The Shattered Sword

In the hearts of many that call Veneta home, few ever see what the three Champions go through on a daily basis. Political corruption, the press, and sometimes the local armed militia trying to steal secretive research. One Champion sits in their office alone, sword by their heart, shattered and broken. But still his heart beats on and on.



Chapter 1

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Swords are esteemed weapons, they can be used to fight for justice and self-defense. But like anything, they can also be used to fight against those very ideals.



But the sword itself is neutral, is it not?



The sword is an inanimate object, unable to have feelings or a soul, excluding the Honedge line. Sadly, the same cannot be said about people or Pokémon. Most are more than capable of thought that can differentiate good from evil.



But why do people do the things that they do? For good or evil…



“Sir, are you alright?”



The voice snapped me out of my trance, I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, seeing that it was early morning in my office still. I was facing towards the window that was opposite to the door behind me.



“I’m fine, what did you need?” I said dismissively while twisting around my seat, facing the person.



He wore a cyan hat and a dark blue jacket with blacks pants, an outfit that was commonly meant for couriers.



He stuck a hand into a bag he had dangling off his right shoulder and took out a small box with a note stapled onto it.



Carefully he put it on my desk. “Just this came in for you, Champion.”



“Thank you,” I said while twisting around back towards the window. “Do you know if Lance is back yet? I needed to talk to him.”



The man shook his head while zipping his bag back up. “I wouldn’t know, sir, I just got here.”



“Right, sorry to bother you then, continue on.”



Without a word, he quickly left with haste in his steps as the doors opened and closed as softly as possible.



I couldn’t help but sigh, my attention quickly turning back to my thoughts and room around me.



This room wasn’t meant for just one person, I simply am one of three people who use this room for their endeavors. I have partners in this job, both being very good friends of mine.



I glanced over to Lance’s desk, which was in the center opposite side from the door. Having the bigger window when compared to mine. Papers were strewn out over the top, what they were about I didn’t want to know.



He was a working man, and a good friend. Knew how to talk to people very well on top of his battling proficiency. Guess he was made for the more political stuff, I only ever want to touch it if it benefited me.



Jonathan’s desk was opposite from my own, on the right side if you came in from the door. Unlike mine or Lance’s desks, which had some level of organized chaos and obvious work being done on them. Stains from drinks and some crunched up wrappers decorated his, with some papers on it depicting some battling strategies he must be putting together.



However there was a small radius that no trash or stains dared cross, in its center was a picture of me and him with our teams sprawled out on the ground in a field. Back when things were simple, back when we traveled the world.



Sometimes I wonder if he ever grew up.



Maybe it would be better for me to just not talk to either of my partners on this matter. Lance was great and all with people and as a friend, but the favor I wanted from him would probably be outside his area of expertise.



I turned my attention towards the package, twisting my chair around slowly to face it, wondering who it even came from…



One of my team perhaps? Or maybe Jonathan?



I stared at it for what felt like a minute, playing a game with myself over which of my comrades sent it.



The odds of Jonathan having the mental capacity to send me a package was low, but never zero. I couldn’t help but snicker to myself, he’d probably threaten me with various acts against my person should I ever say that to his face.



There was only one person on my team who’d even be able to send a package, but they were a Gardevoir. Which meant that she probably wouldn’t be using a courier to give me something, as teleporting is simply faster and easier.



I grasped it in my hands and read the note.





If you’re reading this, Luke, then I just wanted to say thank you for that job you did for me last week with those ‘delinquents’ causing trouble in the city. I hope this helps you in making that weird sword you were telling me about.



Yours truly, Lance Novak





Ah Lance, you truly do surprise me sometimes.



I opened the box and found a bunch of elemental stones used in Pokémon evolution wrapped in pieces of cloth. Now I had something to do, something that would help me pass the time for a few hours.



I got out of my chair and gazed out the window one last time, seeing Central Veneto in all its glory. The morning sun reflected off the beach’s waves and windows of the buildings built up all over the coastline. A brilliant yellowish glow seemingly spreading out all over the entire city as the sun slowly rose.



I vaulted over my desk while cradling the box in my arms with grace, landing briskly on the other side with a smile growing on my face as I made my way towards the door. The hallways all melted together into a collective chore I wish I could skip, reminded that teleportation would be much easier.



Maybe I should’ve just brought my team with me, that would’ve solved this problem easily.



People occasionally passed by, giving me the usual wave of greeting when they see me. Truth be told I was sick of it, standing out from everyone else doesn’t bide well with me. Especially with how I go about the ‘Champion’ part of it. I wanted to blend in and just exist, I like the benefits of being a Champion but hate the publicity that comes with it.



I stopped short, something didn’t seem right. Must’ve forgotten something important that I needed to do.



The clicking of heels echoed from the hall behind me, stopping as a voice rang out. “The trainers you called for are awaiting your briefing, sir.”



Ah, that's what I was forgetting.



I turned around to go back towards one of the meeting rooms. The person had the mainly dark gray uniform with black sleeves and gold colored buttons on it that most people working here had. The buttons themselves weren’t all done up, allowing the uniform to flow and me to see her red shirt beneath it all. Stood off to the right with her hands folded across her chest, a small smile on her face that seemed reflective of the minimal work needing to be done today.



Wouldn’t expect anyone to enjoy doing a lot of work after all, but even I could tell she was bored.



I sighed while walking back down the hall, opposite from the warm embrace of the exit, flashing the person a thumbs up while smiling just a little brighter.



The walk wasn’t long at all, it was simply up a flight of stairs and past some of the more public areas. Including a window that looked out at the battle arena in the center of the building.



I brushed past it, not giving it much attention, for the door to the meeting room was just in sight. It was a thick wooden door that creaked when I opened it, finding everyone's attention turned towards me.



On the wall closest to the door was a TV that was turned off, used mainly for showing things that required digital stuff. In front of it was chairs and tables, all on one of the tables were the six trainers talking amongst themselves.



Quickly I made my way over to be in-front of the TV after closing the door.



“Alright…” I began while looking between all six of the trainers who were sitting down on some of the chairs set up facing one of the walls, all wearing the same uniform with varying levels of personal decor on it. “This assignment is one that requires some precision, you’ll be getting a Psychic Pokémon each unless you have one you feel comfortable to be having out at all times.”



They nodded amongst themselves, one unclipped a Pokéball and balanced it on one finger with a smile on their face. Probably to signal they didn’t need another Pokémon. “If you need a partner, go see Jack. He’s already got six briefed and ready to go should you need them.”



I turned the TV on using a tablet that was on one of the tables, putting my credentials in and bringing up the mission details onto the screen. “I have reason to believe that someone or thing is driving Pokémon away from a certain area in Veneta. The reason ‘why’ you will be investigating, if you are to discover that humans are the cause, then you are to retreat immediately and call back here so me, Jonathan, or Lance can get the proper authorities briefed. However, if it's a Pokémon doing it, then I’d appreciate some information on it if you can get it.”



After taking a short breath, I adjusted my sweater a little from how hot everything was. “Any questions?”



“Why are we taking a Psychic Pokémon each?” the one twirling a Pokéball asked.



“Teleportation, the ability to know where people are without visual details, mind reading. The list goes on, it’d be stupid to not have one by your side.” I sat down on one of the chairs and sighed, whispering to myself. “Why do I even have to explain these things?”



A loud knock sounded at the door. I couldn’t help but groan a little at the interruption. “Yes?”



The door opened and brought with it the passage of colder air to flow into the stuffy room. A person entered along with it. Dressed in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants with blond hair that was combed to the left side, matched with his slightly tan white skin and bright blue eyes that nearly shone in the doorway.



He was smirking with a Pokéball in his hand, what for I could only imagine.



“Welcome to my private briefing, Jonathan.” I said with a smirk growing on my own face. “Is there any reason why you’re here?”



He closed the door behind himself, looking proud that he managed to find me. “Doing Pokémon battling rallies here tonight for the hell of it, wanted to know if you’d be interested.”



“Do all of you understand your mission?” I asked the six trainers, who all nodded. “Then you’re all dismissed, happy hunting.”



The six trainers cleared the room, looking relieved to be out of the hot hell that was this room.



“First off, I’m busy. Secondly, where in the ever living hell did you come from? You were literally sleeping when I left the apartment, and it's not even noon yet.” I said while standing up.



Jonathan opened the door and leaned up against it, glancing between me and the outside. “I don’t know man, something just hit different today. I got Ruby to teleport me and my team here since she’s doing stuff back at our apartment with the rest of your team.”



I walked past him with my package of evolution stones in hand, he called out to me after the door closed with a thud. “You owe me man, I’ll come knocking one of these days and it won’t be for permission.”



“I’ll prepare for tomorrow then.” I called back while walking to the exit.



The fresh cool air hit me all at once as I stepped outside, the rising sun still overhead while I began to walk along the sidewalk. I took a deep breath of the refreshing breeze, taking in the view from the bridge that connected the ‘Castle on the Island hill’ to a road that ran into Central Veneto, our capital city.



However I wouldn’t be going into the city today.



The outskirts consisted of forest that stretched for who knows how long, often cleared out in some areas for a Pokémon Center or route to another town or city. But there was the occasional house out there, cut off from the main roads.



I didn’t know all the houses that were out there, but only one really mattered. However the paths that led there are now plagued by wild Pokémon from infrequent use. I only had one of my team members with me, the rest were sleeping when I left. But it wouldn’t matter, nothing of threat to me could ever sermount from a few wild Pokémon for a few reasons.



One of the many being that never in my life would you catch me playing fair against something that wants me dead, human or otherwise. Playing fair is a risk in those scenarios, a risk I’m never going to take.



I grasped the only Pokéball I had with me, the feeling of responsibility flooding through me. Responsibility for those that choose to protect me, responsibility to the Pokémon I’ve spent my entire life with.



Stress accompanied it, although it didn’t matter much, I was used to it.



I tossed it into the air briefly before it opened, releasing the Pokémon from the inside of it in a flash of red light. The light disappeared as soon as it came, leaving behind a large purple snake that uncoiled itself, standing taller than me by a good foot and a half.



No matter how many times she rose above me; the chill that ran down my spine never got old.



“Hey Serene,” I greeted while stepping out in front of her. She glanced around the area before hissing lightly with a smile on her face. “I finished everything I needed to do at the castle, wanted to know if you wanted to stretch your coils for a while before starting our project.”



She took to my side, signaling for me to start walking by pointing ahead into the forest with her tail end of her coils. I nodded as I started wading my way through the first bits of brush before us. I kept an eye on my surroundings, getting surprised by a wild Pokémon was the last thing on my agenda.



The city quickly disappeared from all our senses, no noise from nearby cars, or the distinctive smell of the ocean. Leaving us alone as we traveled deeper into the woods along the old trodden dirt path that I went down a million times before.



These dirt pathways often went for miles, they were shortcuts for many that came with a risk. It is a chore to try and explore them all, some say that they went across the entire region. Even I couldn’t do it when I was a kid, and I had all the time I could dream of having.



I’ve been down so many, getting lost without a care in the world like any curious kid would. I wish I was smarter than that, would’ve spared me plenty of pain.



A nearby bush shook slightly enough for me and Serene to freeze instinctively and crouch down. “If it's hostile, nail it with gunkshot.” I whispered as she slowly got in front of me. My mind was already at work hyping me up for something that was probably far too small for whatever large-scale conflict I had envisioned to happen.



Anything could happen still, everything could go wrong no matter the odds. I picked up a sizable stick with the intent to use it like a staff-like weapon, should I need it.



Serene gave me a weird look before turning her attention back towards the possible threat.



“Don’t give me that,” I began while grasping the stick a little tighter. “This is just a precaution.”



She glared at me a little harder before rolling her eyes and turning her attention back towards the bush.



Out hopped a little brown and fuzzy Bidoof. It spotted Serene with her tall and threatening posture, and me with a stick. Slowly it backed up into the bushes it came from to turn tail and run, probably not expecting to see a Trainer out here, much less one being accompanied by an Arbok.



I sighed and tossed the stick to the side and continued on our way. Sometimes I wonder if I’m just too paranoid for my own good… maybe the stress was finally getting to my head.



Stress from the job, stress from all the people I meet, stress from any one of them being out to get information on me to put in a magazine, or worse. Some stupid papparazzi from whatever gossip magazine is popular in Veneta could be damn well following me right now and I’d never know.



If I ever found out I was being followed, nobody will find their corpse in these woods, nor miss them enough to look. I just want to do my job in peace, I just want to help without being judged by the suit I decided to wear, I do not want these people all up in my face making it a nightmare.



A twig snapped behind me, causing me to drop to the ground again as Serene once more took to getting in front of me.



Was I actually being followed by someone? Maybe killing the paparazzi would be a little harsh...



The rustling stopped, I saw nothing for me to take as a weapon, leaving Serene as my only defense should something bigger than last time come out of the bushes.



I felt like I was being watched from my mind itself, like every action I took was predicted to occur. I can safely assume there was no paparazzi thankfully, but we definitely have been followed by a Pokémon. And I think I knew who.



“Blast the bushes with acid, it's a psychic.” Serene bent her head back and spewed the acid all over the surrounding flora, everything hit began to wither away as it melted down to nothing.



Something green and white jumped out of the bushes flying straight towards me. I stepped to the side and tripped the Gardevoir with my leg as Serene fired a gunkshot straight at it. A smile flashed across its face as psyshock materialized into a sword in its hand before the Gardevoir disappeared into thin air.



I put my back to Serene’s as she hissed angrily. “Shake things up a bit, she has nowhere to run now.”



She wrapped a coil around me as a small laugh came from her. The ground began to shake in the surrounding area violently. Trees started to fall over, throwing the Gardevoir back into our view.



Serene pushed me to the side as her tail whipped around and clashed with the Gardevoir’s makeshift sword. She launched another gunkshot as it started backing off.



The Gardevoir slashed it in two and charged again. “She’s going to dodge this time, get a little surprise ready.”



Serene spun her tail around as the Gardevoir jumped over it, Serene bent back and launched one more gunkshot at it. It fell to the floor before teleporting a short distance away, still grasping onto the sword it made.



The sword suddenly disappeared into a flash of light as it began to approach with its hands up. She sighed before speaking in perfect english. “I yield, I’m not in the mood to fight off the prolonged effects of poison today, Tyrn. Nice shot by the way Serene.”



Serene rolled her eyes as she used haze to cure most of the effects of the poison, however it wouldn’t be completely eliminated. Haze can only stop so much, especially with the potency of her poison.



“How did you find us?” I asked her while leaning against one of the many fallen trees.



“You were gone when we woke up, I guessed where you were going to end up, and guessed correctly judging by where you’re standing.”



I sighed and started walking again, I really need to cover my tracks better. “Maybe I should be asking why you are following us, Ruby?”



“Keeping an eye on you like any responsible guardian would.” Ruby came up beside me and cleared away the fallen trees from the pathway forward. “And to keep you on your toes.”



“I guess an ambush is a great way to get the blood flowing.” I sarcastically retorted.



Serene hissed at her, Ruby answered back by grabbing me and her. My surroundings vanished out of my view for what felt like milliseconds, replaced by the view of an old house kept in good condition surrounded by the forest. Serene was next to me, but Ruby was gone.



A soft voice rung out in my mind. [I’ve got some things to attend to with Ashley, have fun, I’ll see you later hopefully.] I sometimes wonder what I’d do without her. The smile that lay upon her face is contagious, much like her attitude.



I started walking towards the house, Serene following close behind as I opened the door with a key I had on me. “Let's get to work on the thing we tried yesterday…”



I nearly called out for my parents as I entered, the words caught on my lips as I remembered that they’ve been long gone for years. I stopped in the doorway, my right hand shaking slightly as I balled it into a fist.



I closed my eyes for a moment, barely being able to enter this forsaken place. Serene entered beside me, looking a little worried as she tugged on my hand with her tail.



“I’m fine, just a little woozy from the teleport.”



…



The basement doors closed behind us as we descended the stairs to where we would be spending most of the day toying away at various potential weapon ideas I had. It was a lab of sorts, used by my dad while he was here. Now mine, and I couldn’t have any bigger shoes to fill then his...



I put down the box of various elemental stones Lance had gifted me onto a table in the center of the makeshift lab area. “Grab the gauntlet, let's see if our theory is correct…”



Serene opened a cabinet and passed me a metallic gauntlet, on the wrist area was a place to slot the stone into. I took out our safest option, the water stone, and slotted it in with a few clicks. It hissed with energy as the gauntlet began channeling some of it.



A robotic voice started to come from a computer sitting next to Serene, she had a small device on her head that was translating for me so we could communicate without Ruby’s psychic assistance. “Testing, testing… should we try using some of its power?”



“I’ll try,” I extended my hand outwards towards a soda can left there by someone I couldn’t remember. I visualized a small projectile of water launching itself at it, the gauntlet began to react with some whirls as something launched and hit the can dead on.



A bullet sized hole was punched straight through it, I took the stone out and put it back into the box. “So the stones have a harnessable energy, which is probably used in the evolutionary processes for Pokémon who need them to evolve. We already knew that, however this confirms that we can do more than just use it to power stuff, we can weaponize it completely.”



Serene nodded, using one of her tails to put a handle for a sword with a similar slot for a stone on the table. “Try the dawn stone, maybe you’ll create a ‘lightsaber’ finally.”



I chuckled a little before grabbing a dawn stone and putting it into the pommel area slot. It began to hum with a pink energy to it. Everything seemed stable at least.



“If this works, promise me to never tell Jonathan.” I got into a sword stance while pushing the button on the pommel end. The pink substance overflowed from where the blade should come out like liquid.



I reeled away, thinking that it was acidic, Serene calmly swiped it from my hand and closed her eyes. Suddenly the substance began to swirl around her as it formed into a blade where it should’ve.



“It seems to be a substance that's sensitive to the thoughts of its wielder,” she handed it back to me. “try it.”



It took the form of a liquid briefly as I imagined a sword, it swirled around me before doing as I commanded. The blade was very light, especially when compared to the usual sword I was accustomed to. I bent back and sliced the can from before clean in half, both pieces landing right beside each other.



“So it's being channeled through an object, grasping the object gives control of the substance. I’m guessing the substance itself has some other effects that can be exploited.”



I imagined it being thrown and wedging itself in the wall, I swung the blade and it took off and spun through the air, landing exactly where I envisioned.



Serene nodded fervently. “Try the same stone on the gauntlet.”



Quickly I did exactly that, the sword powered down as the gauntlet whirled again to life as the power flowed through it. I felt something more than usual, like I had a sixth-sense just be awakened.



I outstretched my hand, the two pieces of the can now floating in the air. “Bargain-bin value psychic powers, now I really need to hide this from Jonathan and Ruby”



Pain suddenly rippled through my body as the can pieces suddenly became hard to concentrate on, making them much heavier then they should. Everything seemed like it was fading away like my mind was being dragged somewhere. I ripped the stone out of the gauntlet before my senses could get overloaded any more.



Serene was at my side while I was coughing and bent down on my knees. “You alright? The screen said that something was interfering from the outside.”



I sighed, the pain was gone, leaving behind a sluggish feeling of tiredness. “I’m fine now, just a little shaken. Maybe I subconsciously tried reading the mind of a dark-type or something, Ruby says that trying to read that type’s mind usually results in a headache.” I said, dismissing any concern. Never doing that again unless Ruby is here for her natural prowess.



“I think that's enough testing, lets just tweak things we already have and tune other stuff, I’m feeling pretty drained after that…” I said while putting the stones back into the box and putting it into a cupboard for later.



…



“If Pokémon interact with the energy in the stones to evolve, then maybe it might cause things to change within humans.” Serene began while looking over some of the data that was collected from the testing we did. “Although Ruby would kill me should I allow you to do something like that to yourself. Don’t even ask, I know you would. Next time we can try the other stones with Ruby, for uh, ‘safety’.”



I packed the laptop away, taking off the device Serene had. “Yea, we can try the stones next time with Ruby. Also remember, do not tell her of the mishap, she’d lecture us on how dangerous being a psychic is before ‘losing’ it conveniently for our safety.”



She nodded, starting back up the stairs as I followed behind her.



I was feeling much better from before, thankfully just in time for my little personal project. I took a black backpack I left here for myself yesterday, containing a camera and another laptop. We went outside the house, making sure to lock the door before starting off into a different direction from where we came originally.



The castle was back north-east, with the city directly eastbound, we had to go in the opposite direction. It would be about a long walk westbound, about two and a half hour's worth of it. Afternoon sun bared down on us as we started making our way through, not nearly as hot as it should’ve been thanks to the natural shade of the forest.



Serene took to the trees, weaving around them with ease and grace. This forest has a benefit for her, giving her a natural way for her to move about. Unseen by most, posed and ready to strike at a moment's notice.



I started to pay even more attention to my surroundings, now I really couldn’t afford to be snuck up on by anyone, Pokémon or human. I found myself looking for places to jump and take cover behind, or potential environmental hazards I could exploit.



Assuming Serene doesn’t immediately ‘pacify’ the enemy, I lost track of her in the thick brush and trees. But I could still feel her looming over me, watching vigilantly from the shadows like she usually does. All the while being calculated and relentless in battle.



Like a predator, true to her nature but not a slave to it. Thankfully on my side and no one else's. Keeping a close eye on me most of all, the real target in this situation.



After all, you cut the head off the snake to kill it, and she knows that better than anyone else.



The bushes and trees thickened in density, only the dirt-path I trudged through was clear, sunlight was oddly absent now. It was all to give an illusion that nobody was set up here. How naive one must be to believe that a bunch of trees and bushes could keep someone away.



I crouched down and hung my bag on a tree, taking my camera in hand as I crawled my way through the bushes. Patrols would be happening in the nearby area right about now, I wasn’t worried for Serene, she’d never be found. However, I’m human, and they have guns and I don’t.



I spotted the building in front of me in a valley below, surrounded on all sides by concrete walls with a large gate to let things in or out. A road could be seen carving its way through the forest enough for trucks and cars to go down it with relative ease.



The place had an helipad with a helicopter waiting to take off, I could hear it from where I was.



I shouldn’t stay long, they’ll find me otherwise.



A question came back to me as I readied my camera, why do people do the things that they do? For good or evil?



Why do people willingly choose to make others suffer for their own benefit, or even just because they can. Why do people go out of their way to stop these people? To defend justice and the downtrodden, to make people feel good?



I took a picture of some trucks offloading weapons and ammunition, being sure to get some of the drivers as well. I needed everything I could get without direct confrontation.



Morals are not an invented thing, they’re a part of us like our very souls. Woven into us by an unseen creator, a conscience. But even that can be corrupted, by either the person forcing themselves or by influence from others.



We can even turn it off completely, the mob-mentality shows how easy it is for others to do terrible things so long as they see others doing it. Allowing them to convince themselves that because other people are doing it, it must be okay.



Sometimes the person is just wrong in the head, and even that brings its own questions. Like how does that happen? Abuse? Experiences that should be avoided ‘till a certain age? Trauma? A crippling desire for something?



Evil people do exist, it's not exclusive to any one species. But humans can seem more malevolent because of our ability to exploit the morals of others on levels that few Pokémon can even understand. All thanks to our advanced innate understanding of good and evil.



People can change as well through their experiences or understanding. I’ll admit that my experiences have changed me over the years, for better or worse.



A patrol group came out of the gate, they’d start sweeping the area soon, it was time to leave. I got enough for now. I can always come back, even though time isn’t on my side. I still had some.



I started crawling back out where I hung my backpack, the sun looking like it was going to start setting in about two hours. It’d be night by the time we got back, everyone should be too tired to ask questions about my whereabouts.



The forest darkened considerably, whatever could have been in the bushes before were most certainly there now. Pokémon can be extremely territorial, I best be on my toes and move fast.



I nearly jumped when my backpack landed beside me, barely catching Serene’s tail disappearing into the darkness. At least she has my back and knew that we should be leaving ASAP. I put my backpack on while starting to run, slipping my camera in and praying something doesn’t break it.



Swiftly I weaved my way through the forest trees and brush. Being mindful that I could step on anything from an Eevee’s tail, to a Ariados’s web. Both probably would lead to me getting bit by something with only my camera.



I only managed to get five photos of what was going on, disappointing but nothing that would set me back.



Investigating things as a Champion usually is high-profile, garnering the attention of a lot of people. Sometimes that’s the political play, tell everyone what you’re doing to get support, but not here. This case was different, this ‘investigation’ is more of a personal thing if anything. Nobody knows about my side of the story, while they may know of the parties involved.



Years ago when I became a Champion, I went back into a piece of my past I can’t ever seem to escape from. People died because of my mistake, the people responsible were connected to so much I couldn’t see at first.



Looking back, I should’ve been better, I should’ve seen the weight of what I was looking at. Research that went into the powers of Pokémon and where they come from was getting stolen throughout the region. And I didn’t bother to connect the dots until it came up again in my office.



It seemed simple at first. People already know who steals the research, but nobody knows who gives them the information necessary to do the heist. These research thieves had a name, back before I became a Champion they were called the Nomad Research Scourge, NRS.



That's when I decided to see if it was an inside job.



I hired a team of people to basically do nothing but look like they were working on something big, I didn’t tell them why. I put access to the information on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. Soon people would ask questions on what it was for, I gave all of them different answers for later.



Eventually like moths to a flame, they came directly into the fire. There were ten of them, all armed to the teeth with Venetian military gear. Such a shame they didn’t even have a chance to use it. Turns out the gear they had was reported ‘missing’ by officials in the military’s grand armory, although I don’t know enough to say whether it was stolen or given to them through an illegal sale.



Although I’m no longer allowed to do this because it's ‘unethical’, mind drilling revealed that they called themselves ‘Phantoms’ or ‘Eidolons’ and that they were given their orders by someone long thought KIA in the military.



The information they had on the project matched that of someone in my little experiment. A quick visit to this person revealed that the names lined up, and that they were far from the only one giving them information.



That's what kicked this whole damned thing off. I can’t trust anyone now, or else they’ll disappear and I’ll never find them. Now I just have to stop my friends from interfering with it, even my own Pokémon. All of them don’t know, except for one psychic who really likes being where she shouldn’t.



Although I’m not the only one looking for them, I’m the only one looking for the connections since nobody believes it to be a threat. Sometimes I wonder which side these people who are leaders of our region are on.



I jumped over a bush and landed in a small clearing, my legs burned from the few minutes of running. While crouched down and breathing as quietly as I could, I tried to listen to my surroundings.



Night was now upon us, the glow of the moon shone through just enough of the trees for me to see in front of me. My breathing steadied as the cool air around me sent a chill down my spine, slowly I began to continue walking through.



Something didn’t feel right again. I studied the area around me, darkness veiled much of the forest, the light only able to pierce through the openings in the leaves above. But something was there nonetheless, watching, plotting…



I caught the movement of something swinging my way in the corner of my eye and jumped away, I grunted as blood now dropped from a small cut on my cheek. A bladed tail stuck into the ground as the Pokémon revealed itself. Seviper, my least favorite thing to run into out here alone.



However I wasn’t alone on this occasion.



The Seviper recoiled backwards as another tail slapped it across the face and into a tree. It hissed angrily as poison started to drip off of its blade.



Serene hissed back, unmoving from her current position with her tail ready to deflect any attack. She hardened her gaze as the Seviper met her eyes.



I wiped my cut clean of blood, my expression matching the intensity of Serene’s. “I’m going to warn you once, leave peacefully, or I’ll leave a scar you’ll never forget.”



It raised its tail in a challenge, clearly not interested in negotiating with me or Serene. I couldn’t help but sigh, this thing didn’t even know who we were.



“I warned you.” I muttered as I flashed a hand-sign to Serene.



Serene swung her tail around and wrapped around the Seviper, it cried in surprise as she threw it in the air and struck it in the head with a dark pulse.



She kept up the pressure, weaving past its desperate and poorly aimed sludge bombs and striking it again with another dragon tail. The blow sent it into another tree right beside me, I slowly backed away with my arms up, ready to grab its tail in defense.



Its tail sailed at me in a stab, wheezing past me as I grabbed it and pulled hard. Its first reaction was to attempt to wrap around me, Serene hit its head with a pin-point sludge bomb of her own.



I took the chance and slashed it across the face with its own tail, it cried as its own tail blade ripped through its flesh and left a sizable cut in its face. It backed off as Serene stood behind me. The Seviper slithered off further into the woods while frantically waving its blade at me and her.



“Ruby is gonna kill that Seviper, then me.” I said jokingly while rubbing the cut on my cheek. By tomorrow it should be fine. Hopefully.



Serene wearily nodded her head, following directly behind me now as we finished our final stretch of the walk back home.



The sounds of the city returned to us, we popped out near a road that led directly to the apartment me and my friend were using. The ease of navigating the city really did contrast when compared to the forest outside it.



The occasional person drearily walked by us, uninterested in their surroundings enough to not even bat an eye at me. Sometimes it felt nice to just blend in a little bit. Or maybe they just didn’t have the energy to ask me any questions. I’d never know, and honestly, I’d rather not.



I stopped to gaze upwards at the apartment building in front of me. It was tall, and our rooms were on the top floor. I opened the door and walked briskly over to the elevator, waving to the girl behind the counter who waved back in a nonchalant way.



“Welcome back, Champion.” she said in a friendly tone.



I nodded back while going into the elevator, not interested in making small talk until I got settled down. I picked the tenth floor and the doors closed as we started our rise. Serene seemed a little claustrophobic of the setting, although I doubt she’d want to go into her Pokéball just for this moment.



With a ding of arrival, the doors opened. Serene exited first, thankful that it was over, I followed close behind while wielding a key for the door. My mind was beginning to calm itself, I didn’t have any reason to be paranoid of my surroundings for now. The lock shifted open with ease as I opened the door.



I was greeted to the wooden floor and white walls of the place I called home, the modern feeling to the place was nice. It had a kitchen with an island and a dining room off to its left near the door to the balcony which was right of the front door.



Serene shook her head and went towards my bedroom, probably to go sleep after the long day.



I sat down at the table and pulled the laptop out of my backpack and put the USB in. After a few clicks, the information on it started to flood the screen with files that included pictures and video of points of interest.



I narrowed down the amount of files to only the ones that I got today. Just the pictures were needed for now, I only needed to make sure that everything was fine.



The first picture was of a bunch of trucks with guns and ammunition, in the same shot were the forms of the driver and some guard. Truth be told, I have no idea why they would want guns out there in the first place. Is it some training site? Maybe a storage facility? Are they storing something there that's destroying their weapons enough for them to need more on a regular basis?



“Damn it…” I muttered to myself as I realized the other photos were corrupted. Stupid thing, I’ll just get a new one, I don’t want to deal with this thing again.



The one surviving photo would have to suffice.



A sigh escaped me as I got up and started walking over to the couch to watch some TV. I stopped myself short, seeing a Greninja and a Lucario sitting opposite from one another on different chairs watching what looked to be an anime of some kind.



The Lucario wore an orange bandana while the Greninja wore a sheath that housed a custom made knife.



“Gray, Aeon,” I said to get their attention. They both lazily turned to face me. “Dare I ask what you two are watching?”



Aeon’s aura flared up as he spoke, which was an odd quirk with his powers. “Something you and Jonathan were watching, Gray willingly agreed to watch it. Ain’t that right mate?” A sly smile appeared as he gestured to the Greninja opposite of him.



“Did you lose a bet or something Gray?” I asked while glancing at him, who seemed to be hiding something underneath the emotionless mask that he had on. Gray seemed to be unnerved, sitting on the chair with one of his hands supporting his head as he seemed to fight off the idea of falling asleep. His other hand held his knife, which he threw into the air and caught every few seconds.



It was probably the only thing keeping him awake.



He grumbled something as he caught the blade one last time before getting up.



“Go get ya beauty sleep then.” Aeon said in retort. Gray’s right hand flashed bright blue as he threw a water shuriken lightly at him. Aeon yelped in surprise as the water shuriken got most of his chest wet. A glare was all he could manage to send back to him.



I stifled a laugh, no matter how many times this happened it never got old. Thankfully it never went beyond just verbal rivalry often. I noticed someone was missing, a particular Gardevoir.



“Any idea where Ruby is?”



Aeon paused the show and squinted his eyes briefly. “Your room I believe, she said something about maybe getting another bed and putting it in there to help deal with your nightmares.” he pointed to my room down the hall, the door slightly ajar. Probably from Serene.



“She told you about the nightmares?” I asked defensively.



A look of sympathy washed over his face as he pushed play. “Eh, I already knew. Even when I’m sleeping I can feel what's happening around me. Can you bless me with the knowledge of what keeps thyself up at night?”



“I’d rather not talk about it, please just keep it to yourself.”



“Aye aye, captain.” Aeon muttered as I walked over to my room.



I peeked in the crack and saw Ruby with a picture sitting on my bed. She seemed to be staring off into space, not aware of her surroundings in the slightest. Quietly I slid past the door and entered, Ruby still unaware of my presence.



A small smile grew on my face. “Hola.” I whispered into her ear.



Her eyes went wide as she jumped slightly on the bed, the picture getting thrown into the air and freezing in place. She groaned as realization came across her face. “It's not nice to sneak up on other people, Luke.”



“It's also not nice to ambush people, Ruby.” I retorted as I put my backpack down near my bed. “What are you looking at anyway?”



The picture levitated over to me as Ruby rolled her eyes.



It was a picture of my parents with Ruby in the center as they sat in front of our old house, my father's arm going around all of them. It was taken a few years before I was born judging by the date in the bottom right of the picture.



I found myself staring into it, reminiscing of all the memories I had of similar times. Oh how I wish I could go back. Back to when everything was simple and easy to grasp.



Ruby swiped it out of the air and made it disappear. “I’ll leave you to yourself for right now.” she seemed to have something on her mind. Before I had a chance to say anything back, she teleported away.



Time seemed to blur, I found myself staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror with my toothbrush half-hanging out of my mouth like I was losing consciousness. I continued to stare, wondering if I should just leave this whole case up to a bunch of investigators. It technically wasn’t my job, and I could be doing things that I liked with my friends.



“But who else would do it…” I muttered to myself. Nobody had the connections that I did, both external and personal. Or the will to complete it at any cost.



I seemingly closed my eyes for what felt like a second, finding myself suddenly on my bed. Tucked away in the corner of the room beside a window, allowing me to stare out into the cityscape of Central Veneto. The sprawling capital of the grand region of Veneta.



It was too distracting to look at. Especially as I tried to fall asleep.



There were plenty of things to be stressed about, and I only remembered these things as I try to sleep. More action was now needed on my investigation, pictures were good but were nowhere near the only thing I needed. There is a big need for me to commit, although I don’t know if even that is enough.



I tried to push those thoughts to the back of my mind. There was enough to worry about already.



The thought of my friends getting involved really made me nervous. I can’t calculate for them all, I’ll mess up eventually and they’ll get killed. Even my own Pokémon are an enigma despite the time I’ve spent with them.



The potential consequences were too great to risk. The last thing I want is more blood from people I care about on my hands.



I turned my thoughts towards my past traveling adventures. Me and Jonathan toured the world together before meeting Lance, however I’ll always remember the ONE time I underestimated some kid in a red hat. His silence always sent a chill down my spine, he was so unreadable.



Now I really couldn't sleep.



I remembered how badly the recent Kalos league went, how a kid who lost the league still went on to save the world from some madman. You may not be the best at everything, but you can still make a difference.



I felt a little better about myself, but sleep still fled from my frail mind.



The sudden need for fresh air began to wrap around me like a chokehold, quietly I got up off my bed. My foot stopped and tripped on something.



I barely caught myself on my nearby shelf. A quiet sigh escaped me as I peered at the Pikachu and Fennekin both hunched over one another on a tiny little bed that was in the center of it. Thankfully the impact did nothing but slightly shake it.



I rose slowly off of it, waking them would be a death sentence for any semblance of sleep I could get. It’s funny, even though I’ve spent my literal entire life with my current team I barely can predict them unless they were fighting.



I found myself rubbing a ring that my mom and dad had given me for my tenth birthday to be able to mega evolve any of my Pokémon that had the ability. It was one of the many aces I had up my sleeve, amongst my at times dirty style of battling.



After all, you don’t win those big fights by playing fair. Even Lance of all people agrees with me on that.



I noticed that Gray's knife was out of its sheath, but for all I knew, Gray meant to leave it out. Perhaps maybe as a distraction for a thief, or maybe he left it out for my sake in such a scenario.



I looked back to the two sleeping Pokémon in the tiny bed, I could practically hear their child-like laughter echo in my head. Shock and Ashley, it was like they thought that the world was theirs alone to conquer. A smile crept across my face at the remembrance of their blissful ignorance at the world's problems, it gets harder every day to keep them unaware for their sakes.



Something lit up on my nightstand briefly, snapping me out of my recollection. I nearly tripped again on something else, my balance thankfully being kept.



The supposed object I tripped on was not an object but Serene. I felt her coles of brush up against my legs after disturbing them. They curled up slightly towards my bed as I realised that she was actually underneath it again.



A book was beside my bed that laid open, I could only make out that it was a recently published science book from the contents of pages that were readable. I picked it up and closed it softly, sliding it carefully underneath my bed where Serene would probably appreciate it being put. Her coils were seemingly guarding the underside of my bed like an impenetrable wall, leaving me unable to even see if she was still awake reading something.



However I couldn’t care less if she was still awake or not, she could do what she wanted so long as nobody was awoken by her activities during the hours of the night. I snatched my phone from my nightstand, being careful to avoid Serene’s coils as I made my way to the door.



I opened the door as quietly and quickly as possible, since it loved to squeak at the most obnoxious of times. Carefully I closed the door behind me, I could see Jonathan’s room opposite to mine, who was sharing the apartment with me.



Although I knew he wasn’t here, I wonder how he’s doing.



As I crept through the living room, the TV was still playing the show Aeon the watching. Although he was fast asleep with his arms draped over the couch and the remote on his right side. Disturbing the scene would possibly wake him up.



The cool breeze of the night filled my lungs as I stepped out onto the deck. Clearer thoughts started flowing through to relieve me from the slog I was in. There were two chairs and one table that was often laid off to the side due to having minimal use. I sat on the chair to the right, giving me a grand midnight view of Central Veneto.



A particular presence formed behind me. I knew who it was, although I acted like I didn’t notice. Whatever surprise I thought Ruby was going to try disappeared as she took a seat beside me.



“So where’d you get that cut?” she pointed at my cheek.



I rubbed it instinctively, it wasn’t bleeding anymore but it did still sting slightly upon touch. “A fight with a Seviper, a simple miscalculation and nothing more.”



“And the weird psychic imprint on you, what were you doing with Serene anyway?”



“Speaking of the weird psychic imprint, would you like to help me with-”



“No, Luke, I mean it,” she outstretched her hand and in a soft green glow the wound on my cheek disappeared. “Cuts and broken bones I can heal, but destroying your mind with whatever you're doing is something I most certainly cannot fix.” her gaze intensified. “So how’d you do it?”



I sighed while clasping my hands together. “I had a theory about psychic abilities and it was correct. I wanted your help perfecting it for… safety reasons I had.” Ruby shook her head slightly. “Nothing went wrong.” I added.



“If you say so,” I could hear the skepticism dripping off her voice like venom. “Helping you possibly rip a hole in the fabric of reality sounds fun.”



I noticed that she had a very particular sword on her hip, one of my finished prototypes. I find it odd that she had it. “Are you going somewhere with that? And can’t you make your own?”



“Mine can’t channel electricity. And yes I am going out, to see Vence more specifically.” Ruby rolled her eyes as her right hand began to glow slightly as pink and black energies materialized into a rapier. She jokingly pointed it at me.



I didn’t respond in any way, knowing that she had something to say that had nothing to do with sheer coincidence. Suddenly a more serious look washed across her face with a tone to match.



“I know that you know that I know about your little investigation. Why are you doing it anyway if you're so emotionally betrayed by it?”



I met her gaze with one just as intense as hers. “Because no one else is as thorough as me, nor has the will to complete it.”



"Wouldn’t you rather leave the past behind?” the sliding door closed with a flash of her powers. Her rapier disappeared as she gazed deeper into me. “I sort of understand not telling anyone, but why are you so fixated on the past and not your future?”



“I never make a mistake and not rectify it, this is personal, wouldn’t you want the same peace of mind? For their sakes and not your own?”



“Yes I would, but I know the path you’re taking leads to self-destruction.” Her red eyes sparked a little in the moonlight.



I sighed, it was far more complicated than that. “That's a reason why I didn’t want anyone involved,” I frustratedly waved my hands in the air. “Because you or Lance or anyone that knows where this path could lead would try to stop me. I already doubt myself enough, I don’t need anyone else doing the same.”



Ruby’s voice turned soft, taking my left hand in her right. “Then why continue?”



“I just bloody told you why.” I angrily stated while tearing my hand away.



In a brief flash of light I found my chair closer to her, she narrowed her eyes as she leaned onto my shoulder. “You know what I meant.” she sternly said, unmoving from my shoulder.



I spotted the necklace that my mom gave her a long time ago. A ruby lay in the center of it encased in gold, kept up upon her chest by a chain made of a metal that matches the strength of her own psychic abilities. The stronger she is, the more structured and grand it appeared. Often it shone brightly, just as bright as her, the shining gem of our lives.



“Why continue down a path you already know the ending to? Is that really a price you're willing to pay, Luke?”



I got up and leaned against the railing of the balcony. Already knowing where this would end up. “Yes.”



“You know whatever you do affects us too, right?” she began. I could feel the stress she felt for me while mine vanished. “I feel more than just your stress. No matter how hard you try to hide it, I can feel your pain. I know it hurts, I bear it too. But you have to realize that we can’t fail you if we were never given the chance.”



I tensed up, many emotions that I didn’t want suddenly flooded my mind. The intensity drained from her face and turned into a look of understanding, she pulled me into a hug that I didn’t resist. “You’re not wrong, it's dangerous, people could get hurt or worse. But you have to remember that we choose to follow you. All of us, even Jonathan would agree. Let us at least try before you take the worst option for yourself.”



“I’ll think about it.” I said evenly.



She rolled her eyes after breaking the hug, leaning up on the railing next to me. “Sometimes I still see you as I did all those years ago, even though you’ve grown so much since then.”



“Some things never change.” I couldn’t help but smile while adopting a similar tone to her.



Ruby began to slightly glow. “Well Tyrn, go get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.” she disappeared in a flash of light, leaving me alone once more. I took a deep breath while sitting back down, what she said before still on my mind as I took out my phone.



The first message was from Jonathan, a picture of him and a person with a black hat and dark skin wearing a white dress shirt and blue jeans. Lance’s green eyes always stood out no matter what he wore, and his insistence upon looking like an office worker never helped much.



Another text accompanied it, sent by Lance, titled, ‘The bigger they are’.



The prospective seems to be from Lance’s phone, it starts with Jonathan overlooking a battlefield, mid-match no less.



“Get out of there and watch your flank.” Jonathan shouted as a Steelix launched itself at a Flygon that was gliding through the air. The Flygon swooped below the Steelix and landed on the ground away from it.



The Steelix landed with a thud on the other side of the arena, it stopped moving and started returning the cold stare.



“What's your strategy here? I don’t see this side of you very much anymore.” Lance said with a snicker. Jonathan ignored Lance who was sitting next to him and looked to the Flygon. Who looked back at him briefly, awaiting its next orders.



He laughed slightly, standing up to issue his order. “Herra, show them why I hate sand.”



The Flygon snickered to itself, before outstretching it’s wings and blasting off the ground gracefully. It conjured some wind using its wings and created a sandstorm within moments of hitting the air.



The Steelix wouldn’t take damage from the sandstorm, but I think I knew what he was going for...



The other trainer called out for the Steelix to use Dig to hide itself from the Flygon. Now I saw what he was going for, oh that poor soul. The Steelix dug into the earth quickly, leaving nothing behind as it disappeared.



“I do this for a living, I always have a strategy.” Jonathan smugly said to Lance.



He then sat back down, Herra was already in position for the move. “Earthquake.” he uttered.



Herra raised itself up before she smashed the ground viciously, violent shaking and tremors rocked the area they were battling in, kicking up dirt. The Steelix jumped to the surface, it was incredibly injured in the attack.



Just about anything could knock it out. It looked that Jonathan should win, but I knew anything could change at any moment.



“Don’t get cocky, I’ve seen situations like this play out in the opposing ‘mons favor before.” Lance mused.



Jonathan laughed. “What could possibly happen? Herra, Bulldoze.” Herra flew through the air to stomp the Steelix into submission.



With a roar of newfound strength it jumped into the air, baring Ice Fang. Herra stopped her attack, surprised at its sudden burst of energy. She attempted to swoop away from it as it lunged at her. Twisting around as it rapidly caught up and sending a mud-slap its way.



The Steelix twisted its tail around and hit it back at her. Herra cried out as it hit her in the eyes and sent her to the ground, the Steelix caught her with an ice fang and threw her into the ground.



The Steelix stared down at her, she was out.



“And that's why you never let your guard down.” Lance sighed as Jonathan fought to keep a neutral look on his face. He returned Herra before setting her down on a chair.



“I’ve won five out of the six one on ones with this kids Pokémon, I still won overall.” he said with his pride not hurt in the slightest. Jonathan then looked over at Herra, who still had some ice stuck on her wings. “You tried, that's all that matters.”



She managed to weakly smile happily back.



The video ended there. Can’t say I’m not surprised Jonathan would find a way to lose that. At least he knows what he’s doing whenever he’s actually needed to be serious.



The second notification was another message from an anonymous number...


I got everything, all you need to do is show up at the designated location tomorrow then we can discuss the plan and how we execute it.


I sighed, everything is just getting thrown at me all at once. Maybe Ruby is right, having others does alleviate some of the stress when they choose to bear it.



I got up and took one last look at the grand city of Central Veneto, before going inside at a rather sluggish pace.



Aeon hadn’t moved at all, while the TV had turned itself off from minimal use. I wondered if Aeon meant to fall asleep to spite Gray tomorrow as I got closer to my room. The door opened and closed without squeaking to my relief. Carefully I put my phone on its charger and got into bed, one last thing was now on my mind.



There is no turning back, even Ruby knows that. If she’s so adamant about being there for me despite the potential consequences, then I’ll have to adapt. I am a quick-thinker after all, shouldn’t be too hard to put some things in play if everyone wants in.



My mind finally started to calm, I could see things in my mind, things from my childhood. When things were so much simpler and easier to grasp, I wish’d that I could stay forever, but I knew what awaited me when I am to awaken.



Maybe I am just fresh out of luck.