"Ah, these hicks are getting impatient," said Ñako as he and Silver made their way through the inner streets. "They're looking at us wrong. Maybe they know we're with the crazy old man."
As if on cue, one of the young men from a nearby store glared at them furiously, though he turned around before he could say anything else. It was quite clear the people of the city weren't big fans of the man employing them.
"Whatever, it's too early to start the fun," Ñako shrugged. "Silver, I think you might like that store over there. Looks like they sell all that medicine stuff you like."
"Nice find," Silver smiled, grabbing onto the handle of the scythe strongly. "Thanks papu."
He pushed the dirty curtains aside and walked in, scythe resting against his shoulder, ready to do some haggling. Contrary to what he would've expected, though, the person behind the counter was a young, cute girl with rosy cheeks, her long blue hair tied into pigtails.
"H-hello sir," she spoke softly, almost a whisper as she bowed to him. The nervousness in her face was as clear as if reflected through a mirror. "My name is Molly, it's a p-pleasure. What can I help you with?"
"Good day!" Silver replied, grinning widely. "My multicolored ninja friend told me you have some medicine stuff here. I might not look the part but I'm an apprentice doctor, so let's see what you got…"
After a few minutes of looking around and choosing the merchandise he put everything into his backpack and gave the money to the young girl, who accepted it with trembling hands. She wasn't even looking at him, her gaze was glued to the exit, lower lip shaking ever so slightly.
Silver sighed. This was simply unacceptable.
"Alright, to hell with it," he said, startling her. "Look, sorry for meddling but you're way too scared of something and that's not cool. I know you don't know me, that I'm carrying a huge scythe and that I look like I'm high as fuck, but… let's see if I can make you smile."
Producing a Pokeball from his pocket, he let his Swablu out, who settled down atop the table with a cheery chirp, cloudy wings folded under his body. Silence covered the store for a moment, while the blue haired girl stared wordlessly at the tiny Pokemon in front of her.
"It's… so cute!" she lunged at the poor creature, enveloping him with her arms. "Oh my gosh your Swablu is so adorable! You must take really good care of her!"
Two things came to mind. First; apparently his Swablu wasn't effeminate but a girl, and second; he was getting credit for raising a thing he couldn't stand in the first place. Life was surprising sometimes.
"Thanks, I do what I can," he shrugged. "And I'm glad I could make you smile but… please, tell me what's making you so nervous. I'd love to help you however I can."
Her smile died as soon as he said those words, shoulders tensing up once more as she glared past the curtains covering the store. She gulped, and it took her a few tries before she could get the words out.
"My… my father…" she said, pointing outside. "He did something bad, something Mullac's men didn't like, and now he's…"
Silver didn't need to be psychic to understand what she wanted to say.
"STOP IT! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!"
The scream echoed through every inch of the market, making sure everyone turned their heads towards the spectacle outside. Silver didn't make himself wait; he grabbed the blue haired girl by the hand and led her outside. Ñako was the first person he saw, hands on his pockets and looking directly at the circle of people in the intersection between two streets. Most of them were spectators and bystanders, but in the middle they could make out three of the robed men with masks, looking the same as they'd done in the train.
Between them lay a broken, bloodstained shamble of a man, face down on the ground and desperately trying to push himself up. Before he could however, the boot of one of the masked men fell on top of his hand. The man shrieked in pain, rolling to the side once more.
Silver frowned, looking at the girl next to him. Her eyes had started to water and she had both hands over her mouth.
"D-dad…"
That's all the incentive he needed.
"Ñako." He whispered to the man next to him, brandishing his scythe. "Should we break this party up?"
He smiled in that unhinged way of his and grabbed the giant shuriken off his back.
"Just what I was thinking."
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Sabrina put the two Pokeballs she'd gotten from the man on her belt, and turned towards what was once her partner.
"Sorry, but this is where I say goodbye," she told the Snorunt. The creature looked at her with tears shining on her eyes. "It's not that I hate y–… ah, who am I kidding. The point is... you did some things that weren't so stupid, I mean, good…"
She was in the middle of her speech to try and make the thing not feel like trash even though she was, when she noticed Adler had stopped listening to her and was now nuzzling the man's arm, who looked at her with surprise and disgust.
Not my problem anymore.
It all looked ready to go her way for once, until the scream reached her.
She really didn't want to follow it, but she knew Silver and the ninja must've had something to do with it. With heavy steps she approached the source of the sound and was pleasantly surprised to discover that her two companions were simply watching the spectacle in the middle of the market, even if they'd already brandished their weapons and were ready to attack.
Couldn't wait until I bought all the stuff I needed, huh?
She walked next to them, hands on her pockets, and watched as one of the masked bastards kicked the poor old man in the ribs, making him flinch in pain.
"This will be a good lesson…" one of them spoke, rugged voice filtering through the mask, "for all those who want to leave the city without thanking master Mullac for his infinite compassion and benevolence."
"Maybe we should bring you to him," one of the others offered. "And see what he does to someone like you."
Sabrina just stared as the two idiots in front of her started walking towards the group of reapers. She sighed deeply, and resigned herself to her fate.
God I hate this fucking town.
The one closest to the old man raised his boot once more, ready to stomp on his head.
"Now you'll…"
Something slashed at his leg before he could finish speaking. Silver moved almost too fast for Sabrina to follow, hitting the masked man under the knee and throwing him to the ground. He'd been lucky not to tear the entire leg off.
"Alright boys, let's see how tough you are against someone who can defend himself!" Silver yelled, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yeah, how about you stop stomping on the old man and fight!" Ñako added, pointing at them with the blades of his shuriken.
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Sabrina simply sighed and, while the reapers stared at them in horror and confusion, took the metal lighter out of her pocket and lit another cigarette.
She then looked down at the beaten thing and realized she'd have no use for it anymore, not with the fire Pokemon she'd acquired as trade for Adler. She stared at it for a moment, feeling something close to nostalgia, and produced flame on it one last time.
"Oh well."
The lighter made an arc of flame as she threw it backwards. It landed on one of the many arms of the black canopy and it didn't take long for the fire to start spreading, slowly swallowing the market around them as it grew and grew, bathing their backs with a potent warmth.
"I always hated this place," she whispered to herself, grabbing one of her new Pokeballs. "It smells and it's full of assholes."
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As soon as Microft and the rest crossed the town doors they realized the rundown and baleful ambience inside was nothing compared with what was outside. A spiraling, all encompassing mist obscured the floor and beyond it almost all the houses had collapsed into themselves, looking like they'd been hit by some kind of heavy artillery.
Broken glass, bricks and occasional dry blood met them as their feet dispelled the mist under them.
"How quaint," Mycroft whispered under his breath, looking around.
"Wait!" Sammy raised one arm to the side, stopping everyone behind them. She craned herself a bit forward, looking through one of the nearby corners. "What… what is that?"
There were metal cages in every corner, big enough to contain a human being. The bars were entirely brown due to rust, though even then they seemed impossible to bend.
"W-why would they have cages here?" Rhin asked, voice shaking.
Siegfried stroked his chin contemplatively, "Perhaps this is Mullac's doing?"
Rhin nodded, and his hand unconsciously went to the tarot deck hanging from his belt, but he stopped himself. "There's something very wrong here. I can feel it."
"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," Sammy whispered, rolling her eyes.
"I'm not talking about the state of the place!" he replied, nervousness clear in his voice. "It's something in the air. The stars tell me that we're not alone here, we need to get our Pokemon out now."
As much as Mycroft didn't like the idea of having to take orders from someone like Rhin, he couldn't help but agree something didn't feel right about the place. He followed the example of the rest and released Ludovic from his Pokeball. In front of Rhin meanwhile, materialized a small orange Pokemon with a bald head and a long tail with fire burning at the tip.
"A Charmander, eh?" the boy whispered, the presence of his new companion giving him confidence "I can feel your fiery spirit. You'll be called Wyvern."
Vard and Siegfried's Pokemon were a Pikachu and a Cyndaquil, and judging by the fact he hadn't seen them before Mycroft deduced they were the ones Mullac had given them.
"I am very glad to meet you, my partner." Siegfried bowed to his Pokemon, complete seriousness in his voice. "May we work together to achieve greatness."
The mole looking creature tilted his head to the side, confused by his trainer's words. He didn't have much time for that however, as Vard's voice soon filled the street they were in.
"What an auspicious day this is, for I have a new great beast under my care!" He yelled, extending his palm towards the sky. "Pikachu, show yourself to Vard!"
The small rodent timidly walked towards his trainer, clearly frightened by the sound of his voice.
"Come on Pikachu, there is no time to be afraid!" The man declared, extending both arms to the side. "As Vard's partner you must face your fears, throw yourself at danger and obtain mon… I mean peace!"
"Would you stay quiet for a second!?" Sammy growled, her golden eyes glimmering with anger. "I can't hear anyth…"
The sound of glass shattering startled her, and soon the rest followed her eyes as she looked towards the thick mist ahead.
Dark, tall figures took shape within the mist, getting clearer the closer they got. Low, almost imperceptible growling came out of them, like the sound of someone trying to speak with a terrible cold.
"Are those…"
Rhin's voice died as soon as he saw what was walking towards them. At least five or six people, all wearing terribly worn garb and covered in blood and dust. Their eyes were completely white and their skin had turned into a pale grey. One of them, the one in the back, had a gigantic cut in the middle of his stomach and part of his guts were spilling out.
They were too horrified to notice the figures approaching from between the houses. A small creature jumped towards Rhin, its sharp front teeth scratching his arm as he lunged towards it.
"Agh!" The boy took a step back, startling everyone around him. "R-Rattata!"
At least ten of the rodent Pokemon had appeared from the shadows and were now surrounding them. Their bright red eyes gleamed with hostility.
"W-what's going on?!" Mycroft hollered, trembling from feet to the tip of his hair. "This isn't… woah!"
One of the white eyed people threw herself at him, attempting to grab him by the arm. He barely managed to take a step back, avoiding her as she fell to the ground with a weak thump.
"These people aren't okay!" he declared, the obviousness of his remark dawning on him a few seconds after.
Siegfried stared at the large man approaching him, a hint of hesitation in his voice, "Excuse me gentleman, but I believe your intentions may be hostile."
"Are you serious!?" Sammy yelled, throwing her Pokeball to the ground. "Geek, help us out! We need to make our way out of here!"
As soon as the Treecko's feet touched the ground he jumped forward, kicking one of the Rattata towards the wall, where it fell unconscious. Three others ran towards him, their overgrown incisors glowing with energy.
Vard stepped forward, his smile not wavering an inch.
"Don't panic! I know exactly what to do!"
From the pocket of his belt he grabbed a big, red onion and took a bite out of it. For a moment they thought that's what he was talking about, but then he threw his arm forward.
"I could defeat all these Rattata in the time it takes my hair to take form, but I'm not here to brag," he said. "Pikachu, destroy these miscreants with Storm of Osiris!"
Pikachu turned towards him, raising an eyebrow.
"Thundershock, Pikachu. I meant Thundershock."
Pikachu concentrated for a moment, releasing a small beam of electricity from his cheeks. It tore through the air towards the mindless person next to Siegfried, hitting him right in the chest. He was stunned, but only for a moment. As soon as the crackling energy left his body he threw himself at the closest victim once more. Siegfried had to take a quick step backwards to avoid him.
"It's… it's not working?" Sammy narrowed her eyes, incredulous. "But then… wait! Mycroft!" she turned towards the boy next to her, eyes wide open. "Your Riolu! He can…"
"Yes, of course!" He nodded. "L-Ludovic, Allez-y! Use Foresight on those corpses!"
Ludovic planted both feet firmly on the ground, and looking at the enemies in front of him he made his eyes glow with a potent red light. For a moment nothing happened, until they noticed something forming in the mist. Pitch black spheres with enormous white eyes hung above each one of the so called zombies, surrounded by an ever changing purple smoke that traveled down to their bodies.
Sammy took a step back, horrified. "Gastly? Then… they must be controlling those corpses like puppets!"
"Then that's our target," Siegfried nodded. "Though it might be smarter to simply defeat the Rattata and try to run away."
The rest seemed tempted with the idea, until Vard opened his mouth to speak.
"No, we must firmly plant ourselves in front of the enemy and emerge victorious!" He raised a fist, smiling. "As it is declared by the Law of Vard!"
Mycroft shook his head. "I'm… almost afraid to ask, but what does the Law of Vard say?"
"The Law of Vard is like his hair; firm and leafy!"
"That… doesn't clear up much."
"I don't pretend to understand the Law of Vard, I just enforce it!" Vard pointed at their enemies once more. "Now we must fight! Pikachu, once more!"
The shock of electricity pushed the rest of the zombies back, giving them enough space to get into position. Sammy studied each and every single one of the enemies surrounding them, trying to come up with a strategy to get out of alive of such a situation.
"Alright, if we're gonna do something stupid then let's at least do it right," she said, pointing forward. "Everyone, attack the Gastly!"
As all their Pokemon threw themselves towards their enemies, none of them noticed that a pair of eyes were watching them from behind a nearby corner.
A pair of very human eyes, belonging to a confused girl with a letter in her right hand, bearing Mullac's seal.
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Wolfswift walked alone through the endless expanse of Route 6, hands on his pockets and his partner Sneasel walking alongside him.
He had no need for supplies or anything of the like, unlike the rest of the group he'd unfortunately have to join forces with. He didn't trust any of them, and would much rather go out to train his Pokemon alone. Strength would be necessary for their job, so it wouldn't hurt to start early.
Something shrieked next to him once he took a step forward. Looking down he noticed the distinct shape of a small, yellow bell that was a Pokemon's head, hiding amidst the tall grass. He then saw that he was stepping on the thing's vines, and lifted up his foot. The Bellsprout jumped a few feet back, still shrieking at him for what he'd done. His thin, vine like arms extended at his side and his eyes shone with hostility.
His Sneasel walked next to him and brandished his sharp claws, smiling maliciously. But before he could throw himself at the poor grass Pokemon, Wolfswift interrupted him.
"Don't bother," he said, tone bored. "This one's too weak to be worth fighting. I'll take care of it."
He took the small revolver from the holster on his hip, about as casually as one would grab one of their Pokeballs. Almost without looking he pointed the barrel of it at the Bellsprout, finger hovering over the trigger.
A sharp sound cut through the air before he could shoot, followed by an intense pain in his wrist as something coiled around it.
"Agh, wh...!"
Wolfswift's revolver fell to the ground as his arm was pulled backwards. Looking over his shoulder he saw what had grabbed him; a long, leather whip, extending towards someone's hand.
"Well, what do we have here?"
His eyes went wide. Six figures stood behind him, their appearances blurry due to the sun hitting him in the eyes. The only thing he could see were the teeth of the one holding the whip as he smiled.
"It would be a shame, to waste bullets on a filthy Bellsprout," he said, voice thin and raspy. "Don't you think?"
That's the last thing Wolfswift heard before everything went black.