong. Not only in my faith in my god, but in the Pokémon as well. I will pray for the future, and I hold onto hope that war will be a thing of the past. For now...my name is Lucas, a Lucario born and raised under the oath to Arceus, and for now... This is where my time of adventures and fighting...comes to an end... May God's blessings revive and help rebuild what the war destroyed. I will be watching... Lucas...'