Time: Present

Whereabouts: Unknown Basement, level 7

Who: ???

The world isn’t beautiful how it is. People and pokemon fight and steal alike. They get along quite well in that respect. I seek to make the world beautiful. Unfortunately, the world is large and powerful. In order to create the world I seek, a powerful energy unlike any other is required.

Dozens of screens lay out before me where my followers searched for that very power source. The energy, known from a pokemon known as Zygarde, has been running from us. Once we caught it and obtained the power from Zygarde, the world would be beautiful just as it was meant to be.

“Lord Lysandre! We have located Zygarde’s energy again, this time it’s in the forest just south of Lumiose city!” One of the many grunts at the computer called out and I motioned for him to pull it up.

The energy field on its own was massive, miles of the forest being engulfed by the overwhelming amount of energy from a single living organism. Such a power was perfect for my goal. “What are your thoughts Xerosic?” I asked my companion holding his tablet. He was the head scientist for my team and responsible for the development of our weapon as well.

“The energy readings are off the charts and due to the large area and density of the forest, locating Zygarde will be near impossible. We’ll have to drive him out somehow and lure him towards Lumiose where our people can capture him.”

I nodded, agreeing with his assessment of the situation. The only issue was actually luring Zygarde into the open. Our base was here in Lumiose, which made it an ideal location to capture the pokemon. However, we needed bait.

An impure thought came to my mind, I must’ve been unable to hide my thoughts as I heard a chuckle off to my side. “An idea, Lord Lysandre?”

“Set the forest on fire starting from the far end, drive Zygarde towards our direction. Send in both Mable’s and Celosia’s teams for clean up. I’ll have my company on standby to help put out the fire of course, until our dreams are realized we still have to play our part in this dirty society.”

Xerosic bowed his head. “As you wish Lord Lysandre, team Flare’s true goal shall soon be realized.” He said before turning away to carry out my will.

Not long from now. The world will be beautiful. Just as it was meant to be.

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A whole day.

That’s how long it had been since my fight with my best friends. It was so early in the morning or late at night that the moon was still up. Regardless, I couldn’t sleep. My insides didn’t feel alright. I wasn’t upset about what I said to them earlier, I meant every word. But I yelled at them. The way it happened didn’t feel right and if our last conversation was going to be an argument then that really sucked.

I cooled off by washing myself in a river. Hung out with a couple nearby Froakie who were always chill enough to just relax with me. Actually got around to finishing my breakfast salad somewhere around dinner time when I realized no one was coming back. But perhaps that was all how things were supposed to be, my best friends out exploring the world with exhilarating battles and grand discoveries. Me here, cherishing my small slice of nothing. I’d rationalized myself long ago, that this was something that I should be prepared for in some roundabout way.

Throwing my jacket around my shoulders, I moved towards the back door. The stars are all I really wanted to look at. That’s what I was expecting to see at least, if not for the green and white lump laying across the deck. I sighed at the absurdity of it and quietly opened the door so as not to wake Gardevoir, before sitting down just inches away from her head.

She probably thought I was still upset and didn’t come inside. I thought to myself.

That didn’t sit right with me. My hand unconsciously went to her head and I rubbed it nonchalantly. Laying down back here couldn’t have been all that comfortable, though it’s realistically my fault that she wasn’t in a bed and instead was on the cold hard wood.

“...Gardevoir?” Her questioning eyes fluttered open to look up at mine, as if confused that I would be back here. So naturally I have her the only response worth giving.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” I answered with a small resolute smile. One to which she returned after a moment. It only took a couple words until we fell back into the awkward silence kind of phase, that one where neither individual knew who should start first. Or what we should say at all really.

I wasn’t very good at these kinds of things.

Just before I could formulate a sentence, she beat me to the metaphorical punch. “Gardevoir, Garde-Garde-Gardevoir.” She said, informing me that Lucario was alright and resting in his den further into the forest. I nodded my head silently and listened for a moment while she told me of what they talked about, that they didn’t come back in order to give me some space.

“Give me some space?” My breathing was slightly ragged and I reached gently to hug my best friend. “Maybe space for like a few hours. I thought you two really left for good this time.”

Luckily for me, despite her tensing the hug was returned with adamant refusals that neither she nor Lucario would have ever left without me. No matter what was said. The silence returned just as it had been before, but now it wasn’t awkward. The silence was comfortable. That’s how Gardevoir and I have always been with each other over the years. We didn’t need to talk to one another to be happy, just be nearby.

Moments passed into minutes. Minutes became an hour. The hour passed as we fell into a blissful sleep by one another’s side.

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A bright blue mass shook me awake all of a sudden. My vision is filled with Lucario’s bright and terrified face despite it still being the pitch of night. How could it be so bright and dark at the same time?

My drunken sleepiness is shattered by the scream of pokemon off in the distance and I snap from my stupor. My lap becomes lighter as Gardevoir also shoots up from the comfortable perch my legs had been providing her. “Lucario! Lucario!” He screamed in my face and pulled me from my sitting position on the deck.

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

Any idea of shaking Lucario off is dashed from my head the moment my eye lay on the wall before me. The wall of fire. The wall looked as if it practically reached the sky from where we stood pitifully on the ground like ants compared to its great magnitude. The flames are so bright that they darken the night sky and the surrounding forest as if the sun were still out. It was far still… but it was approaching quickly. Approaching me. Approaching my home. Somehow, I was still capable of getting chills despite the sweat dripping down my body. I wasn’t sure if they were from the heat even at this distance, or because I was scared.

“Lucario! Gardevoir!” Once again my thoughts are broken as I’m being pulled in the opposite direction. In the direction of Lumiose. For whatever reason a quake drives its way up my arms and I wrench free of their grasp, walking backwards towards the cabin. “I can’t! I told you I can’t!”

It was stupid and cowardly and selfish and all sorts of things. I just couldn’t bring myself to head in that forsaken direction back to civilization. Lucario must’ve immediately read my feelings because where I normally would have expected him to yell at me or just grab me and drag me out of the forest, he did something he’d never done before in all our lives. He dropped down to his knees in front of me and begged. His paws grabbed at my hand and he pleaded over and over for me to run with them.

I was at a loss for words. My arms calmed enough to stop shaking by themselves but they kept shaking. Because I was no longer the one who was shaking, it was Lucario. There was just as much fear in him as there was in me right now, yet here I was being stubborn and not making a choice. I took one more look back on the fire which was maybe a couple miles out at most and then back at my best friends. Both directions were terrifying in my opinion.

But I also really didn’t want to die.

“I need to get something inside…but let’s run.” I relented and I could see the relief in both their eyes and a huge weight practically lifted off my shoulders like a boulder had been weighing down on me.

Turning away and running towards my home, I kicked the door open with the heel of my combat boot without remorse. There wasn’t time to think about the door as it was going to burn down anyways. Making a beeline for my bedroom, I knelt before the bed and pulled out a small rectangular box the size of my hand. Opening it, inside lay the only gift that I’ve really ever gotten. Years ago Lucario and Gardevoir found a jade and turned it into a necklace for me. That day decidedly became my birthday. It might be weird that I wasn’t wearing it up until this point, but it was so precious and I never wanted to lose it. I quickly attached it around my neck and prepared to leave.

CRASH!

The wall on the far side of the room came hammering down. No tree had fallen, no boards were on fire, the smoke had barely even reached us yet. No, instead a large four legged pokemon stood in the midst of the wreckage. Its body was blue and furry with a golden crown-like feature sitting on top of its head along with various parts of its body. I quickly recognized the pokemon as a Manectric. But why would that pokemon be breaking down the cabin and not running?

My question was quickly answered as a person stepped into the hole behind the pokemon. She was a bit shorter than I was with short purple hair like a cap on her head and a fiery red outfit like it was made from the approaching fire and scorned onto her body. Her lipstick was also purple and in my opinion, totally ruined her aesthetic.

“My, my, I never expected us to run into any company out here. Xerosic assured us that no addresses led to anyone living in these woods except for a few rangers to be wary of, but who would’ve guessed we’d run into a little girl out here.” She said to her pokemon, looking oddly satisfied for reasons I couldn’t even begin to guess. My first meeting with a person and I’m already confused beyond comprehension.

“Xerosic? Who and what are you even talking about? Nevermind purple lady, there’s a fire and we need to get away from here!” I shouted back and for whatever reason, the purple lady started laughing as if I said something preposterous. She’s now gone from purple lady to crazy purple lady in my book.

Her laughter finally died down and her smile twisted evilly. “No need to worry girl, those questions won’t matter to you anymore. I am Celosia of team Flare, we can’t have any witnesses to our work, so I’m afraid you’ll have to go.”

My eyes shook in shock. “You started this fire? Why would you do something like that?”

“Just be thankful that team Flare is creating a better world. Now Manectric use Shockwave!”

The command registered in my mind the second I heard the order given to the pokemon. This woman was seriously trying to kill me! I sprinted towards the door and behind me I heard the electricity build up in the Manectrics horn. I slammed the shut behind me and dove over the counter just in time as I heard an explosion from the wood behind me as it splintered in my direction.

“Use Thunder Fang!” I heard Celosia shout from still in my room and I scuffled myself off the floor and ran towards my door. I only got a few steps out the door as the dog like pokemon caught up to me with its high speed and reared its electric filled fangs back to bite me. This move would surely paralyze me and render me useless if it hit me, but I knew there was no dodging it in time at this speed. Falling down to the ground, I had only begun to raise my arm up in some defense before accepting my fate.

A millisecond before the bite could reach me, a translucent shield appeared right in front of my face. Bouncing Manectric off and sending him repelling in the other direction back to his trainer. I recognized the shield instantly as Protect, one of the moves that Gardevoir knows. I didn’t even notice his approach but Lucario was already at my side and picking me up to my feet, his eyes completely set on the opponent in front of us. “Lucario.”

“I don’t know who they are or where they came from. Something about team Flare and starting the fire. We need to get out of here quickly!” I explain before ducking his way.

“Ah, ah, ah. Don’t think you’ll be leaving anytime soon with me still here girl. Now it’s more fun that you have pokemon, 2 against 1 is probably fair for someone like you.” Celosia commented with a smile.

Despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s your loss if you really think that way.” Just before the haughty woman could open her mouth with another lame retort, I beat her to the punch with a surprise. “Lucario, Bone Rush!”

My best friend moved without hesitation and two long white bones appeared in his hands for the move. She must’ve been surprised by my sudden boldness because Celosia seemed caught off guard by the command. The moment only lasted so long sadly as she quickly regained her footing.

“Foolish move kid, you’ll lose at this range. Manectric use Thunderbolt!”

A smile elapses from my lips, knowing she fell right for my trap. “Gardevoir use Protect to block that Thunderbolt!” I shout behind me and she quickly raises a shield, the Thunderbolt in question evaporating harmlessly on contact with the shield.

With no time to move or react, Lucario gets right up close and personal with his opponent and begins thrashing him around with numerous swings, getting all 5 hits in due to Manectrics loss in speed after using another heavy attack. After the 5th swing, Lucario sends Manectric crashing into the wall beside the door, leaving a sizable hole where he should’ve entered the cabin’s kitchen.

Celosia for her part, looks as if a vein is going to pop out of her forehead. “You’ll regret making an enemy out of team Flare, you’ll never be safe. Next time, it won’t be so easy.” She seethes through her teeth before retreating back into the cabin.

“Gardevoir.” My pokemon gains my attention and directs it back toward the fire which is no more than a mile out at this point, its rage approaching with unworldly haste. I can already feel the smoke in every breath I take, in the heat of the moment I hadn’t even noticed how thick it was in the air.

I nod my head and turn towards Lumiose city. “You’re right, we need to get out of here quickly.”

We ran. For minutes or maybe an hour we ran. I could feel the heat on my back growing hotter still anyways. The battle had really delayed our departure and we had to jump over and move around the tree and brush in the forest while the fire just combed straight through it.

I don’t know at what point it became hard to breathe, but it did.

I don’t know at what point it became harder to walk, but it did all the same.

At some point Lucario put my arm around his shoulders so he could help me walk, Gardevoir did the same. It was just at some point after seeing the bright lights of Lumiose city did I finally pass out.