Cyrus

Prince teleported to a golbat, appearing right in front of it in an instant, startling it completely. Golbat recoils in confusion and in that moment, Prince let out his full powered confusion! The golbat is instantly K.O.'d, not even really understanding how it got defeated.

Duchess entered the front lines where two trainers were fighting for their lives as she danced in front of them, slicing all pokemon and people who approached or attacked them dead within seconds. This emboldened them and soon more reinforcements from the trainers now coming into the cave after Steven could be seen running to this location. However this did not stop Duchess as she only focused on her dance and perfecting this sword style she had created through so much effort.

Queen finally finished her second dragon dance and she charged as fast as an actual cannonball as she smashed into the center of the enemy formation! They all look at her with hate filled eyes, pokemon and people alike looking at her flesh as if it were a goldmine! However she does not care about these looks and roars out her challenge, it was time to fight! All 56 pokemon present in the formation attack at once, leaving no gap in any attack, however She just charges through the area that has the weakest attack, charging a dragonbreath as she rushed into the horde!

Steven and Growlithe make it to the baby slowpoke and the two other pokemon fighting for them. Growlith lets out a few long embers to grab their attention as the embers, although far away, hit each target with stone cold precision. Both humans and pokemon alike were hit with the move as they recoiled in pain! Steven and growlithe run in front of the other two defending pokemon and growlithe goes on the attack as Steven looks back to see the conditions of the pokemon they were attempting to save.

Steven notices the injuries on the two defending pokemon while Smoker repeatably spams ember and fire spin to trap, confuse, disorientate and defeat both the rocket members and the pokemon. This was easy for Smoker so Steven didn't have to worry as he took out some oran berries for the severely injured pokemon.

The gligar looked young but decently trained, though it looked like it had been some time since it had properly trained in whatever practice it used to do. However it had holes in its wings from bite marks and poison attacks and since some of the wounds were not recent, this pokemon would have to deal with that for the rest of its life.

The large slowpoke also caught Stevens attention as its body had various chunks missing out of it and was in a similar situation to the gligar where if it survived it would have to live with this condition forever. However what Steven noticed was that this slowpoke although massive, looked extremely young, far too young for its size! The correct size for its age should be about the size of those slowpoke it was protecting!

That was when Steven had a thought, Pokemon Go, Eevee and Pikachu mechanics. If Steven ever tried to explain this mechanic within world lore he would hypothesize that small and large pokemon had a 'mutated' bloodline where their bodies grow too much or too little. This was a concept introduced whenever the pokemon company decided that not every pokemon was the same size even if they were from the same species.

However this was the first time Steven had seen it appear in this world and was immensely curious as to how it worked, but now was not the time and he would research more about this later.

Steven took out some oran berries from his bag and gave them to the two injured pokemon who happily took this life saving berry. Both Pokemon and people knew what berries did what so there was really no way he could fool them. He would like to use potions on them, but didn't know how they would react to that kind of thing in this situation as well as potions weren't instantaneous like in the games. Potions took time, alot of time, and were usually only used at the end of battles. Potions would take around 4 hours, super potions took a little under 3 hours and hyper potions took about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Only max potions and full restores had the miracle inducing effects of healing within seconds and fully, however those types of potions were literally locked by the league. It didn't matter who you were or what you were trying to do, if you didn't have all 8 badges of the league and weren't at least registered as a challenger, you couldn't even get to a market where they were being sold. It was extremely difficult to get access to this medicine, simply because of the effects and the materials needed to craft it.

The pokemon gradually started to feel better as the berries entered into their systems and started to heal some of their broken parts. Steven nodded after they started to heal, checked to make sure that none of the other baby slowpoke were harmed and then came to a grim discovery. A trainers body was lying to side of the pit they were defended in, and in his hand was a pokeball that had sticker of a Gligar on it. Steven instantly understood and looked at the gligar who was sitting and watching Smoker fight 30 odd opponents by himself.

Steven sent a mental thought to gligar,"Gligar, this is the human who save you, come here for a moment.."

The gligar ears perked up and it looked at Steven who was standing away from the fighting, outside of the pit. Curious, the gligar walked over to him because he currently couldn't fly and jumped out of the pit when he got to the lip. However, when he tumbled and then righted himself the gligar almost immediately was stunlocked as he looked upon his trainer, clearly dead and lying motionless in the ground.

Steven saw his reaction and didn't say anything for a few seconds to let gligar process his thoughts. Finally, Steven asked mentally,'What was his name?'

Gligar unconsciously answered,'Anthony'

After he thought this the gligar started to weep as his reality set in. His trainer, his best friend, someone who he was going to see the world with, was dead! The gligar weeped and cried into the cruel uncaring void of time as his grief washed over his small frame.

Steven thought to him,'What was the last thing he did?'

Gligar, even through his grief tried to process what his trainer was doing and replied through mental tears,'Anthony said he saw reinforcements coming and that he was going to rendezvous with them as our pit hadn't been discovered yet..'

Steven thought about this for a moment, and then responded with,'Your trainer was a true hero.'

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Gligar, shocked, looked up at Steven as he continued,'I see what happened. He saw reinforcements, but not reinforcements for you but for your enemies. In a moment of pure, unbridled bravery, to make sure you and the babys were not found, he diverted their attention away from you, ultimately sacrificing his life in the process'. Steven placed a hand on the still sobbing Gligar, as he continued,'Your trainer realized the stakes this time, and he made the decision that ultimately gave you enough time to survive so that I and the others could show up. He took a gamble with his life, he KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING, HE WAS PROTECTING THE THINGS HE HELD DEAR, AS ANY MAN SHOULD. HE MADE HIS SACRIFICE SO THAT YOU COULD LIVE ON AND SPREAD HIS DEEDS, DO NOT DISSAPOINT HIM, GET UP, GET YOURSELF TOGETHER AND GET BACK TO DEFENDING THE DREAM THAT HE DIED PROTECTING!!'

Steven had gotten a little heated but this power talk to Gligar was exactly what it needed as it now stood up with a hidden resolve shining through its eyes. Gligar didn't say anything as it looked down at its former trainer, then at steven, nodded, and turned to join the fight once more!

Steven didn't stop him as this was his own crisis, and he needed to work through it himself. Only then would he grow.

Steven walked up to the healing but still injured massive slowpoke and asked mentally,'so you got a name?'

The slowpoke shook its head and replied,'No… Im too young to have a name…"

Steven looked at the babies behind them and then at the slowpoke, and then asked,'You were born at the same time as these other slowpoke?'

The slowpoke smiled and nodded, replying,'Yeah.. Those my brothers and sisters… tommy… and brandon… I gave them my own names…. And eva…'

Slowpoke kept listing off names slowly as the battle raged on in front of them. Prince adeptly maneuvered the battlefield, appearing before the strongest enemies and punching them with physic energy everytime he did so. Queen was still tearing through the center folds as she stomped, bit, and dragonbreathed anything with a pulse. Steven also paid special attention to Duchess because as he watched he noticed the dance was getting smoother and more perfect as time went on. He had really lucked out teaching dancing on a whim to his pokemon! He hadn't expected Duchess to be a prodigy of sword styles and dancing as a fusion!

Duchess ducked as attacks fired off above her, and then used the leverage to jump high in the air as her left scythe cuts a rocket member in two at the chest and a zubat in two straight down the middle. She felt in the zone as she perfected her dance with death, she moved in zigzag patterns to confuse the enemy as she waltzed in a certain pattern to avoid an attack and strike at two enemies at the same time. It was glorious but Duchess knew that there was something missing, and she was continually reaching for that mysterious, allusive feeling that she knew was just around the corner.

Prince teleported in front of Steven and took a knee saying,'Report, all high-level boss candidate pokemon and member have been dealt with, advise on next approach.'

Steven smiled and said,'Just relax and watch the rest.'

Prince finally was able to calm his energy as it settled back down to its mastered and concealed states. He relaxed his body as going all out can really drain you when your not used to using it all the time! Shortly after Duchess finished and Growlithe finished killing all the enemies and went and helped Queen in the center, where she was handing everyone an ass wooping, instead of just straight out killing them. Steven chuckled as she did have a sadist streak that was beginning to crop up along with her battle maniac title.

Stevens team took quick care of the rest of the member and pokemon and soon with the other trainers help, the rest of the goons fled from the cave. The had won and both humans and pokemon alike roared and cheered in exhilaration, all of them viewing Steven and his team as saviors.

The many human survivors thanked Steven as him, his team, and the other trainers unhooked and healed all the pokemon they could. Steven gave them all his contact information for when they got out of the cave, which wouldn't be too hard as cave explorers were often in these caves and you easily pay one to get you out of the cave, the cave would always be there to explore after all!

Once all the pokemon and people who could be helped were helped, they all started to filter out of the cave, the pokemon following the humans in a line, because they would all need extensive checks at a human center. One of the many charms that pokemon centers had was that there was a separate area that wild pokemon could go to in almost any place a pokemon center was located where their would be chanseys that would heal them, and feed and water them if they are starving or dehydrated. This was how, despite being beaten to near death by some trainers, wild pokemon could continue to thrive and was a huge talking point when it came to medical access.

However, in the next moment as everyone starts exiting the entrance of the cave, they hear from across the cave where the rockets grunts had entered,"Oh Steven~, where are you going my boy?~ I'm here to play with you!"

Steven sharply turned to the direction of the voice that called his name specifically. Steven was waiting to see who it was, he was thinking that one of the admins was showing up already, which would put Steven in a tough position as his pokemon were not near strong enough to contend with them quite yet, maybe about 10 levels from now.

Steven continued to usher people out of the cave as he and his pokemon stood side by side and waited for the mysterious person to show themselves.

At this moment as the last survivors weakly walked out of the cave, the man finally, fully stepped out of the shadows and revealed his entire figure. He was sleek, tall and moved with confidence. His eyes shone and one could tell that they contained great brilliance. His hair, a blueish gray, spiked and swayed under the low wind of the cave. His voice was raspy and deep as he spoke aloud,"Hello Steven, my names Cyrus, I have heard many things about you."

Immediately upon hearing this mans name was cyrus did all the context clues kick in for Steven! Team rocket and Cyrus were connected?! Even he did not know that!!

Steven immediately got in his best defensive posture on reflex and all of his pokemon immediately followed his lead without so much as a command.

Cyrus whistled and said,"Wow, the rumors do not disappoint, you do look like a monster! Well, here are my pokemon…" and then released his two team members. A Houndoom and a sneasel.

(A/N: Houndoom is set level 27 and Sneasel (because the evo hasn't been found yet) is unevolved and set at level 25)

Steven eyes bulged at the very clearly well trained and powerful pokemon now standing menacingly opposite them. Steven pulled out a paper, wrote one word and then flipped it for Cyrus to see, it read "Why?"

Cyrus chuckled and asked,"Do you really need to ask? You see you killed hundred of the rockets men so far, and interfered and sabatoged multiple high-level projects. To top it all off, you have gotten the attention of "him". An existence so ruthless, cunning, and downright malicious that anytime someone catches their attention, they are dead within a year. And you! You have managed to interfere in several of their missions!"

Stevens face hardened and he asked on the paper,"Who is "Him?"

Cyrus laughed as he had just been told the most hilarious joke and said,"As if I would ever tell you, and even if I did know, which no one but the inquisitor know I wouldn't let some kid know it. Come on now! From all the stories I've heard your not to be trifled with, so lets just shut up and get you killed already!"

Steven smiled, took out a fresh new piece of paper and wrote a short and sweet sentence on it, folding it up. Then writing on the original piece of paper something too, after a short while he crumpled the paper around the letter and then threw it to Cyrus.

Cyrus was confused but picked up the sealed letter and crumpled note and read the crumpled note. It said,"Make sure you do not look at the information inside. Give this to your leader no matter if i win or you win!"

Cyrus was intrigued by this boy's behavior and stashed the letter in his pocket. Even if it was nothing, if it was meant for someone else, it was not his business! Cyrus and Steven, both now ready to engage in a fight, look at each other with determined expressions and both commanded their pokemon to fight!

Houndoom was now fighting both Duchess and Smoker, while the Sneasel was fighting Prince and Queen. Steven and Cyrus on the other hand, in an odd twist of fate, were also fighting. What Steven did not know was that much like himself, Cyrus enjoyed the training he put his pokemon through and had joined in long ago, while also studying a martial art exclusive to this world called "Lucar Stance Arts" based on how the Lucario species fought and won its battles with their innate martial prowess.

Steven, however, had thousands of hours of documentaries and detailed information on hundreds of different fighting styles in his mind from when he was stuck in the hospital and wanted something to read. He knew all the fundamentals in his mind, and had been practicing in this past year and half on many of things he had only read about. So as he fought, just like his pokemon, he was becoming better and better as he dodged, weaved and fought back.

Steven had been at the 3rd level for a while now, and was currently stuck at a deadlock as he had already purified all of his energy as well as expanded and compressed as much as he possibly could at this point. But, he was still stuck at a roadblock because only life and death events could break through certain thresholds in aura users journey. Having Aura and using aura are too different things. Only when a user truly puts others before himself and accepts the aura as a product of that would he truly feel like an aura master, and steven had not begun that process yet. He was naive in thinking that he could control every single aspect, but that was part of the journey of life.