His visions always came to him in his sleep. When he had his first visions, Elder thought they were unusual dreams until he saw with his own eyes one of them becoming true. After realising he had a gift, he practiced with it. Before he could learn the difference between fate and free will, he first had to learn the difference between what was just a dream, and what was a vision.

And right now, his vision was showing him a horrific nightmare.

A human and Blaziken duo were standing their ground against a man he recognised as Accentus and a Shiny Aegislash that could only be Dainsleif.

The brown haired human gripped his Key Stone tightly as he and Blaziken, who wore a holder for his Mega Stone, fought against the monsters.

"Let's go! Mega Evol-"

Elder watched in shock as Accentus and Dainsleif cut him down before he could even finish his sentence.

That was when he saw Blaziken become outraged as he used Flame Charge.

"No! Don't!" shouted Elder even though he knew it was useless.

His flames burning bright, Blaziken reached the duo, but Accentus merely took a stance as a barrier formed. Blaziken struck the shield, and Elder noticed that he seemed weaker. Seizing the chance, Accentus swung, and from Dainsleif's body came a massive a massive blade of black that killed Blaziken the same way as his trainer.

As Blaziken fell alongside his trainer, Elder could only turn horrified eyes against Accentus and Dainsleif, who were laughing even as they spilled more innocent blood.

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

"Elder!"

Elder jolted awake up to the sound of Fabron and Feu shouting. Slowly rising, he realised he was covered in sweat and was panting and breathing heavily.

"Elder, you were thrashing in your sleep," said Fabron in concern. "What happened?"

"Please tell me it was just a nightmare and not a horrible vision," pleaded Feu.

Elder remained silent, but that told his grandson enough.

"Damn it. How bad is it?" asked Feu even as he tried to stay calm.

"Very bad. Accentus and Dainsleif have teamed up."

"What!?" shouted Fabron as Elder saw the fear in his eyes at the thought of two dangerous monsters coming together before Fabron visibly calmed himself down. "Wait... If it's a vision, then maybe... It won't come to pass?"

Elder and Feu shook their head, which did nothing to placate Fabron's worries.

"In my long life, I have gained the experience to know which visions are more likely to prove true, and which are more likely to prove false," said Elder as Fabron visibly looked unnerved. "This vision has a high chance of coming true, though a few details may be different between what actually happened and what I saw."

Elder began pacing around before he continued.

"My vision, it only showed Accentus and Dainsleif attacking a town, not the moment of their actual meeting. I am certain that they have already met."

"Crap… What do we do Elder?" asked Fabron in forced calm.

Elder thought about it. What could they do? There were two Pokémon and a human, and they had no means of contacting the authorities. His eyes then fell to Fabron's book.

"We do two things. First, we continue on our journey to find the nearest human settlement to contact the proper human authorities."

"I can get behind that," said Fabron, and Elder saw Feu reluctantly agree.

"Secondly, we need training. Fabron, we will need you and your book to improve Feu and I."

"What!" shouted his two companions, though it was to be expected and he raised his hand to stop any complaints.

"Feu, how well did we perform against Accentus?"

Feu became flustered and looked away.

"Fabron, how well did you perform against Dainsleif?"

Fabron raised a hand in protest, before he lowered it.

"Good, now we should start with what we know. Fabron, what moves did you see Dainsleif use?"

"He used Slash and Night Slash on me, but if he used any other move, well, I was too busy running," said Fabron.

"In my vision, he also used King's Shield and Fury Cutter. Those are his four moves then. I myself know Protect, Future Sight, Quick Guard and Helping Hand," said Elder. "Feu, tell him your moves."

"Slash, Flamethrower, and Quick Attack," he said.

Fabron tilted his head. "Only three moves?"

Feu blushed and looked away.

"Feu…" said Elder as he crossed his arms and tapped his feet.

"... and Peck," he said eventually.

Elder saw Feu's eye twitching as Fabron tried to hold back a laugh, and he knew he needed to distract them.

"Okay!" he said. "We know where to start. Feu needs a better move to replace Peck, and hopefully, he could evolve to be a Blaziken like his father, just as he always wanted. I myself have the Prankster ability, so it would be more beneficial for me to retain my Support moves, though perhaps you could help me find a replacement to Quick Guard? I doubt it would be useful against Accentus and Dainsleif."

"Okay," said Fabron as opened his book. "A lot of pages are damaged, but there's still some information for both your species."

Fabron flipped through the pages.

"Okay, since Feu's a Fire-type, Sunny Day is a good support move, and according to this, you can learn that, Elder," said Fabron.

"That would prove useful," said Elder.

"And me?" asked Feu.

"There's Flame Charge," said Fabron after he found the Combusken entry. "That has the additional effect of making you faster, so it'll be very useful."

"Sweetness," said Feu as he cracked his knuckles.

And so, the three began training, unaware that as they tried to become stronger, their enemies became more dangerous.

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

(Elsewhere)

The skies were chaotic as several Flying-type Pokémon tried to flee from the onslaught. Confusion and panic was felt all around as they tried to dodge every attack sent their way. But as time went on, more and more fell.

One Talonflame squawked as she dodged attack after attack that the human and Aegislash duo ordered their army to throw at her.

It didn't matter that they were far below her, they were strong enough to reach her in the sky, particularly the Charge Beam attacks coming from the Meowstic.

When the attacks stopped, she looked back to make sure she was safe, but she wasn't. To her horror, the other Flying-type Pokémon who fell were now under their thrall and launched their own attacks at her.

Fearing for her life, she used Tailwind to increase her speed and managed to dodge every attack.

"Aerial Ace!" she heard. Looking back once more, she saw the human swung the Aegislash, and from the black sword came a blade of Flying-type energy.

Talonflame continued to fly away and hoped Tailwind made her fast enough, but try as she might, the Aerial Ace attack kept following her. And as she lost speed, the attack got closer and closer until it struck her down. She fell far below, colliding with several branches as she crashed through the treetops.

She tried getting back up, but she found herself too injured to do so, and could only watch helpless as the two monsters caught up to her. And so did their army, which now included every living wild Pokémon in the area. Talonflame saw the Aegislash's eye glowing black before she felt something horrible in her very mind.

"I will not break!" she thought to herself as she stared defiantly at the human and the Aegislash.

Obey.

"I... I will not!" She tried to resist it even as her own eyes began glowing black. In her struggles, Talonflame could only thrash around as the monsters continued to invade her mind.

Yield!

The monsters' mouths weren't moving. She kept hearing their voice in her head even as she continued to struggle against it.

Break!

"I.. I will not... will not... I..." As her resistance faltered, she felt their control take over her mind, body, and soul.

And then, she saw only black.

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

(Meanwhile)

Back with Elder, Feu and Fabron, they were continuing their training. While Fabron was working with Feu to learn Flame Charge, Elder was practicing Sunny Day by himself.

Elder concentrated as he remembered what Fabron told him.

"Gather heat and fire. After that, visualise in your mind a bright light that can burn the sky. If you can picture it clearly, release the gathered energy into the sky to form the mini-sun."

Heat gathered in his palms before he sent a ball of fire into the air which made the day a lot hotter. He nodded in satisfaction before he turned to Feu and Fabron to check their progress.

They… weren't doing as well as he was.

"You're a Fire-type!" said Fabron. "Why is it so hard for you to learn Flame Charge!?"

"Maybe it's your ugly face that's distracting me!" said Feu even as Elder noticed that his grandson seemed to have some flames coming of his person and his body briefly glowed bright. Not that either of the boys noticed.

"Oh, I'm ugly? You're that, and a brat!"

Right, it was time to defuse the situation with a distraction.

"I have succeeded boys!" said Elder. "Rest up and drink plenty of water, for the day just got hotter!"

After the two boys nodded, Elder saw the glares they sent each other before they left. He could only shake his head. They were close to mastering Flame Charge, but their continued animosity only hampered their progress.

Enough was enough. The current situation could not continue, not if Elder had anything to say about it, and so, he decided to talk to the two boys separately.

While Fabron was gathering water, Feu was preparing berries for their dinner.

Feu was carefully selecting berries and making sure to properly ration out their supplies. He learned his lesson from before, and did not want to be on the receiving end of another of his grandfather's lectures. While doing so, he was approached by Elder.

"Yes Elder?" he asked even as he felt his lecture-senses telling him he was going to get another one.

"We have every reason to be angry at what Accentus has done, but why should any of that apply to Fabron?" asked Elder.

His grandfather was going to force the issue was he? Better humour him or the talking would evolve into nagging, and Feu didn't like being on the receiving end of his grandfather's nagging either.

"What reason do we have to think that he's any different? How can you be so friendly to this human when another of his kind kidnapped Protector?" asked Feu.

"Never mind that you were born only because a human and his Blaziken friend were passing by our forest, I have already said that we cannot judge every member of a group for the actions of their worst," said Elder. "But if you continue to do so, then I will speak of their best."

That surprised Feu. "And how would you know of their best? Your visions?"

"Yes," said Elder. "I once saw a vision of the past regarding a certain human, Samuel Oak. When he was a child, he and one of his friends nearly died because of a monstrous Gengar whose army managed to take over an entire forest, while another friend, younger brother to the other one, died to that Gengar and was brought back as a Gastly. That incident led to him deciding to make the world a better place for human and Pokémon alike."

Elder then smiled.

"And with the help of yet another friend, he succeeded, though that friend's involvement was kept secret because they were both on opposite sides of the Trainer-Ranger wars," finished Elder.

"Oh really?" asked Feu. "If even us Pokémon benefitted, how did I not notice?"

"Because you were not born yet. Your egg was not even laid. But I remember what it was once like," said Elder. "There were dangerous Pokémon everywhere, and they posed a threat to not just the humans, but even their fellow Pokémon. Your grandmother died protecting your mother and I from one of the dangerous Pokémon of old."

Feu remained silent after what he just learned as Elder took a moment to compose himself. He watched as his grandfather gripped his chest even as he tried to hold back his tears from losing his mate.

After several minutes of silence, Elder was calm enough to continue.

"I suspect Dainsleif is one such Pokémon from before the current era," said Elder. "But Pokémon like him are rarer because of Samuel Oak's and Adalbert Hastings' research, and the Pokémon more inclined towards peace flourished. The society we developed at our sanctuary would never exist if it was not for them. Yes, a human destroyed that, but it was humans that made it possible in the first place."

"I… see," said Feu as he clenched his fists. So that was what Pokémon did to other Pokémon. He lost his grandmother before he had the chance to meet her because of them.

Feu frowned and took a deep breath to calm himself. He wasn't quite happy to know that Fabron was right about how not even Pokémon were spared from the worst of their kind, but he could accept it. Especially since the humans Oak and Hastings made things better for human and Pokémon alike.

"You understand now? Good, now hopefully you and Fabron will be more civil tonight."

And with that, Elder left, though not without giving Feu a stern look to make sure he didn't forget their talk.

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

Fabron was gathering water while Feu prepared dinner. As he looked around, he wondered about the lack of Pokémon besides Elder and the brat. Where were they? Though if they were like that damned Combusken, perhaps it was for the best he didn't see any.

He shook his head as he thought about the Combusken. He didn't want Feu to ruin his day without even being there. Fabron knew why he was working with him, but that didn't mean that he had to like it.

After he filled the last container, he added it to the pile of full containers ready to be brought back to camp. At the sound of footsteps, Fabron looked up and saw Elder.

"Yes Elder?" he asked.

"Why do you dislike Feu?" asked Elder. "I can understand why you would hate Dainsleif after what he has done, but not Feu."

Fabron hesitated as he thought about why he didn't like Feu. Eventually, he took a deep breath.

"I… promised myself to never trust another Pokémon, not after what Dainsleif did," he said. "I know you said that we cannot judge a whole group for something their worst did, but I that was what I told myself to do."

Elder raised an eyebrow, and Fabron knew what his unvoiced question was.

"You're fine, since respecting elders transcends species, and you've been nothing but helpful and made me reconsider my stance, but not Feu," said Fabron. "From the start, he tried to take what I had, and nearly everything he did afterwards only reinforced my opinion that he's nothing but a brat. His attitude just gets on my nerves. Pokémon like Feu just sours my opinion on your whole species."

Fabron saw Elder shook his head.

"Oh Feu, we have to fix that attitude of yours sooner or later. This is the second time you caused a mess for us on this journey, and the second time that I have to clean it up," said Elder. Once he was done shaking his head at his grandson's immaturity, Elder looked Fabron in the eye. "How well can you keep a secret?"

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

"What kind of secret?"

"The kind that could cause another war between the T.A.T.O. and the Ranger Union if it became known, and lead to the executions of two innocent men whose only crime was being friends with each other despite being on opposite sides."

That sounded familiar to Fabron. Fabron was young when the wars ended, but every horrific battle he learned about only made him wish that there would be no more wars, and he was glad when he heard about two men who managed to become friends despite being on opposite sides.

"I read that in the papers several years back. A Trainer and a Ranger were stuck on a deserted island together and managed to work together to survive, but what secret could they possibly have that could cause another war?"

"Trust me, the two men I am thinking off are far more important than two lowly privates. Before I speak their names, promise me, you must not tell anyone else, not even the two men concerned. They do not know that I know."

"I promise," said Fabron.

Elder took a deep breath.

"Professor Oak's great research, Professor Hastings helped on it."

Fabron's jaw dropped. The most important Pokémon Professors of both sides worked together!?

"My visions do not just show me a possible future, but they also show me the past and present. Samuel Oak and Adalbert Hastings were childhood friends, and often secretly met in Alola. During the last war, they worked tirelessly and with utmost secrecy to bring peace and make the world a better place. After years of research, they finally made it."

Elder then smiled, before a frown overtook his face.

"Of course, Adalbert Hastings' involvement was never revealed. I always thought it was a shame, since what they did was proof of how Trainers and Rangers can come together to do wonderful things," said Elder as he shook his head.

Fabron understood how Elder felt. If people could accept that a Trainer and a Ranger brought peace to the world, then perhaps that peace could last forever and there will be no more battles that killed far too many people.

He then thought about what Elder said, and realised there was a problem.

"Professors Oak and Hastings being friends is neat and all, but what does any of that have to do with me and Feu?"

"Those two men took a huge risk, and the whole world, as in both their sides and every neutral nation, benefited greatly. They worked with someone normally considered their enemy, all for the common good. If they did that in spite of the risks, why not you and Feu?"

So that's what Elder was getting at. After hearing all that, there was only one answer he could give.

"I… understand," said Fabron.

"Good, now come. Feu should be finished sorting out which berries we are having for dinner by now."

As they walked, Fabron thought about what Elder just told him. If Oak's and Hastings' friendship was ever discovered, they could be executed. Those two knew the risks, and still worked together. What was stopping him from working with Feu? Well, the clash of personalities for one, but Fabron supposed he could work together with him, for now at least. Afterwards, they could part ways. Feu and Elder could go home while he…

Fabron shook his head. There it was again. He didn't know what to do after Accentus and Dainsleif were stopped. He couldn't go home after it was destroyed, and he had no family to reunite with. As Elder walked ahead, Fabron's gaze turned towards the sky.

"Arceus, I know I have never been the most religious type, and probably never will, but just this once, I'll make a prayer," thought Fabron. "After this journey is done, can you tell me what to do next?"

After he finished his prayer, Fabron immediately realised how stupid that sounded. He just admitted he wasn't religious, so even if Arceus listened, how could he expect the Creator to answer his prayers?

But still, he wished Arceus would answer. He had nothing to look forward to after they defeated Dainsleif.

"Fabron, are you okay?" asked Elder.

Shaking his head of his thoughts, Fabron quickly caught up with Elder.

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

(After dinner)

Sitting by the campfire, with all their gathered food and water packed away, Elder watched as Feu and Fabron talked.

"Hey, whatever... whatever our issues, dealing with Accentus and Dainsleif is more important," said Fabron. "Can we... can we at least agree to work together for now?"

"Yes, we can, and... and I'm ready to learn Flame Charge again," said Feu.

It was obvious to Elder that both of them were still hesitant about working with the other. They still have a lot of issues to sort out, largely because of his grandson, but at least they made progress. They were baby steps, true, but Elder felt they would do for now.

"Okay then. Remember this. What you need to do is to coat yourself in flames in such a way that when you move, the flames help make you faster," said Fabron. "Got that?"

"Got it," said Feu. "Any tips?"

"Well, since the main additional effect of the move is that it makes the user faster, you could say that this move is all about speed. So when you use this move, you are speed," said Fabron. "So repeat after me. I am speed!"

"I am speed!" said Feu as he got ready.

"Once more. I! Am! Speed!"

"I! Am! Speed!" Feu began sprinting forwards.

"Flame Charge!"

"I! Am! Speed!" shouted Feu once more as he rushed forwards. As he did, Elder noticed small flames coming off Feu, just like before.

"You can do it Feu! Now cover yourself in flames!"

Elder watched as his grandson covered himself in flames and become a red blur. Feu ran faster and faster around them until he skidded to a halt. Looking around, Elder saw scorch marks from the Flame Charge attack.

"Ha ha!" said Feu.

"You did it!" said Fabron.

"Well done boys!" said Elder.

"Thanks grandpa! Accentus and Dainsleif don't stand a chance now! Ha ha!"

Suddenly, Feu was surrounded by a glow. Elder smiled. He noticed that Feu was on the brink of evolution earlier that day, but mastering Flame Charge and becoming stronger was the final push he needed. When the light died down, Elder saw that Feu had now achieved what he was looking forwards to for a long time.

For his part, Feu looked surprised, before his face quickly morphed into a massive grin.

"All right! I finally evolved into a Blaziken! YES!" celebrated Feu as he threw his fists into the air and did a little dance.

"How… how long has he been looking forward to that?" asked Fabron as Feu continued to celebrate. Clearly he was shocked by how excited Feu was at his evolution. Not that Elder could blame him as Feu made a fool of himself.

"Yeah! Wooooohoooooooo!" said Feu as he did a twirl.

"Long enough," said Elder as he rubbed his forehead when Feu began throwing Flamethrowers into the sky in celebration. "He wanted to seek out his father for the longest time, but his mother said that he could only do so once he was fully evolved."

"At least he has a father to seek," said Fabron. "Not like me."

Elder wasn't sure how to respond to that. He didn't travel with Fabron well enough to know how to cheer him up. Elder felt that keeping silent was the better course of action, lest he worsened Fabron's emotional well-being.

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

(That night)

Accentus and Dainsleif stood upon a hill as they looked at the small town below them. All was quiet, with few homes showing signs that the occupants were awake, unsuspecting of what was about to befall them.

Behind them, was the large army of Pokémon that they successfully mind-controlled.

They had already cut the telephone cables, so there was no reason to fear the townsfolk calling for help. They were ready.

Accentus and Dainsleif smirked before the former raised the latter. Together, they then performed a series of complicated movements, resembling some kind of ritual dance.

And with each repeat of Swords Dance, Accentus and Dainsleif felt their joint power grew.

Protector and the rest of their army patiently waited for their masters to finish, and the moment they did, Accentus raised Dainsleif, and they unleashed a massive Slash attack upon the village.

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

Inside one of the townhouses, there was a sleeping brown-haired man named Limone. His room was sparsely decorated but there was an old trophy on his shelf.

~BOOM!~

Limone was suddenly woken up by what sounded like an explosion. Upon hearing the sound of screams, he looked outside.

He was shocked by what he saw. There was fire everywhere, and people and Pokémon were running.

"What is going on!?" he asked himself.

Eyes glowing black, he saw human and Pokémon alike, with many he recognised as his own neighbours and their Pokémon, attacking anyone and everyone that did not share their glowing eyes.

"Holy shit!" he said when he saw a massive Night Slash attack cut through an entire row of houses, which forced the families hiding inside to flee as well.

Limone could only stare in disbelief as he tried to comprehend how powerful a single attack could be. He traced the path of the attack to the source and saw the perpetrators.

He didn't recognise the man who only had one glowing eye, but Limone could see he was wielding a Shiny Aegislash. Were they behind this? He heard Aegislash were capable of mind-controlling others, but how powerful was that one, to be capable of mind-controlling so many?

Limone was taken out of his thoughts when the duo launched a massive Fury Cutter in the direction of the row of houses his home was on, forcing him to take cover.

"Oh my god..." he said as he looked at the damage. As the man and Aegislash duo continued firing attacks in his general direction, as he heard the groaning of his collapsing house, Limone realised he didn't have much time.

He grabbed his Pokéball and his Keystone, ready to fight for his town. He ran outside, and Limone saw the perpetrators about to launch another attack and decided to grab their attention and give his neighbours time to run.

"Hey!"

That surprised them, and man and Aegislash alike turned towards him.

"Why are you doing this!?" he shouted as he got ready to throw his Pokéball while keeping their attention away from others.

"Because, we choose to," said the man.

"You chose too!?" yelled Limone as he looked around. He could barely restrain his anger as he saw how many of his neighbours lost their homes and their lives. "You're killing fellow living beings just because!?"

"We need no excuses," said the Aegislash as they launched a Slash attack that Limone was barely able to dodge. The attack passed Limone and struck what remained of his house.

As he looked back at his destroyed home, Limone knew stalling was no longer an option and threw his Pokéball to release his most powerful Pokémon.

The moment the Blaziken was released from his Pokéball, he knew the gist of what was going on.

Between all the destroyed homes, the dead, the army of people and Pokémon with black eyes, and the duo giving out commands, it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

And then he saw the Meowstic near the human and Pokémon commanding the army. She seemed familiar, before he remembered where he saw her in shock.

"Protector!?" What was she doing here!? Why would she travel far from her home!?

That was when he took a closer look and saw that she too had glowing black eyes. Realising that she was being mind-controlled, he took another look at the army and his jaw could only drop wide open in shock when he recognised many of them.

"Let's go Feu!" said his Trainer. "Mega Evolve! We're going to defeat these guys!"

Feu hesitated at the thought of fighting his once mate and his neighbours, but he squashed all of his doubts when he realised he needed more firepower to end the crisis.

"Very well. Let's do it Limone!" he said to his Trainer as he thought about all the things they went through together.

They had met at an event where they quickly bonded and the organisers allowed Limone to keep him. They travelled throughout Kalos as they became stronger together. He helped Limone catch all their friends that would stay with them until Limone retired.

And finally, in Hoenn, they found a power that would help them win the league so long ago, a power that they would call upon once more. And with that power, they would make these bastards pay for what they did to Protector.

Feu was surrounded by a bright light, and after it died down, he had changed. Streams of fire came forth from his wrists. His body was red and black instead of red and yellow. Feu's hair and mane now formed and X shape and he now had a horn on his forehead.

"A Mega Evolution? Never understood how it worked," said the human. "Dainsleif, you know how it works?"

"No Accentus," said the Aegislash.

"Flame Charge!" said his Trainer.

He coated himself in flames and charged forward, ready to make the monsters pay for their crimes.

"For Protector and all my neighbours you bastards!"

He thought it would be easy, but Accentus merely took a stance and Dainsleif's black shield glowed, forming a protective barrier. He tried to stop, but his momentum was too great, and he crashed into the barrier.

The collision left him dazed, and he felt weaker and vulnerable.

"Jump back!" said Limone.

Through he still felt a little dazed, he immediately leapt away and took stock of his condition. Even as he slowly recovered from his dizziness, he still felt faint, even heavy. And his breathing was far heavier than it should have been.

"Damn it! Why do I feel so weak!? One crash shouldn't have done that to me!"

"King's Shield drained your power! Switch to Flamethrower!"

He nodded and opened his mouth to fire, but he was too slow.

Accentus swung Dainsleif, and from his blade came a massive attack he recognised as Aerial Ace.

Even if he didn't know Aerial Ace could follow him, he was too close to dodge. He could only watch helpless as the attack got closer and closer until it finally struck him, throwing him back.

"Gah!"

He got back up, but Feu doubted he could take another attack like that. Not when he had a massive wound across his chest and was feeling pain all over his body. Feu checked his sides when he felt something odd, and realised he was bleeding everywhere.

He looked back at Accentus and Dainsleif when he heard them laugh at his state.

"Ha ha ha! You can't defeat us!" said Accentus as he sneered at him.

"Prepare to die!" said Dainsleif as he looked down on Feu with his one eye.

To Feu and Limone, as they continued laughing, as the fires blazed around them, Accentus and Dainsleif seemed to become less like a human and Pokémon duo, and more a demon wielding a sword forged by the devil himself.

Nevertheless, Feu glared at the two monsters defiantly and opened his mouth to perform the attack Limone told him to use. But that was when Protector stepped forward, and Feu's heart sank as his attack fizzled.

"You seem to know this Meowstic," said Accentus. "We can see how your eyes kept darting to her."

"You can die by her hand," said Dainsleif.

"Wait, that's the Meowstic you met in that forest!?" said Limone.

Yes, she was, and no matter what, Feu could not bring himself to attack her, not in her current state.

Protector fired Psybeam at him, and the purple wave of psionic energy struck him.

"Gah!" he said before he looked back at his once mate with pleading eyes. "Protector! It's me! Feu! Remember me!?"

Protector fired another Psybeam at him, and once again, he was pushed back by the attack.

"Argh…" said Feu as he looked back at Protector with tears falling down his face. "Protector, it's me. Did our mating result in a child?"

That was when Protector stopped. She seemed to be struggling. Feu's eyes lit up as he realised two things. Protector was fighting against the mind control, and what the answer to his question was.

"It did, didn't it? Please, I beg of you! For our child and you! Break free!" pleaded Feu as his tears began falling freely.

Protector dropped to her knees as the black glow of her eyes started fading.

"Oh no you don't!" said Accentus and Dainsleif.

They unleashed another Aerial Ace at Feu.

Knowing he couldn't dodge, he braced himself and wiped his tears even as he saw his impending death. Feu could only watch broken-hearted as the black glow fully covered Protector's eyes once more.

"Goodbye, Protector…" he said as he closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable.

"Feu! NO!" was the last thing he ever heard.

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

(The next morning)

When they arrived at the human settlement, Feu, Elder, and Fabron could only stare in shock at the state of it.

Just like his home forest, there were dead Pokémon everywhere, but this time, there were also dead humans. Adult and children alike, of both his kind, and Fabron's, all lying lifeless. The human-made structures were also all in ruins. Not a single human home was left untouched by whatever calamity that was inflicted on the settlement.

They quickly asked what happened, and the survivors told them that it was a human and Aegislash duo. From how they were described, Feu knew that it was the very ones that they were after. The townsfolk tried calling the authorities after they left, but it turned out that the main telephone lines were destroyed, so they had no means of fast communication. They could not call anyone to warn others of Accentus and Dainsleif, nor could they call for aid.

So Feu, Elder and Fabron decided to provide that aid. Feu saw a man transporting a corpse, and he went to help. That was when the man looked at him in shock.

"Feu!?" he said. "But how? I saw those guys kill you and Limone!"

That outburst caught the attention of everyone nearby, and Elder and Fabron started heading in Feu's direction.

"What're you talking about?" asked Feu. "And how did you know my name? Did Elder or Fabron mention it? And who's Limone?"

Feu looked as the man could only stare at him.

"I… didn't understand a word of that," he said eventually.

Feu realised he had gotten too used to Fabron being able to understand him, but therein was the solution.

"Feu just asked what you were talking about, and frankly, I understand his confusion," said Fabron. "From what he and Elder told me, this is Feu's first time outside their home forest. When could you have met him? And what's with you thinking he should be dead?"

"That's not the Feu we knew! That's just another Blaziken with the same name!" shouted another townsfolk, this time a young girl. "Though taking a closer look, you can see the resemblance."

At that point, Feu was very confused. What were the odds that there would be another Blaziken named Feu?

"Oh my," said Elder. "I think I know this other Feu. Can we see him?"

"You can," said the girl. "We haven't buried him or Limone yet."

And now it turned out Elder knew him? But how? The only way that was possible was if...

Feu's eyes widened in shock as his world turned upside down. No, there was no way it was his father. There was no way he could have died just one day before he arrived. The humans must have gotten confused. Yes, that was all it was, the humans were simply wrong.

As they walked towards where all the bodies were being placed though, Feu realised that not even he could believe that.

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Fabron looked at the other Blaziken that was also named Feu, his body next to his Trainer whom they were told was named Limone.

He didn't spend that much time with the Feu he knew, but the more he shifted between the deceased Feu and the still living one, the more he saw the resemblance between the two. And he saw how devastated Feu looked. It was clear to Fabron that Feu didn't need Elder's confirmation to know what his heart already knew.

"There is no doubt," said Elder as he closed his eyes in sadness and placed a hand on his chest. "This is the Feu that once visited our home and mated with my daughter. This is the Feu that sired my grandson. He is Feu's father."

Fabron and Feu locked eyes, and in that look, Fabron could tell that Feu was going through all the same emotions he did when the reality that he lost his home and his family sunk in. For once, he could empathise with his travelling companion. Without any words exchanged, he knew what Feu wanted to ask.

For all that they could now empathise with each other over their lost father, at least Fabron grew up with one. Feu didn't, and would never be able to truly know his father. But knowing what his neighbours knew would be enough.

Fabron looked at the townsfolk and asked. "Can you tell us about him? He'd appreciate it."

Feu gave Fabron an appreciative look for that, a rare event, and all the more reason to keep the moment in mind.

"Of course," said Flagg, the villager who first mistook Feu for the one he knew. "He and his Trainer met at this promotional event for the Hoenn region, when Feu was just a Torchic. They took quite a liking to each other, and Limone was allowed to keep him."

"And of their journey?" asked Elder.

"Limone told me a lot of stories," said the girl. "While they were in Hoenn, they found a Blazikenite, and after winning a tournament that gave out a Key Stone as the prize, they were able to win the Hoenn League together."

At that, Fabron saw Feu nod and take his leave. Though he put on a brave smile, Fabron could see how tightly he was clenching his fist. He would have followed the Blaziken but Elder stopped him.

"Give him some space. Feu just found out that the Blaziken that sired him, his father that he always wanted to meet, died just one night before we arrived. He needs time to process all this," said Elder. He then looked in the direction Feu went. "If we had arrived just one day earlier, Feu could have talked to him properly, but we did not, and now, all Feu could know about his father is from what others could speak of him."

Elder then turned back to Fabron. "Speaking of lost fathers, I believe now is a good time for us to talk about yours, and the rest of your family."

Though confused at the timing, Fabron nodded and followed Elder to the outskirts of town. Outside of the town, they managed to find a place where none of the townsfolk could interrupt them.

"Okay, we're alone now," said Fabron as he turned a cross look at Elder. "Why do you want to talk about my family now?"

He may have been told to respect his elders, their species notwithstanding, but there were limits. Why would Elder bring up his family's death when they just learned that Feu's father died.

"Because I have recently realised that you have made a habit of keeping your feelings contained," said Elder as Fabron's eye twitched upon learning Elder noticed what he had been doing. "I was not sure how to bring it up though, but Feu's death reminded me that this needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later."

Elder then looked him in the eye.

"While keeping your emotions and instincts in check is not always a bad thing, you took it too far. You are the opposite of Feu in that regard. Feu's problem is that he is too impulsive, and often acts without thinking. You however are too restrained, and kept all your emotions bottled up."

"So what?" snapped Fabron as he turned his back. "What do I have to gain from speaking of how much I miss my family? You think I'd be happy talking about how I don't have a home to return to!? You guys have friends and family to save that you could return home with. But not me."

Fabron felt himself shiver in both rage as sorrow as he held back his tears. It became harder and harder as he remembered what his parents looked like as they lied dead on the floor of their own living room.

His mood did not improve when Elder spoke up again.

"Keeping your emotions bottled up is not a good thing."

His tears began falling as he remembered how Dainsleif had taken over Paien and forced his brother to attack him. He remembered how terrified he felt when the Shiny Aegislash then mind-controlled half the village and laughed as his neighbours tore each other apart.

"If you do not let them out, your emotions could explode at the worst possible tim-"

"I won't explode!" shouted Fabron as he turned back to Elder. Fabron cringed as he quickly realised what he did.

They just stood there in silence for a while before Fabron spoke first.

"I… sorry Elder," said Fabron as he wiped the tears from his face, unable to look Elder in the eye as he did.

"Apology accepted," said Elder. "You are better than Feu at saying 'sorry', but I guess we can talk about this another time. For now, let us find my grandson."

"Okay, Elder," said Fabron as he choked back a sob, not wanting Elder to confront him about it.

And with that, they began searching for wherever Feu went.

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Meanwhile, Feu was also outside of the village. He had found an area with lots of large rocks and he was taking his frustrations out of them.

His father. That was his father!

With tears falling down his face, Feu punched the rock as hard as he could and kept punching no matter how badly it hurt.

Accentus and Dainsleif killed him!

His claws extended and he Slashed the rock. He repeated the attack again and again until the rock was nothing but rubble.

He then turned to the next rock and crushed it with a Flame Charge attack, and then the next one, and the next one. But no matter how many rocks he destroyed, the tears wouldn't stop. His anger didn't leave him even as he lied down exhausted.

He always wanted to meet his father. He wanted to know how strong he was and whether his father could train him.

But because Accentus and Dainsleif killed him, he would never get the chance to speak to him. He lost his father before he had the chance to know him.

Feu's fists clenched even as his tears continued falling down his face.

"Mark my words, Accentus, Dainsleif. You're both going to pay!"

And with the renewal of his vow, he got back up and wiped his tears. After he dried his eyes, Feu went to find his grandfather and Fabron.