Centuries ago, in the region of Kalos, the Dark Pestilence wiped out entire villages as the plague spread across the region and beyond.

Closer to the present day, Kalos once again found itself plagued by a force that repeated history by wiping out entire villages.

Except, history wasn't quite repeating itself. It wasn't disease that destroyed those villages. It was a duo of monsters, who banded together to terrorise human and Pokémon alike, and they amassed countless victims.

But some managed to survive them. Some managed to escape death or enthrallment by their hand. Their victims wanted justice. Their victims needed justice, and from the ashes of destruction, rose the first Pokémon G-Man and his partner.

Once, there was a humble village in Kalos. The villagers were farmers, growing food that helped feed Kalos, and among one family, the Gagneux family, there was a certain man.

"Paien, remind me, why should I read this book?" asked a twenty-year old man with red hair and brown eyes as he waved a thick, hardcover book at his older brother. "I don't even like Pokémon. Why should I read a book on how to train them? We're just farmers!"

"Because, Fabron," said Paien. "Nearly everyone has a Pokémon. You're an adult now, and adults without a Pokémon tend to be viewed unfavourably, and in case farming doesn't work out for you, not having a Pokémon will affect your job prospects."

"Lots of jobs don't even need Pokémon!" said Fabron.

"Doesn't matter, now start reading," said Paien with finality. "If you need me, I'll be working out at the fields."

Fabron grumbled as his brother left, but he accepted what his brother said and opened the book. Before he did though, he reread the book's title, 'How to Train your Pokémon - A List of Pokémon Attributes, Proper Training Regimens, and Movepools'.

As Fabron read about the Pokémon native to Kalos, he looked at the time. He had been reading for several hours. He could see Paien working on his family's field through his window. Would his brother notice if Fabron stopped now?

He got out of his chair and opened his door. He would have walked out of his room, but his parents were standing there.

"Ha ha," said his father.

"Nice try," said his mother.

"All of you were in on it!?" asked Fabron.

"Of course," said his father as his parents stepped into the room and Fabron sat back down.

"We want what's best for you after all," said his mother. "We all noticed that you don't seem to enjoy farming as much as the rest of us."

"You did?" asked Fabron. In retrospect, he should have realised that after what Paien said earlier. He had... mixed feelings about their actions. On the one hand, they were forcing him to read the book on Pokémon Training, but on the other hand, they noticed he didn't actually like the family business.

"We did," said his father as he shook his head and took a deep breath. "While I always wanted both my sons to take up farming like me, I also know I can't force you to be part of the family business if you don't like it. And you never did, you just kept quiet about it."

"Speaking of which, holding all your feelings in isn't healthy," said his mother. "It could cause issues down the line."

"Hmph."

His parents then took their leave.

"Continue reading," said his mother. "While we can't force you to take over the family business with your brother, we can force you to improve your job prospects."

"All right, all right," said Fabron as he turned back to his book.

"Ahh, today's another great day for farming," thought Paien as he tended to their crops. Unlike his brother, he always liked doing work on the farm. With a frown, he looked at Fabron's window. He hoped his brother could find his calling, whatever it may be. He and their parents just knew that Fabron needed his Pokémon, however unnecessary his brother thought it was.

Shaking his head, Paien got back to work.

While engrossed in his work, Paien didn't notice a floating black-coloured sword and shield as it silently approached him.

At least, up until the moment it slammed him into the ground. Paien turned around and was shocked to see his attacker.

He tried to escape but that was when the eye on the hilt glowed black and his own vision turned dark.

Obey.

Paien tried his hardest to resist, but the black sword only pushed harder.

Yield.

Paien slowly felt himself losing control over his body.

Kneel!

His struggles ceased as the sword's will overwhelmed him. Try as he might, he could not stop himself from kneeling.

Under the sword's full control, the sword then forced him to walk towards his house.

Fabron continued reading the book Paien gave him. He read all about the Pokémon detailed by the book. Within were details on Pokémon names, their types, abilities and movesets, and how to properly raise them. He turned the page-

"Aaaaaah!"

-when he was suddenly interrupted from his reading by the sound of screams.

"What was that!? That sounded like my parents!"

Fabron immediately got up to check on them. He almost made it out of his room, before he realised he didn't have a weapon to fend of any intruders.

At least, until his eyes landed on the book Paien had given him. With how thick and heavy it was, it was better than nothing and Fabron took it with him as he ran to help his parents.

In their living room, Fabron was shocked by what he saw.

There was blood splattered all over the walls, and every piece of furniture was broken. And next to deep gashes on the floor, were the bodies of his parents. Fabron could only stare in horror as he saw all the blood that came from their wounds.

There was no doubt, his parents were already dead. He was too late.

In front of them was a man wielding a black shield and sword, and Fabron felt every instinct telling him he was in great danger. Fabron's horror only increased when the man turned. His eyes glowed black, but he recognised that face.

"Paien!?" shouted Fabron as he stumbled back.

"Oh, is that this man's name?"

Fabron saw his brother's mouth moved, but that wasn't Paien's voice. He then took a closer look at the sword and remembered reading about it from the book he was carrying.

It was a Pokémon, with the power to control human and Pokémon alike.

"An Aegislash!?" he said as said Pokémon glowed white and forced Paien to attack his own brother.

Fabron dodged the Slash and turned back to the Aegislash.

"Release my brother, you damn Pokémon!"

"I am not just any Pokémon," said the Royal Sword Pokémon. "My name happens to be Dainsleif."

"I don't care what your name is, release my brother now!"

Dainsleif gave his answer in the form of a Night Slash attack, and unlike before, Fabron was unable to dodge it.

He was blown through his front door as the attack threw him far. When he got back up, he realised the book he carried took the brunt of the attack.

Concerned neighbours opened up their doors and windows when they heard the loud noise, and they were horrified to see Fabron's attacker.

"Paien's being possessed by an Aegislash!" shouted Fabron. "Help!"

"It does not matter how many help," said Dainsleif. "You will die, your brother will die, in fact…"

Dainsleif looked around the small village with a sadistic grin.

"Everyone in this village will die!" declared the Shiny Pokémon.

"We'll see about that!" shouted one of Fabron's neighbours as he threw a Pokéball. "Go Pyroar!"

A male Pyroar appeared, and he roared as he was joined by every Pokémon the villagers had.

Dainsleif carefully considered the Pokémon the villagers before he smirked.

"Ha ha ha! Oh, this is rich! Ha ha ha!"

"What's so funny you damn Pokémon!?" demanded Fabron.

"You all actually believe you have any hope of surviving," said Dainsleif.

Fabron felt a sense of dread as Dainsleif's single black eye glowed, and as he looked around, he was horrified to see the same glow in the eyes of half of the villagers and their Pokémon, a horror shared by those not affected by the glow.

Pyroar was snarling as his head jerked around, fangs glowing red.

A man cocked his shotgun as he stumbled around, his aim far too accurate for his family's liking.

A Dedenne was giving off sparks of electricity as its Trainer backed away.

And then, a single word from the Royal Sword Pokémon resulted in a living hell.

"Kill."

And every mind-controlled person and Pokémon roared.

Pyroar mauled a nearby person and the man screamed as the Pyroar bit him again and again and tore him apart.

Young children fled the gunshots coming from their father. But one girl tripped. She tried getting back up, but one shot was all it took to make sure she would never get back up, ever again.

People and Pokémon alike tried to avoid Dedenne as it used Nuzzle on everyone that wasn't mind-controlled, but many couldn't. And every time someone was Paralyzed, the puppets moved in and killed the helpless victim.

One elderly man was stomped to death by his own daughter.

A Diggersby slammed into a Bunnelby until it stopped breathing.

And a man with a machete stabbed a young Skiddo until it bled to death.

As his village was being destroyed around him, Fabron could only watch in horror.

"Stop!" he pleaded, but it only fell on deaf ears as Pyroar unleashed a Flamethrower in every direction. "Stop damn it!"

"Ha ha ha!" laughed Dainsleif as the flames made several combustibles explode, catching both the puppets and the non-puppets alike in them.

"Why are you doing this!?" asked Fabron as the carnage continued all around him.

"Why?" asked Dainsleif as the puppets turned to Fabron.

Fabron backed away.

"Why?"

Fabron stepped back further when he realised he was the only surviving person who wasn't mind-controlled.

"Because I choose to."

Knowing he had no choice but to escape, Fabron fled as the mind-controlled ones chased after him.

Dainsleif and his puppets followed him as he ran out of the village and into the forest. He kept dodging every attack they sent his way even as he tried to find a way to escape.

He tried running where the trees were closer together in order to slow them down, but Dainsleif merely cut them down. As he continued to run, he managed to shake them and found a cave covered by ivy. He ran in as far as he could in the darkness. Standing still against a wall, he tried to calm himself down and process what was happening.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard his neighbours arrive. Fabron held his breath while hoping they wouldn't find him.

Eventually, he heard Dainsleif's voice.

"Guess he is nowhere to be found, oh well."

He heard his still possessed brother take a few steps before he suddenly stopped. Fabron wondered why before he got his answer.

"Kill yourselves."

Fabron choked as he held back a scream while he heard all of the remaining victims punch, cut, bite, and injure themselves to death.

----------------------------------------

(The next day)

Fabron returned to his village, or at least, what was left of it after Dainsleif's attack.

Now that the immediate danger had passed, Fabron could finally process what happened. He gazed at the bodies of his neighbours as he tried to hold back his grief. He held back his tears as he saw how many homes were destroyed.

Fabron held back his rage as the fact that his home was destroyed by a Pokémon and that he was the only survivor sank in.

He tried using the phones to report what happened, but after the sixth attempt at the sixth house, he realised that the battle must have damaged the main telephone lines.

When his eyes landed on one of the deceased Pokémon, Fabron was filled with disgust. A Pokémon destroyed his home. A Pokémon killed his family and every one of his neighbours.

Fabron shook his head and calmed himself down when realised he was still carrying the book his brother gave him.

As memories of his brother flashed through his mind, he realised Paien would want him to focus on what needed to be done as Fabron looked around the destroyed village.

"The authorities need to know what happened, that there's a Shiny Aegislash calling himself Dainsleif going around killing people, and since the phones aren't working, I'm going to need to travel to the nearest village," thought Fabron.

He noted the destroyed cars and bikes.

"It's going to be a long walk."

Still holding his emotions back, Fabron searched for anything he could use on his journey, and vowed to never trust another Pokémon after what Dainsleif did.

----------------------------------------

(Meanwhile)

There was a once a relatively remote forest in Kalos. The Pokemon there were peaceful. Some Pokémon tended to the Berry trees. Some Pokémon protected the forest from intruders. And all lived in harmony with each other.

A variety of Pokémon could be found in that forest, including a certain rare Pokémon. A species that was rare in captivity and rarer in the wild.

"Elder," asked a Combusken to the male Meowstic. "Why're you reading that human book?"

"Because, young Feu, I want to learn more about humankind," said Elder to his grandson.

Feu scoffed. "What's there to learn Grandpa? They're squishy weaklings that need us to fight for them."

"You never left this forest, and you would assume that the human race are helpless? You would assume that we are superior? We never invented the book. The humans did."

"And they've only invented their technology because of their weakness! We're strong. We have no use for them or their science!"

"If we have no need for anything the humans created," said Elder. "Then why do you have a name of human origin rather than be called Apprentice? You are learning under your mother Protector as well as Guardian after all because you want to evolve and find your father."

"That's different!" said Feu as he avoided looking Elder in the eye.

"Because it is the name of your Blaziken father who once came by this forest when his Trainer camped nearby?"

That was when Feu turned away in anger. "Enough! I have training with Protector and Guardian. See you later."

The elderly Meowstic could only shake his head as Feu left. Nevermind that Feu insisted on a human name rather than by their position as per the way of their forest sanctuary, the medicine created by the humans saved him and his fellow Pokémon far too many times, especially his daughter Protector.

Resigned to having to lecture Feu at a later time, and hopefully get a 'sorry' out of him, Elder continued reading the book.

If Feu had ever bothered to learn to read, he would have known that the book was titled 'How the Bonds of Human and Pokémon have Shaped the World'.

"I wonder how his talk with his grandfather went," thought a female Meowstic, Protector and Feu's mother as she and a Gallade, Guardian, waited for her son. She frowned as she thought of his attitude. Ever since he evolved, Feu had been hot-headed and arrogant, and became increasingly impatient in evolving to his final stage. "I hope Feu would learn something from him."

She was taken out of her thoughts when Feu arrived at where Protector and Guardian were waiting for him.

"Ahh, there you are Feu. Are you ready to begin today's training?" asked Guardian.

"Yes," was all Feu could say.

"Just 'yes'? Did something happen when you visited Elder?" asked Guardian.

"He thinks we have a lot to gain from learning about humans, but I strongly doubt that."

Protector and Guardian then shared a look before they turned back to Feu.

"We'll talk about it later," said Protector. "For now, we'll start."

Feu, Protector and Guardian then stood straight and each held up their right hand.

"We are the defenders of this forest. We protect our home and its denizens from all threats, be they human or Pokémon. We stand proud and strong as the first line of defence of our sanctuary!"

Feu then walked towards his position, but before Guardian did the same, he turned to Protector.

"Didn't we tell him the oath originated as a human custom?" he asked under his breath.

"I'm pretty sure we did," answered Protector. "Maybe he forgot? He could have also ignored it. I wouldn't put it past him to have done either."

"Make sure to talk to him later," said Guardian as he went to his position.

"I will," said Protector.

"Can we start now?" asked Feu.

"Yes, you may," said Protector. "Begin!"

Feu's claws glowed with his Slash attack and he charged at Guardian, who parried his attack with Psycho Cut.

Unbeknownst to the forest Pokémon, a truck was driving towards a forest before it stopped.

The driver took out a pair of binoculars and looked at what he could see.

Close to the entrance, he saw a Gallade sparring with a Combusken, with a female Meowstic supervising. From what he could tell, the Meowstic was giving advice and instructions to the Combusken. There were also lots of other Pokémon present as they watched what the man realised was a training session.

As the man took note of his equipment, he smirked as he floored the pedal and ambushed them all, taking the Meowstic, the Gallade and the Combusken by surprise.

While they were recovering from the surprise, he grabbed his weapons, stepped out, and immediately fought every Pokémon present.

As Elder continued reading, he was engrossed as the book described the ways the bonds between humans and Pokémon can achieve great things. What the book was describing was something he had never heard off in his long life.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"There are many ways for the bonds between human and Pokémon to manifest as power. From the basic attack that is the move Return, to the awe-inspiring power of Mega Evolution. But there is one method that is poorly understood, to the point that many who have heard of it consider it nothing more than a legend. Like Mega Evolution, this method changes the appearance of the Pokémon. Unlike Mega Evolution or even Z-moves, this method does not require special stones or crystals. Unlike the move Return, in spite of the lack of a need for items of any sort, this power is not accessible to every Pokémon. It is widely believed that the power is triggered by love, be it in the romantic or platonic sense. The first instance of this power is presumed to have happened in ancient times, with the Pokémon known as the Hero Gre-"

Elder was interrupted from his reading when he heard the sound of screams and gunfire. Clearly there was trouble.

Standing back up, he immediately ran towards the source of the sounds, ready to help however he could.

As the battle continued, Feu watched as Protector threw Magical Leaf against the human while he fought Guardian, but his reflexes were fast enough for his sword to block her attack.

His mother then switched to Charge Beam and launched an electrical blast at him.

To his and everyone else's shock, the human took the attack and was barely fazed.

"What!?" asked Protector. It didn't appear that the human heard her, but he turned to her anyway.

"You call that an attack!?" said the human as he pushed Guardian back. "My own mother did far worse to me!"

He then charged towards her, gun blazing and sword at the ready.

"Mother!" he said before the human struck her down. Feu could only stand still as he saw her fall with a wound that took her out of the battle.

"Protector!" said another voice and Feu saw that Elder had arrived.

"Grandpa, there's a human!" he said. "He's alone and without a single Pokémon servant, but he's surprisingly strong!"

Elder looked around him after Feu told him what was going on. Many of their fellow Pokémon had been captured and placed into cages, and many others lied defeated or dead. His heart skipped a beat when he saw his injured daughter once more.

And the most shocking part was that the cause was a single black-haired human with z-shaped marks under his eyes, who wielded a small machine gun in one hand and a sword in the other.

He was currently fighting Guardian, the only capable fighter left besides Feu.

And the human had the upper hand.

"Take this!" said Guardian as his arms glowed with Psycho Cut as he moved fast and fought hard against the human.

But, no matter how fast or strong the Gallade was, the human was far better at swordplay, and the sword he was using must have been well-made.

The human parried the attacks and made Guardian stumble from the block.

"Why don't you take this!" said the human as he seized the opportunity and slashed Guardian, drawing significant blood and causing the Pokémon pain.

"Gah!"

That snapped Feu out of his stunned state and he leapt to Guardian's aid.

"Take this human!" he shouted as he jumped forward with a Slash attack.

The human's response was to use his sword to block the attack and throw Feu to the side.

As Elder looked on in shock as Feu collided with a tree and fell, he turned back to the human in fear and asked. "Who are you?"

"Ah, that's right, your species is Psychic-type like the Gallade here. I can actually understand you unlike the Combusken over there," said the human as his red eyes sent shivers down Elder's spine. "Anyway, I am Accentus, the eldest of the Seven Brothers."

Elder looked at his friends, the dead, and the dying. He himself wasn't a fighter. The males of his kind were more suited to support roles if it ever came to battle unlike his daughter, and the only damaging move he knew was Future Sight. He and Guardian were the only ones left standing, and Guardian needed time to recover. He doubted diplomacy would work, but he had to try, and if nothing else, it could buy time.

"Please Accentus, release my friends and the survivors will let you leave peacefully."

Accentus gave his answer by pointing his gun and opening fire on Elder, who immediately raised Protect.

As grateful as he was that he had Prankster, Elder tried to think of a way out while his shield lasted. Knowing he couldn't use Protect in quick succession unless he was incredibly lucky, he went over his remaining options. He decided upon Future Sight, and opened wormholes while hoping for the best.

He and Guardian saw Feu stirred, and Accentus noticed too. Feu looked at the human with eyes full of anger.

"Humans are weak! Humans are inferior! Take this!" and he fired a Flamethrower attack from his mouth.

In response, Accentus dodged to the side.

While the human was distracted, Guardian Teleported and reappeared behind the human, ready to strike him down with Psycho Cut.

"Got yo- gerk!"

Elder was shocked. Accentus' reflexes were incredible. Before Guardian even finished Teleporting, his sword already moved and stabbed Guardian in the stomach.

"Guardian!" shouted Feu as his mentor fell forwards, held up only because of the human's sword.

And then, a single action resulted in Elder's personal hell.

Future Sight had returned, and Accentus dodged most of them and threw Guardian to shield himself from the remainder.

Elder watched in shock as Guardian was bombarded by his attack. Elder dropped to his knees as he heard Guardian's cries of pain.

After the Future Sight attack ended, Elder looked on in despair as Guardian fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Why?" he asked, grief clear in his telepathic voice as he trembled all over from what he just saw.

"Why?" asked Accentus as he turned to Elder.

With the human's eyes on him, Elder knew they had to get out of there and gave a silent order to Feu, who nodded.

"Why?"

Elder prepared himself as Feu took a stance.

"Because I choose to."

With a burst of Quick Attack, Feu grabbed Elder and they fled as Accentus gave chase.

They ran through the thick forest dodging every bullet Accentus fired at them. When they managed to shake the human, they quickly climbed the tallest tree around and hid in the treetops.

They remained quiet as Accentus searched for them below.

Feu wanted to attack Accentus, but Elder dissuaded him, not confident they'd survive the attempt after how dangerous the human proved himself to be.

They held back a scream as Accentus suddenly opened fire and sprayed bullets in every direction. As they pressed their bodies on the hard tree, bullets flew dangerously close to them. Elder and Feu held their breaths, until the storm of bullets ceased.

Once Accentus emptied the magazine, he left.

Elder didn't dare breathe a sigh of relief until Accentus was long gone.

----------------------------------------

(The next day)

Feu and Elder returned to where they battled Accentus. The forest was quiet now. He and Elder were the only ones left.

Accentus, a human, managed to fight against an entire forest of Pokémon and won.

As he gazed at the dead, he realised that his mother wasn't among them. The human must have taken her. Feu looked in the distance for his kidnapped mother as disgust at humankind, and himself, swelled up.

He was wrong. Humans weren't weak. They were dangerous. And they all deserved to die for what just happened.

"Come Feu, let us bury the dead. Then we leave this forest and try to free what remains of our friends," said Elder.

Feu turned to his grandfather in anger.

"You'd use a human custom for our dead!? After a human did this to us!? After a human took Mother!? The Pokémon way has always been to leave them to nature. We'll leave them be. We're going after the human and saving Mother now!"

And with that, Feu turned and left, ready to leave the forest for the first time in his life.

He ignored Elder's look of disappointment, though he stopped when Elder spoke up.

"You have much to learn of the world beyond the forest," said Elder. "I will go with you, but the first thing you need to know is that we cannot always find food and water. At least stay long enough for us to gather the needed supplies."

Feu hesitated, but ultimately relented to his grandfather's advice.

"I accept," said Feu, however grudgingly.

(One week later)

Fabron was lost. The map he found turned out to be outdated and he quickly realised he should have packed more food. As he searched through the bag he salvaged, all he found was some water that could last him one more day, a metal bat with a sling duct taped to it to protect himself with, and the book his brother gave him.

Even damaged, with many pages missing or otherwise unreadable, it could still help him learn about how dangerous Pokémon could be.

Looking around, he saw nothing but trees and not a single edible food item. At least, until his eyes landed on a single Sitrus berry, high up a tree on a hillside. A tree that looked like the one near their village that he and Paien used to climb when they were younger.

Memories flooded back into his mind.

"Fabron! Look at me!" shouted a twelve-year old Paien to his seven-year old brother.

Fabron could only gaze wide eyed at his older brother as he sat high up the tree.

"Come Fabron! I'll show you how to climb!" he said. "Just don't tell Mom and Dad! They'd ground us forever if they find out!"

Fabron shook his head of the memory as he tried to ignore how much pain he felt at losing his family.

Dropping the bag, he took out the bat just in case and climbed the tree. After he picked the berry, he slipped and dropped it, where it rolled down the hill.

Fabron climbed down the tree and quickly chased after it.

...

After several days of travelling, Feu and Elder ran out of food. In his inexperience, Feu didn't properly ration out their supplies and kept taking snacks without Elder's knowing. When his grandfather found out, he promptly gave a lecture on the importance of not overeating while also teaching him the basics on foraging for food.

To cover more ground, they had split up and agreed to meet back where Elder left the book he brought with him.

"Why did Elder even bring that human book?" thought Feu. "What value does it have for him? Why would he bring a book he said was about humankind and not one on how to become stronger? We need to be stronger to save Mother."

Memories of his younger years with his mother then flashed in his mind.

"Mother, what is that thing Scholar is looking at?" asked the recently hatched Torchic.

"Your grandfather isn't looking," said Protector. "He's reading. And what he's reading is called a book. It's a thing humans created."

"What are humans?"

Smiling, Protector raised her son to eye level. "They are the creatures we share this world. Just like Pokémon, humans are a diverse species, and there are many things that just couldn't be done without humans. And reading is one of them."

"Why is he reading?" asked Torchic as he looked at the book with both wariness and curiosity.

"Because as important as it is for us to be strong enough to protect ourselves, it is also important to be smart so that we know how best to protect ourselves."

Torchic processed that information.

"I think I get it," said Torchic before he thought of another question. "What was my father's name?"

"Feu."

"What does a feu do?"

"I do not know what the name means," said Protector. "But I do know it has nothing to do with what he does."

That surprised Torchic.

"It doesn't? Is it a human thing?" he asked.

"Humans do not name themselves after their roles," lectured Protector as she drew her son closer. "Unlike this sanctuary, humans base their choices on their personal tastes. Your father's Trainer must have thought Feu was a nice name, and that was that."

"I see," said Feu. "Can I have the same name as my father?"

"If you wish, Feu," said Protector.

"Will I ever meet him one day?"

"Once you're fully evolved, I'll allow you to leave this forest and find him. Despite the circumstances that prevented him from staying, I'm sure your father would want to meet you, even if just once," said Protector with a smile.

"Then I'll make sure to evolve and be the best Blaziken ever! I'll make father proud!"

As the memory ended, Feu strengthened his resolve to save his mother.

He then heard an odd sound and walked in the direction of the sound where he found a small hill.

...

When the Sitrus berry stopped rolling, Fabron leapt at it. He smiled as he grabbed the berry.

"Com!?"

Upon hearing that, he looked up.

"A Pokémon!?" he said as he got back up and got his bat ready.

"Ken, Combusken!" the Pokémon said, pointing at the Sitrus berry Fabron had.

Fabron may not have been able to understand the Combusken, but the context was clear.

'Hand over the Sitrus berry, or else.'

As he and the human glared at each other, Feu wondered when he would hand the berry over.

The hand holding the berry moved, but not towards Feu. Instead, the human brought the Sitrus berry to his mouth.

"Don't you dare you filthy human!" shouted Feu.

Still glaring, the human ate the berry. Feu's eye twitched as the human made exaggerated chewing sounds, before he finished with a deliberately loud swallow.

"Oh that's it!" said Feu as he darted forwards with a Slash attack.

"Bring it on you damn Pokémon!" shouted the human as he swung his metal weapon.

Instead of the clash of claws on steel though, both the Pokémon and the human found themselves pushed back by a psionic shield.

"Calm down you foolish boys!" Feu heard Elder shout.

The Meowstic may have been a Pokémon, but Fabron found himself obeying the clearly elderly Pokémon. As much as he would've liked to do otherwise, he didn't think that was wise.

He may have missed his parents, but he didn't want them to come back from the dead and haunt him about respecting his elders, regardless of the species. So here he was, following the Meowstic alongside that damned Combusken.

After the Meowstic recovered the book Fabron was curious about and he got his bag back, the Meowstic took them to a certain spot. Fabron didn't know what was so special about it. All he saw were trees, rocks and grass, and he could tell the Combusken was also in the dark.

"I believe some introductions are in order," said the Meowstic as he sat on one of the rocks. "I am an elder where my grandson and I come from. You may call me Elder."

"Were you always called that?"

"No, I used to be called Scholar until I became one of the older members of our sanctuary," said Elder.

"Ken," said the Combusken.

"What did he say?" asked Fabron.

"He said that his name is Feu, and that if you attempt to call him anything else, he will kill you where you stand."

"Just try it!" Fabron grabbed his bat.

"Combusken!" said Feu as he gathered flames in his mouth.

"Enough!" shouted Elder, and they both stopped. "Now, human, what is your name?"

"Fabron."

"And what brings you here?"

Fabron grunted.

"One of you Pokémon killed my family and everyone else in my village," he said with no small amount of venom. "Right now, I'm trying to reach the closest town to warn them and the authorities, but I got lost."

"Bus! Ken, ken, combusken."

"Translation?"

In the silence that followed, Fabron realised that Elder was clearly thinking of a tactful translation.

"He says we had suffered a similar fate. A human who called himself Accentus of the Seven Brothers kidnapped Feu's mother and many of our friends while killing the rest. The significance of the 'Seven Brothers' part is unknown to us though," said Elder.

"Never heard of them either," said Fabron.

"Ken," said Feu dismissively.

Fabron's eye twitched. He didn't need a translation as he turned to Feu with a glare, but Elder intervened.

"I see, and do you know anything else?" he asked. Fabron knew it was to keep the peace, and he went along with it.

"Not really."

"What of the Pokémon that attacked your village?"

"He's a Shiny Aegislash calling himself Dainsleif," said Fabron as anger briefly swelled up but he forced it back down.

Fabron saw Elder contemplate that information.

"While the name 'Dainsleif' is unfamiliar," said Elder. "I have heard rumours of a monstrous Aegislash of pitch black. There are stories of how he killed almost every Pokémon in a forest far from here, with the survivors only surviving because he wanted his feats to be known."

Fabron grunted.

"Guess not even you are spared from your kind's cruelty," he said.

"Combusken!" shouted Feu.

Given the context, Fabron didn't need a translation.

"I will not take it back!"

Feu's claws extended in a flash of white. Fabron grabbed his metal bat.

"That's enough!"

And once again, Elder got between them.

"Feu, is Fabron the very human who killed our friends kidnapped your mother!?"

"Ken…" said Feu as he looked away.

"Fabron, are we the Pokémon who killed your family and destroyed your village!?"

Fabron looked away. "No…"

"Then why are you foolish boys so prepared to attack each other for something others did!?"

Neither Fabron nor Feu could look Elder in the eye. They knew they didn't have a good answer.

"Just like I thought," said Elder as he walked back to his original position. "You cannot blame an entire group for something only the worst of them did. Now, from what I have observed, the three of us were unprepared for our respective journeys. So I would like to propose that for both our goals, we travel together, and the first order of business is stocking up on food."

Feu balked at the suggestion, and for once, Fabron agreed.

"You serious!?"

"Yes," Elder stated bluntly.

"This Combusken sucked at finding food so much he tried to take what I found!"

"Combusken!" said the Pokémon as he turned to Fabron with a glare.

Their agreement did not last long.

"Are you both so focused on your dislike of each other that both of you are missing the forest for the trees!?" demanded Elder.

"Comb!"

"I meant that literally! Take a closer look behind me!"

Fabron looked and saw that behind the trees right in front of him and Feu, there were a lot of berry trees of various types.

And hundreds upon hundreds of berries.

"Seeing as you both are currently incapable of rational thought," said Elder with no small amount of annoyance, "I will have final say. The three of us will travel together, and there will be no question about it. Now start gathering the berries. Once you two are done, we can go to the river I found so we can also stockpile on drinkable water."

Feu could not believe what was happening. A week ago, a human kidnapped his mother and many of their friends and killed the ones he couldn't capture.

And now, his grandfather forced him to work with another human.

"Human! Don't forget those berries over there!" he said to try and get a word in edgewise against Fabron.

Fabron ignored him, which only frustrated Feu.

"Elder! Is there a way to get the human to understand me instantly!?" he asked.

Elder thought about it.

"There might be a way," he said. "Feu, Fabron, come here."

They both did as Elder said.

"Now, Fabron, so that you understand what's going on, Feu just asked me whether it is possible to get you to understand him, and there is one possibility I would like to try," said Elder.

"Go on," said Fabron.

"By using my powers, it may be possible to establish a telepathic link between the two of you, thus allowing for faster communication between you both. Of course, the link will still be fueled by me, so if I am asleep, gone or otherwise incapacitated, the link will weaken and break. Are you both ready?" asked Elder.

Feu nodded, and he saw Fabron nod as well. He turned back to Elder, who closed his eyes as a purple glow surrounded him.

Feu felt a power probe into his mind. It felt odd, and he could only assume it was the same for Fabron. As Elder's glow disappeared, so did the probing sensation, but it felt like that there was something still there.

"Did it work?" asked Fabron.

There was only one way to find out.

"You're nothing but a squishy weakling!" shouted Feu.

"Take that back!"

It worked.

----------------------------------------

(That night)

While Feu and Fabron slept, Elder remained awake and gazed at the stars. As one of the few Psychic-types capable of having visions, he would occasionally see scenes from the past, present, and future. Throughout his life, he had made mistakes, and learnt from them, and gained experience. The hardest lesson was learning the difference between what was insurmountable fate that would not change no matter what anyone did, and what could be changed by the choices living creatures like him made when they exercised their free will.

He had seen horrible futures. He once saw a vision of a man commanding an army of Gyarados.

"He has twenty Gyarados…" muttered a terrified citizen.

"But, looking forward to this day, we grew stronger together and evolved! We're going to make you all pay!"

The Gyarados began charging Hyper Beam attacks.

"FIRE!"

And that horrible vision had come to pass about a decade ago, after the war had ended, and within a short period of time, the world changed because of him.

And he had seen wonderful futures. One involved two men who could no longer meet in public.

"Sam, I think we've done it!"

"Right you are Adalbert! We can make the world a better place now!"

And that wonderful vision had come to pass, also about a decade ago, around the same time as the end of the war. And the outcome of their research was still changing the world.

What both visions had in common was that the individuals involved were put in situations that were beyond their control. That, was fate. How they responded, the choices they made after the fact that led to the visions he saw where they changed the world, were their own. That, was free will.

But he didn't need his experience with the future to know that he had made a very poor judgement call.

He thought that allowing Feu and Fabron a fast means of communication would ease their animosity. He was wrong. It only worsened as it allowed them to trade barbs faster.

In retrospect, even without psychic powers, he really should have seen that coming after he had to find a tactful way of translating what Feu said to Fabron earlier that day.

"I hope I dream of a future that could show me how to get those foolish boys to get along," were his final thoughts before he slept.

A most definitely not asleep Fabron lied in his sleeping bag, listening to the sounds around him. The serenity of the night was wonderful. Unfortunately, it was broken by that damned Combusken's sleep talking.

"Spicy berries are the best… The tingling sensat- ken Combusken…"

"Looks like Elder's asleep now," thought Fabron as he thought about the day's events and what might come next.

That day, he met a hotheaded and impulsive Combusken. He let all his emotions out without any consideration whatsoever to whether it was better to hold it in. Not like him. He preferred keeping his emotions in. He preferred remaining in control, but that Combusken was good at making him lose it. That being said, he could empathise with his desire to save his family and friends. At least Feu had something to look forward to.

Not like him. He lost his parents, his brother, and his entire village. Grief swelled within him once more, but he pushed them back down again.

"Try focusing on the positives," he said to himself.

He managed to survive, he could make sure that Shiny Aegislash was made to answer for what he did. But then what? What was he supposed to do afterwards? If Elder and Feu succeeded in freeing their loved ones from Accentus, they would return to their forest. But him? He had no family to save, and no home to return to. Would he even take up farming? His family knew he hated it, in spite of the fact he kept quiet about it.

"You're being negative Fabron," he told himself. "Just go to sleep."

And with that, he closed his eyes and dreamed.

----------------------------------------

(Elsewhere)

Accentus was in his truck with his captures as he read his diary with the aid of a flashlight. He didn't care that Interpol could throw the book, so to speak, at him and give him multiple life and death sentences, he just loved reliving his feats.

He grinned as he remembered the shock on the Meowstic's face when he took her Charge Beam without being stopped. He looked back at her cage, where she had fresh injuries. She had been one of the more defiant captives he had in recent memory.

Accentus turned back to his diary and smiled as he remembered how he outclassed a Gallade at what their species should have been best at, before frowning as he remembered the Combusken and the other Meowstic that got away. He wondered what became of them.

Did they die, or did they survive? Were they pursuing him, or were they too scared to? Assuming they were still alive, Accentus doubted they would come after him.

In his experience, it was rare for Pokémon survivors to do that. And if they did, he always succeeded in killing or capturing them, so he had nothing to worry about.

When he looked up from his diary, he saw a man walking down the road. It looked like he was carrying something, but since it was dark, it was hard to tell.

"Looks like I'll be having some easy fun tonight!" thought Accentus as he started his truck and floored it.

The force of the collision threw the man far. Accentus grinned as he heard the crack of bones when the man landed.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Dainsleif stirred as he wondered what hit him.

"It felt like getting hit by a truck," he thought as he got back up while still possessing Paien's now lifeless body. He felt it was a shame that Paien was now dead. He had hoped to drain his lifeforce a little longer.

Looking around, he saw that it was, in fact, a truck that hit him, and there was a man laughing at the wheel.

"You there! Why did you dare attack me!?" demanded Dainsleif.

That briefly surprised the human, before he quickly gave an answer.

"Because I choose to!" shouted the human as he continued laughing.

That sounded like something he would say, and as Dainsleif took a closer look at the laughing human, he felt an odd sense of familiarity.

It was like looking at a human-shaped reflection.

Dainsleif grinned. "Let us talk."

With a campfire to provide light, Accentus could see who he was talking to.

"So let me get this straight," said Accentus to the man wielding the black sword, or more accurately, the black sword that puppeteered the now dead corpse. "Your name is Dainsleif, and you're an Aegislash. You're using that corpse to speak for now, but you're capable of human speech otherwise, and you go around killing people and Pokémon alike. And you do it because it's fun."

"That is correct," said Dainsleif.

Accentus grinned. "And your latest feat was wiping out a small village except for one young man who managed to escape?"

"He was lucky," said Dainsleif. "But yes."

Accentus' grin grew. It was like looking at a Pokémon-shaped reflection. His mother tried to give him a Pokémon partner, but he couldn't work with them, and always succeeded in killing them in battle.

His mother Heratia was torn between displeasure that he killed useful tools and pleasure that he was good enough to actually do it.

But that was all in the past. Now, he had found the perfect Pokémon partner. All those years of poaching, searching for the right one, had finally paid off.

Even as a wild Pokémon, Dainsleif had heard many tales of human and Pokémon coming together to achieve results that neither could achieve on their own. His favourite was the story of a man who worked together with twenty Gyarados as they laid waste to a faraway region about ten years ago.

But he could not allow just any human to be his partner. He had been special ever since he was born, and only a special human would be worthy of him.

And that human turned out to be Accentus. With him, Dainsleif hoped to achieve the same level of greatness as Bill and his twenty Gyarados.

"Let us make a deal," said Dainsleif. "We will form a partnership of equals. You train me to become stronger, and in return, you will have access to my power. What do you say?"

For all his hatred towards his mother, Accentus had to admit that she taught him useful skills. She taught him how best to use close-ranged weapons, including the sword which was his favourite weapon should a fight erupt.

And if he had to be honest with himself, Accentus had always been jealous of her power. With Dainsleif, Accentus hoped he could achieve the same level of power as her.

"I accept," said Accentus.

From Accentus' truck, Protector regained consciousness and saw the look of fear on the faces of her friends. That was when she saw the two monsters in front of her as the Aegislash recounted how he destroyed a human village.

She watched the two in fury. In front of her was a human monster and a Pokémon monster, and both had to answer for their atrocities.

"Okay Accentus, you took Charge Beam and Psybeam head on, and blocked Magical Leaf, but let's see if you and Dainsleif could take this!" she thought to herself as she used Future Sight and opened wormholes to the future.

Once she finished, she looked back at the monsters in front of her.

The moment Accentus accepted Dainsleif's offer, Protector watched as the Aegislash abandoned the corpse it had to burn in the campfire while Accentus held out his hands. The Aegislash floated towards the human hilt first, and once he was in position, the human closed his right hand around the hilt while his other hand gripped the shield.

Black energy travelled from Dainsleif up Accentus' arm until it gathered around the human's right eye. The human's eye then turned as black as that of the Aegislash.

"What moves do you know?" asked Accentus as he took a few practice swings.

"King's Shield, Slash, Night Slash and Fury Cutter."

"Understood. King's Shield!" shouted Accentus as he took a stance.

Power glowed from the black shield as a massive protective barrier formed.

"Oh ho ho! It was never this big before!" said Dainsleif.

"That's because now you have me as a host unlike those pathetic weaklings you had before! Ha ha ha!" said Accentus. "Slash!"

Accentus swung Dainsleif as the latter glowed white, and a massive white blade flew from Dainsleif into the distance, leaving a large gash in the ground.

All witnessing Pokémon besides Protector could only cower as the duo repeated the feat with Night Slash and Fury Cutter, laughing maniacally all the while.

Their fear only increased when Accentus and Dainsleif turned to them, sharing the most evil grin they ever saw.

To Protector's shock, Accentus took another stance and another King's Shield protected the duo as her Future Sight attack returned, uselessly bombarding against the barrier.

"How!?"

"We noticed," said Accentus.

"Do not think we did not," said Dainsleif.

Dainsleif's eye then glowed black, and her own vision became fuzzy.

Obey.

She tried to resist, but between her injuries and her exhaustion, Protector could do nothing as her vision turned dark.