Chapter 2:The First mission
"There are many worlds, but ours is the center of it all. Deemed the holy land and home of Arceus."Cylia continued her lesson and the children listened intently. "To him, you are all his children that he watches over. Offering blessings and good fortune. While the wicked see misfortune and soon will be smited by those he deems his enforcers."
"I thought the rescuers were their own thing?" A ching ling chimed out.
"For the most part they consider themselves as such. Though in the end they serve Arceus all the same."The teacher continued and Luke struggled not to sleep."They serve by helping Arceus's people and banishing the wicked mercifully or not. It may not have been their intention, but such things are part of Arceus's plan for the good and the evil."
Luke groaned, hearing her words about the god he knew his father for worshiping. Everything she said so far were things Lucas already told him many nights. Path seemed more curious on the matter, but Luke preferred to look to the world they were in now.
"But if this was meant to be Arceus's home. Why did he let guys like Kyogre and Groudon take over?"Kiba showed more genuine curiosity.
"Excellent question, Kiba. He only gave us a single word as an answer and that was simply…balance."Cylia was delighted that someone took interest finally."When our wiser priests looked back and studied the answer, they could only speculate that they were deployed to create this world. Allowing Arcueus to operate directly with his followers."
"Pfff… please… Only reason Arceus chose them is so there were less legendaries to keep under control." Luke mumbled.
"Shut up, Luke…! You're gonna get in trouble again. Can we at least graduate without trouble?" Path scolded him.
"Just saying. The whole Arceus thing and all his divine planning? It reeks of a guy who just messed things up, but got stupidly lucky." Luke got a bit louder.
"Something you wish to share with the class luke?"The teacher called out after overhearing his opinion on the matter.
The class mostly tensed up and Path palmed her face in complete shame. Though Stoney sat there shocked that he said something that was frontal and aggressive. Luke looked at his sister as though it were her fault for sparking the conversation. He dropped his pencil that was being used to draw himself on a mountain with a rescuer badge.
"No, Cylia. Just listening." Luke responded.
"Listening? I would think you of all pokemon would respect the history of Arceus."She warned with a bleak look of disappointment, "Now kindly refrain from performing any more disturbances to the class."
The class got quiet as she returned to the chalkboard to write a picture of the four kanto guardians from a neighboring world.
"If you all could believe it. The kanto guardians were nearly deployed as well to aid with the land." She even drew the small islands that the guardians hailed from," Does anyone know why they were ultimately dismissed and rejected?"
"Uh…"Luke thought for a moment.
"Because when crossing paths, the kanto guardians were at each other's necks. Placing a great deal of stress and struggle on Lugia. Arceus was about balance, and there was next to no balance to be had with the guardians." Path responded with a raised paw.
"Right. Cause Groudon and kyogre were the pinnacle of balance and harmony!" Luke outburst with heavy sarcasm," They started a whole war that our dad fought in for a decade!"
"Luke!"The teacher snapped at him.
"Yeah, but it wasn't their fault! It was that infernape uh…"Path tried to remember the name she once heard her father speak of.
"You're talking about that big crazy one, Scorch." Luke's response made the teacher suddenly cower a bit behind her desk.
He blinked and was noticeably confused at her fearful response to him speaking that name. The other children were just as confused, for they knew not what the name meant or who owned it.
"Luke… I will forget this ever happened, if you do not utter that name again." She stood up from behind her desk and swallowed, "For those of you that clearly do not know… Scorch… He is a demon within the skin of a pokemon. A false pokemon… A monster… We who were involved closely in the war vowed his name would never resurface. The war started and ended with him."
Luke finally sat straight and respectfully, though a bit curious about this pokemon.
"Was he really that bad?" Stoney finally raised his paw to ask the big question.
She looked at him as if she were seeing the ghosts of those Scorch left in his wake.
"He was… His mind truly lost to madness… All he knew was torture, violence, pain, and a disdain for all things weaker than himself. Only by the might of The Brawler and…The Crusader was Scorch finally brought to an end…"Her morbid tone and obvious signs of flashbacks of the war surprised the students.
Suddenly, the bell rang and snapped Cylia out of her trance. The students let out a sigh of relief and began to pack up their things. Luke was especially quick to pack up, considering how he nearly gave the teacher a PTSD moment.
"We'll continue the lesson tomorrow. Until then, the graduates will remain here to receive their pins to mark their graduation!"Cylia dropped her shaken up mood for the sake of the class.
As the children poured out it was only several minutes later that Luke, Stoney, Path and Kiba finally left. They all had their own special pins clipped to their ears. While Stoney required one to be glued since clips and sharp bins kept breaking. Either way, that was the very end of their time in school. Their new careers were now ahead of them and now it was time to become official rescuers.
"I can't believe you almost gave Cylia a mental breakdown!" Path growled at Luke's earlier performance.
"She looked like she wanted to take your pin and stick it in your eye after all that." Stoney pointed out.
"How was I supposed to know that talking about a psycho Infernape would cause a big ruckus." Luke waved his arms, wishing not to care for the teacher's outrage,"No one ever told us we couldn't say his name. No one ever tells us anything about the war except our dad!"
"Well, yeah. But they obviously have their reasons for it. It does pay to be respectful of that, Luke." Kiba interjected.
"Ugh…! It's whatever! School's done! Now WE get to meet with the mayor and start our new careers!" Luke exclaimed and suddenly took off.
They all were taken back from Luke's sudden burst of joyous energy. Path was quick to race after him with Kiba right on her tail, but Stoney was slow to follow.
"You all know I can't keep up! Wait!" Stoney calls out in annoyance.
Meanwhile near the center of town, there lay the large clay and wooden building. Outside stood a Florgeous, sporting an incredibly effeminate male voice as he hummed. He smiled to a taillow as she chirped and sighed, holding a letter in her beak.
"Good morning, Sonata. You've arrived just in time! The new rescuers will be here soon." The Florgeous exclaimed.
He took up the note from the Taillow, giving her a chance to speak.
"Sorry about that, Synthis. I got slowed down, there was some chaos happening to the west!" She hopped to the sign as she pointed to the west.
"Oh dear. There aren't any vandals in this report are there?"The florgeous asked with worry.
"No sir! At least…I don't think so! I think there was fighting though." She admitted.
"I see. I will offer your letter of mission to the new rescuers. However this other situation will require a professional." Synthis thought and immediately decided the plan of action,"I just hope Lucas is up for a quick favor. For old time sake."
"I shall go and alarm Lucas at once sir!" She exclaimed and gave him the letter.
He attempted to speak further, but the Taillow was gone as quickly as she came. He sighed with a smile, the young excited him with their ambitions and their brighter outlook on life. A fate now spared the threat of being crushed by the cruelties of the previous era. Just the thought threatened to turn his mood solemn, if not for the arrival of the quadrant of friends. He gasped and even clapped his leafy appendages together as he rushed over to greet them.
"Hello children! Am I to believe you are the new graduates?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.
All but Luke gasped and lowered their heads to respect the mayor of their town. All of them except Luke, who looked at every one and shook his head.
"Hey, mayor Synthis. You're looking at the right pokemon. We're here and we're ready to go!" Luke announced with his paws on his hips and his chest puffed out with pride.
In response, Luke was grabbed and forced to bow by Kiba and Path. Synthis chuckled a bit confused but waved his leafy paw.
"Please, no need for formalities at the moment. I take it you are all here for your first assignment?"He asked what became obvious the more he thought of it.
"Yes sir. We're all ready to get started asap. We'll take anything we can get!"Path was a bit more humble as Luke forced himself free of their grip.
"Ah, well of course. I have one here already for you all to take. And there will be missions posted on our town board here should any of you wish to take up the test," He explained and gave Luke the mission slip,"Sonata will also arrive at your homes should there be time sensitive missions of great urgency."
"What's that other one you have?" Luke pointed out the letter that was planned for Lucas.
"Oh…don't worry about that. Just a message regarding shoreline city. Nothing to worry about."He chuckled and bowed to the children,"I hope to see great things come from all of you, and I wish you all luck."
With that, Synthis was oddly quick to run off towards his home. Leaving the children to their very first mission, the kids gathered around. Yet Luke's mind was fixed on the urgency of their mayor as he left. Something felt off, but he had no choice but to let it go as he got nudged by Kiba and Stoney.
"Whatever that was, it was probably his own business. Hurry up and open it!"Stoney tried to encourage.
"Let's see the first mission!"Kiba added to the mix.
"Alright alright! Just chill! I got this…!"Luke was confident and smirking with eagerness.
Luke displayed his need to show off by slowly unraveling the letter. Allowing everyone to gather around and witness the start of their career. He read the mission, wondering what adventure would begin for him and his friends.
While to the west, a hitmonlee and a marshadow were racing through the sleek path walled at the side by trees. They seem to be in a rush, maybe even in a bit of a panic. The hitmonlee looked back and saw nothing. He grumbled and growled before shaking the shoulder of his partner.
"I think we have some leeway. We should get the message out to Moltrese." He suggested and pointed to a rucksack he carried.
The Marshadow stopped in her tracks and looked back as well. The Hitmonlee stopped as well and nearly tripped out in the progress.
"Hmmmm… You may be right. We'll have to be quick. I can still smell the musk of that booz worm in the distance." The Marshadow was reluctant, but agreed to the idea," Make it quick and let's get to Veridia!"
The fighting type nodded and was quick to get out his quill pen and paper. He used a tree to plant his paper against and began to quickly write the letter. As he did, he could see his dark and ghostly partner growing more on edge.
"How much longer?"She seemed a bit nervous to ask.
"Just a couple minutes."He grumbled and grew sweaty,"Moltrese is gonna be steamed when he finds out the village might have some teeth to it."
"It's Moltrese. He alone would suffice to perform the deed. And should we live to escape back to him. We shall be by his side!"She promised and felt more uneasy.
"What do you think finally got the kanto gods going to these measures?"He asked while finishing the note,"Got it! Need a flying type now."
He looked around and spotted a pidgey picking at a worm.
"Hey! Need a favor! Don't run away!" The hitmonlee yelled and the pidgey tried to run.
The Marshadow was going to answer his question, but then rolled her eyes. Seeing him grab a pidgey and shake him like a toy. It meant little to her, but it was that quick temper of his that got them in a bind in the first place. She walked to him as he showed the pidgey the letter.
"You take this letter to Moltrese! He should be arriving just outside Shoreline city by sunset! Do this and you may fly home with your life." He warned and the pidgey cried, but nodded," Then get going, quick!"
He finally let the pidgey go and she did as she was instructed. Gripping the rolled up letter in her beak and taking off to the west. Leaving some cold comfort for the dangerous duo.
"Well, that solves that." He said and dusted his hands off.
"You know that hot head of yours is exactly why that knucklehead spotted us in Shoreline. Maybe had you said sorry to the slowpoke instead of punching him into the tiki bar. We could have left without stragglers!" She huffed at him and he groaned in response.
"He was asking for it. Guys like that don't have any respect these days. No accountability for their actions."The fighting pokemon ranted.
"That's exactly the point… Right there. That is what has mobilized the Kanto guardians." She replied by answering his earlier question," Many forget who made the world what it is for Pokemon like us. And now they are all but forgotten these days by mortal Pokemon. We happen to be loyal workers for our gods through and through. And now it's time to show the rest of the world what happens when they put their own blind ambitions before the very beings that gave them EVERYTHING they have."
"Heh…I wonder how long you were practicing that speech." He said sarcastically and noticed an opening in the trees that showed off a ledge.
He ran to it and she confusingly followed him to the edge. Where he looked down to see a quarry full of ground Pokemon working in several mining tunnels. His gears twisted in his head as he looked to see trees shuffling in the distance. Whoever was on their tail was closing in, and running would only delay the inevitable. An idea then struck his mind and he confidently chuckled before white energy powered up in his left foot.
"What are you doing now?" The Marshadow questioned before seeing him jump into the air.
Even without a mouth, she could tell he was smiling as he readied up a mega kick.
"Making a little distraction for our pursuer." He said and drove his kick towards the ground.
An hour later, he got that answer in the form of sitting at the west entrance to the village. What eagerness and joy to start his career was drained from his face. His head banging against a tree while everyone else appeared to be in contempt with their mission. Path shook her head, her brother practically having a melt down while Kiba and Stoney played tic tac toe in the dirt.
"You can't honestly say you didn't see this coming. It's the first mission!" Path attempted to explain things to her brother.
"And our first mission is to just stand out at the entrance of the village and just…WATCH!" Luke professed his outrage," When are we going to rescue some people?! Kick bad guy butt, battle with legendary pokemon!?"
"A bit much for the first day, don't you think?" Kiba asked before pouting when Stoney beat him at a game.
"But this is boring! I've heard and seen rescuers with better first missions than this!" Luke sat on a rock in anger," This is not the way our first mission should be. We can't get stronger just waiting around here for things to happen."
"Luke… we're not in a time where all pokemon are out there fighting and exploring. Right now it's a peaceful era. My dad always says, enjoy your peace when and where you can."Stoney recited a lesson from his father,"Because peace never lasts forever, and sometimes. It rarely lasts long at all…"
"HEY LUKE!" Came the calls of a familiar voice.
They turned and saw it was Chiro the chimpchar again with his machop and sheldon buddy. He put his hands together and cracked his fingers with a snicker.
"You didn't think we were done, did you?" Chiro questioned.
"Exhibit A…"Stoney sighed, hating the weight the lesson was now giving them.
"Not at all! I was hoping you didn't forget about us! You were always a bit slow." Luke hopped off the rock and smirked.
"Yeah? How's your mission going? Get your butt kicked yet!?" He looks around and notices everyone looking idle. "Hah! Hold up! Is sitting here like a doorstop your mission?"
He laughed at him and so did his friends as Luke grew flustered with red cheeks. He growled and this became the sign that a fight was inevitable. Kiba and Stoney looked to each other and nodded before standing up to walk over.
"Man! I hope your old man sees this and finds out how much of a disappointment you're going to be at this rate!"
With that, Chiro felt a punch strike him across the cheek and put him to the dirt. He then saw Luke with his small metal claws out swiping at him while trying to wrestle him. His friends immediately went to jump on Luke, but his friends were there. Stoney used headbutt and intercepted the machop with a smash to the gut. This made the machop skip across the ground. While Kiba lunged and used bite on the sheldon and shook him around before throwing him.
Then then started a pound and scratch fight, while Chiro finally punched Luke off. He then got on top of Luke and tried mach punch his lights out. Luke put his paws up to defend but got struck a few times in the face giving him a small bloody lip.
"Not so tough now, are ya! Look who's beating you down now!" He growled before he suddenly saw an orb of pure blue energy strike him off Luke.
Luke looked back and saw Path had shot her first ever aura sphere from her paws. She was shaking a little, but managed to run over and help her brother up.
"Keep your monkey paws off my brother!" Path yelled as Chiro scrambled to his feet.
"Where did you learn that?"Luke questioned.
"I…saw dad doing it, and I kept on practicing it some night, but then…"She explained and looked at her paws, "I just saw you getting attacked and I just…gave it a try!"
"Well I hope you'll be teaching me that one later! Right after we give this chump the thrashing he needs!" Luke pointed to the incoming chimpchar that was preparing a mach punch.
As he reared up to swing it, the twins dropped their guard and drooped their ears. This was mixed with the sudden large paw of Lucas grabbing the mach punch. The chimpchar immediately dangled and was lifted up by the lucario and turned around. His mach punch eventually dissipated in the father's grip, as he stared Chiro down. He looked to his children and then back to the chimpchar before dropping Chiro on his rear.
"Go home…"Lucas demanded, his thousand yard stare piercing through Chiro and freezing his soul.
He slowly got up, his legs trembling at the gaze of Lucas. He eventually managed to run away towards his home. His friends were quick to follow after it was clear Stoney and Kiba had them on the ropes. With the bullies out of the way, Lucas looked to his children.
"What did I say about picking fights with the other kids? Are you not trying to be rescuers?" Lucas questioned quietly.
"We…we were, but they came over and just started saying things and pestering us."Path insisted her explanation was the case.
"He was gonna start a fight anyway. He tried to mention you and…said I was gonna be a disappointment to you…"Luke explained further with his eyes down.
Lucas raised an eyebrow and breathed out before walking to them. He then knelt down to place his paws to their shoulders.
"First off, I already spoke with Cylia on the way here. So I know both groups are guilty of this."He was stern about what he learned earlier,"Second, there is nothing wrong with defending you are training to be rescuers, not mercenaries. You do not fight for your own need for glory, you fight to save and protect those who cannot do so for themselves. That is the difference between the two groups."
"Yes father…"Luke said quietly.
"Hmmm… I know this is clearly not the most fun mission from the looks of it, but it's your first mission for a reason."Lucas moved to the subject of the group's first mission,"Take pride in it, and be glad it is the only thing you must do for some experience… For now."
"But…"Path started.
"We wanna be like you." Luke finished.
"Heh… No, do not try to be like your old man. Otherwise…you'll wish you hadn't experienced what I have."He replied and sighed,"Be the rescuers that you all wish to be. You all have a story to create and build through your own experiences, stick to it, and see what you're made of by the time you become professionals."
The twins nodded and their friends sat with them to nod as well to his found the friendship they had with each other amusing, a friendly reminder of the friends he made along the way. Right when he was about to let them all stand more proudly. A sudden explosion rang off beyond the path outside the village. Lucas got the children under him and looked to a massive cloud of dirt and rocks. A blast such as that had a reminiscence of a focus blast, or perhaps a full power mega punch or kick.
"That looks like it's coming from the quarry…!"He pointed out before hearing rocks tumbling in the distance.
He growled and used his aura sense to scope half a mile down the path. Until he saw a massive storm of rocks sliding down a ledge. At the bottom he saw workers being trapped inside the tunnels of the quarry by the rocks. He ceased his aura sense and turned to the children.
"Children! How about you all accompany me to the quarry! The pokemon there need our help!" Lucas decided to recruit them for a rescue mission.
It didn't take good eyes to see the sudden spark of excitement and spirit within Luke. Path seemed a bit more nervous at the idea of upgrading to a rescue mission. Stoney and Kiba looked to the twins, and Luke took charge and fist pumped his paw.
"You can count on us, dad! We won't let you down!" Luke promised his father.
"I'm up for a rescue mission!" Stoney agreed.
"Let's do it!"Kiba gave Path a bump and got her to smile and nod.
"Then let's move out! Those pokemon won't have long in those tunnels!" Lucas ushered them into running down the path.
As he quickly took the lead for his newly made juniors. Luke was now eager and ready for the real deal mission. He watched his father take the lead using his aura sense. They all ran as fast as they could to keep up with their leader, unaware of what awaited them. And how it would begin their paths towards the rescuers they yearned to become.