Capitoline
Pokemon League HQ
Christopher
Christopher Altobelli walked through the vast, crimson hallways of The Pokemon League. Sweat trickled down his brow, and he found himself running his fingers across his shaved head before straightening his slate gray suit.
He was not a man who liked requesting things-he had done enough of that when he ran his brigade during the war, but he was also not one to deny a request from a man who had once fought under his command.
The building he was in was 12 stories tall and looked over Capitoline. It was one of the largest buildings within the region’s capital, and Christopher was on the highest story, The Champion’s Floor.
The floor was always quiet. There was only one person who resided on this floor, and there were three rooms that weren’t used often, one of which hadn’t been used since The Rocket Conflict.
Then, there was the door in front of him. A simple mahogany door with a golden doorknob that when opened, led to The Champion’s office.
Christopher only knocked twice before the door opened on its own.
He was greeted with the sight of a vast office. While the velvety floor of the hallway matched the walls, the office had a black polished floor with a large brown circular rug. In front of Christopher was an elderly woman sitting behind a large mahogany desk. By her side was a Wigglytuff placing a stack of papers on the desk, and to her left was a Gallade who stood at attention, his red eyes gazing at Christopher.
“Christopher, to what do I owe this visit?” Champion Sienna Amato smiled as she looked up from her desk, the old woman’s tone gentle yet energetic.
“Ma’am…” Christopher said. “I am requesting your permission to send some of the Scudo Vigili to Lantana… and I’m requesting use of Cleptatrices.”
Sienna raised a brow, her blue eyes staring into Christopher’s gray.
“We just got them from Orre, Christopher. We haven’t even tested them.” She frowned. “Exactly why are you making this request?”
“I have received a call from a soldier who worked underneath me… he’s requesting my assistance,” Christopher explained. “There appears to be an imminent threat.”
“And The Legione Armata aren’t taking care of it?” Sienna inquired.
It was an obvious question to ask. The Legione, after all, were formed to protect southern Enotria. Sienna found the organization distasteful, but it was her predecessor Silvano Vinci, The First Champion, who allowed it to be formed, even if it emulated the despicable Enotrian Military of old.
“From what I gather, The Legione aren’t doing anything,” Christopher spoke. “I know that Armado is meant to keep an eye on Graecia, but this request came to me specifically.”
Sienna looked down at her desk briefly before meeting the gaze of her Gallade, scratching her chin, and sighing.
“Armado has been vocal about supporting the south and isn’t happy with how things have been handled as of late. Perhaps this will quell some of his worries he has,” Sienna said. “Exactly what is the threat?”
“I have been informed there is a significant criminal presence within Lantana. Organized crime, specifically a group which has been antagonizing the local Pokemon and my contact believes has murdered farmers,” Christopher explained. “The Cleptatrices will be used to swiftly end the conflict without any lives being lost.”
Sienna narrowed her eyes and looked at Christopher. The gaze was brief, but she eventually relented, letting out a sigh and nodding.
“You have the go-ahead to use the Cleptatrices,” The Champion declared. “However, since the south is Armado’s territory, I want him involved in this as well. I will personally inform him… and another thing. I want this kept silent. If The Legione finds out we’re using Cleptatrices, they’ll stir up a storm.”
Christopher saluted. It was a habit that would never go away. Sienna was not only his superior but also a very good friend. She deserved every bit of respect he could give her.
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll get things ready at once,” he declared.
Christopher Altobelli immediately left.
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Lantana
Apartment Room 12B
Emile
Emile recoiled from a strong, fishy stench as he walked into Giuseppe’s kitchen. He looked around and saw a puddle of yellow liquid. A Meowstic stood beside it, pinching his nose as he mopped the mess up with his psychic abilities while spraying it with cleaner.
“Apologies about that,” Giuseppe said. “We had an intruder who… had an accident.”
“Wait, was that the guy who ran off?” Vito asked as he followed Giuseppe into the kitchen. The young boy looked around until he saw the blue Meowstic, his eyes shooting up with a smile as he approached the psychic type. “Meowy!”
Meowstic turned his head towards Vito and smiled, the cat’s doll-like eyes glimmering as it saw the young man before returning to mopping.
The smell was getting somewhat better, and Emile decided to take out his PokeGear and place it on the kitchen table.
“I went ahead and took photos. This place was out of some sort of bunker…” Emile explained as he began going through the gallery.
Giuseppe stepped forward and looked over Emile’s shoulder, seeing various photos of the bunker’s interior.
The vast halls were dark and had walls made of stone and dirt, with various large pipes attached to them. There was minimal lighting, with large dim lights hanging overhead.
“This building… I remember it,” Giuseppe said. “This is one of the Aegis Bunkers.”
“Aegis Bunkers?” Emile asked.
“I thought those bunkers got demolished or whatever,” Vito piped up. “That’s what you told me, right?”
“I did. During the war, The Carabinieri were afraid of a Kanto invasion and so these bunkers were constructed… then, after Silvano’s coup and the formation of The Enotrian League, most of them were either repurposed or torn down,” Giuseppe explained. “However, neither of these things appeared to have happened in this bunker.”
“Are there more of these old outposts?” Emile looked at Giuseppe. “The guy I interrogated, Matteo, said that he operated somewhere near The Worker’s District.”
“Yes, there are,” the elderly man said as he scratched his chin. “It was only very high-ranking officers that were informed about these bunkers, and it’s possible that The League didn’t get all of them. Though, I had not seen any more in the city.”
“So, hey. What’s our game plan?” Vito piped up. “I mean, we find these guys, and then what? Will we stop them?”
“Absolutely not.” Emile turned towards Vito.
“But I defeated two of them earlier in The Woodlands!” Vito shot back. “I can take care of myself!”
“And you shouldn’t have had to,” Emile suddenly said as he turned around to meet his student’s gaze.
It was his fault after all that Vito had been forced to fight them alone. If he had gone against competent battlers, the new trainer would have been overwhelmed and killed… Emile was glad it hadn’t come to that, but he knew that he should have never left Vito alone.
He wouldn’t make that same mistake again.
“You’re a new trainer, and a child,” he said as he took a step towards Vito and put a hand on his shoulder. “You should have never gone against hardened criminals, and I refuse to put you in harm’s way like that again.”
It’s even worse that he has a bone to pick with these people, seeing as they killed his father.
“That’s not fair!” Vito yelled, his face now red. “If you actually gave a shit about any of that, then you wouldn’t have left me alone!”
“Pika!” Pikachu finally squeaked. He hopped off his trainer’s shoulder and stood between Emile and Vito, hoping to keep the two from moving closer to each other.
“I had Frère with you! I didn’t think they’d come back!” Emile shot back through gritted teeth.
“And what happened then, dumbass?” Vito shouted again.
“Vito! That’s enough!” Giuseppe boomed. His shout caught the two off guard, and the room fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop.
Emile clenched his fists tightly, his heart skipping a beat as he thought of his partner who laid in a Center bed, his partner who had almost been killed by poison.
“Yeah, Emile. What happened then?” a snide voice from within asked.
He wanted to wring Vito by the neck for that remark, for reminding him that he had failed again, but at the same time the boy was right.
Emile had left Vito in an area where two traffickers had been, and he should have known that these people may have wanted to get rid of any witnesses. Yet, he didn’t stick around to keep an eye on things.
“You’re right,” he said after taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, kid. Really, I am…” he apologized.
Vito’s eyes widened and he took a step back, probably surprised that Emile hadn’t yelled back or that he was the first one to speak.
“But I still can’t let you do this,” Emile continued. “I’ve seen numerous trainers try to be the next Red or Brendan or whoever and take down some criminal organization, and you know what it leads to?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes.
There was no response, and so Emile continued.
“They get hurt, either them, or their Pokemon,” he explained, his voice calm and cool. “Sometimes, they don’t recover or even end up dying, and neither Giuseppe nor I would be OK with that.”
Pokemon Centers, even with all the advancements in medical technology, couldn’t treat everything, and Emile had learned that firsthand after a nasty engagement with one of Team Galactic’s Administrators.
“So what? Am I just dead weight?” Vito asked. His voice was louder than Emile’s but he wasn’t yelling like before. “Emile, please. Let me help, these guys, they’ve… they’ve done things. Terrible things, not just to Pokemon but to me!”
Emile was about to say that he knew, that it was part of the reason as to why Vito couldn’t come with, but suddenly…
“Perhaps it won’t be so bad if he comes with,” Giuseppe spoke up.
“What?” Vito and Emile both asked, the former with a sudden wide smile on his face, the latter with a contorted look of surprise.
“Normally I would be against it as much as you are, Mr. Hawthorne… but these men need to face justice, and we need all the help we can get,” Giuseppe said. “And I have some friends in high places, friends who are sending their own people to assist.”
“How high?” Emile narrowed his eyes.
“Elite Four high.” Giuseppe smiled. “I had called on them after an… incident that had happened some time ago, but none of us had found anything. This time, however, now that we know where they’re residing, we might be able to properly get rid of them.”
“Wait, The Elite Four’s actually going to do something here?” Vito smiled “And we get to help?”
Vito was getting excited. Perhaps too excited.
“Yes, but you will be by my side at all times.” Giuseppe frowned. “You will listen to everything Emile and I tell you, understand?” The elderly man pointedly glanced at him.
Vito backed away from the stern look his elder was giving him and swiftly nodded.
Giuseppe’s expression was hardened, his posture briefly shifting upright and making him appear like the soldier he was. There was no convincing him to change his mind, Emile thought to himself.
“Alright, fine,” he sighed as he bowed his head. “Your Elite Four friends, when exactly are they going to come by?”
“Soon.” Giuseppe smiled. “I think it is best if we all work together… and I’m sure they’ll want to ask you both questions.”
“Then I suppose we’ll be discussing more when they arrive.” Emile turned to Giuseppe. “I’ll get my bearings in order; if all has gone well then Frère should be close to recovering.”
The Glaceon had been on his mind ever since he had entered Giuseppe’s apartment, and the argument with Vito hadn’t helped with his ever-growing anxiety. There was a chance that this organization was now keeping an eye on both him and Vito.
Belle was by his side, thankfully, but he still didn’t like the idea of not being by Frère’s side.
“You don’t want to stay?” GIuseppe raised a brow. “I did want to give you some food, we have leftovers from the other night.”
“No, no!” Emile managed to smile. “I… don’t want to intrude.”
“Very well then. I hope your partner has a healthy recovery soon.” Giuseppe nodded. “Please, come back when you’re able to.”
“Of course, Mr. Armani. It was a pleasure meeting you,” Emile replied before hurrying to the front door and leaving.
As soon as he stepped into the apartment’s hallways, he reached for his belt. The thoughts of his team weighed heavily on his mind, and he found himself thinking of one specific member, the one that he had failed.
“Though now that I think about it, it wasn’t just Goyl that I failed,” Emile thought as he took the dragon type’s Pokeball off of his belt.
He wasn’t a trainer anymore. He hadn’t been for a long time, and perhaps…
Perhaps he needed to let go.
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Lantana
De Luca Estate
Aldo De Luca
Aldo De Luca’s mansion was the only mansion in Lantana. It was located meters away from The Vinci District, a district named after Silvano Vinci, the First Champion of Enotria, and consisted primarily of suburbs. The road in this district was well-maintained, with zero cracks and clear of trash, unlike the other district’s roads.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
There was no other place like this. The De Luca family had a solid grip over Lantana, having turned it into a farming town centuries ago, and the town had prospered before The Rocket Conflict occurred. While things had gotten slightly better after the war, it wasn’t enough for the place to truly prosper.
He sighed as he looked at the mansion. His home was an elegant white building that resembled the gorgeous Siculian Castles of old, and it overlooked the courtyard teeming with life. The lawn had been mowed, and there were various trees planted around, some with Pokemon and some without.
The former soldier turned his gaze to a Kee tree, one that had become his favorite primarily because a small colony of Nymble had made their home around it. The colony hadn’t damaged the greenery, but they would quickly take the berries that had grown on the tree before scattering.
Aldo had been amazed the first time he saw it, and he had found himself briefly researching why they liked Kee berries so much despite their overwhelmingly bitter and spicy flavor. The berries actually helped stimulate growth in Nymble’s leg muscles by encouraging muscular growth and aiding in conveying oxygen through their bodies. Since their evolution, Lokix relies so much on their leg muscles to deal damage to their opponents, Nymble who regularly ate Kee berries often ended up much more powerful than their Paldean counterparts, who were forced to subsist on more regular berries like Sitrus and Tamato.
Unfortunately, Aldo couldn’t go to the tree, and focused on the mansion in front of him. He had asked Ombretta to meet him here, and the conversation couldn’t wait.
“Let’s hope she’s not asleep,” Aldo thought to himself.
Sleeping had become a bad habit for Ombretta. It was one that lasted ever since he found her after the war, and no matter what was prescribed to her, nothing really changed. The damn shrinks she had gone to see were of little help.
As he entered the mansion, he heard the sounds of rustling and tumbling, mixed with loud thumps on the floor.
Aldo raised a brow and reached for his belt, but his eyes widened as he saw a Zoroark and Houndoom, biting and rolling around on the floor, clearly playing with each other.
That was odd, Ombretta’s Houndoom never played with Zoroark and Aldo’s Houndoom was in his Pokeball so that only meant…
His heart stopped and his blood ran cold as he began to walk through his mansion, ignoring both Zoroark and the Houndoom he was playing with as well as the old artifacts that hung on the wall, passed down from family member to family member. A bead of sweat trickled down his head as he thought of Houndoom’s owner.
If Aldo had known he was going to be here, he would have dropped everything outright and came home on time. He hated being late. The individual present wouldn’t have exactly cared much, but it mattered to Aldo.
He put pride in his professionalism and conduct, after all. Even when he acted as a Don.
Aldo opened the door to the makeshift meeting room that had been established over a decade ago when he had first agreed to Salvadore’s plan, when he had first agreed to form The Legione.
Thinking back, Aldo was a much different man back then. He had just got out of the 91st Recon Regiment and had planned to improve Lantana, the town was his home after all… only to be met with Team Rocket and The Enotrian League’s incompetence.
The thought was enough to make his blood boil, but he simmered down as soon as he stepped into the meeting room.
While wide, the room felt empty. Several couches had been put down, along with a large, circular wooden table in the middle, though the table had a black trench coat and a trilby. On one of the couches Ombretta sat peacefully, though she was rather unprofessional as she leaned against one of the armrests.
Then, to the right of her was a man who was only a few years of Aldo’s senior. He had a bald head and blue eyes, the right eye marred by a scar. He wore a black dress shirt and slacks with shoes to match, and the design of a flaming fist was stitched onto the chest pocket.
“Colonello, sir!” Aldo stomped his foot down and saluted.
“Ahh, cut that out, Aldo. We’re friends here.” The Colonello waved him off. “Now sit down… we need to talk. I think Ombretta finds me boring anyway.”
“I’m not going to sleep, stronzo,” Ombretta spat as she averted her gaze from her superior.
Talking to a superior like that could potentially result in one being demoted and having their pay garnished. But Ombretta had been with The Legione since the very beginning. She knew The Colonello almost as well as she knew Aldo.
Though, The Colonello was wrong when he said they were all friends. In reality, they were more like family.
Aldo did as he was told, sitting down in front of The Colonello and Ombretta.
“I have good news… and bad news,” The Colonello said as he straightened his posture. “Which do you two want first?”
A shiver crawled up Aldo’s spine as he narrowed his eyes at his superior.
“Bad news,” he demanded.
“I’ve received word that The Enotrian League will be sending troops led by Christopher Altobelli very soon,” The Colonello sighed. “About two squads from The Scudi Vigili will arrive soon, and they’re armed with Cleptatrices.”
“Cleptatrices?” Aldo hissed as he leaned forward. “I thought you said they hadn’t even undergone trial phases.”
“They are now. The batch that The League had received from Orre is to be given to the squads, and they are to be supported by The Pugni Ardenti,” The Colonello explained. “They’re coming to Lantana, and they’re after your group,” he continued, pointing his finger at Aldo.
“I understand. I have… failed to keep my men in check. I’ve grown sloppy.” Aldo sighed in frustration. “Though, while I hate to blame others, recent events aren’t entirely my fault.”
“Yes, I’m aware… according to a report taken by Capitano Greco, individuals wearing different colors from the outfit you lead were involved with grass types and a Glaceon,” The Colonello said. “An action taken by one of the other two families.”
“I don’t have much information, but with what l gathered from the report, both families were involved in this incident.” Ombretta informed.
“Both families? The ones which are both your responsibility? When The MOB Unit was established, you two were put in charge. You would conduct criminal operations in Enotria covertly while simultaneously giving people a reason to join The Legione. Explain to me why they’re exposing Aldo like this.” The Colonello inquired with a raised brow.
“Aldo and I agreed that… ‘family rivalries’ would be good. More conflict would cause more people to join The Legione, but actions against each other were to be agreed upon and staged appropriately,” Ombretta informed him. “However, these actions, while subtle, were not agreed upon, as the matter in The Woodlands was meant to be kept quiet. There is a good chance that The League and populace are fully aware of Aldo’s trafficking operations, and it is also likely that the other families have gone rogue.”
Aldo gritted his teeth upon hearing Ombretta speak.
“Traitors,” The Colonello spat.
Yes, traitors. Traitors to the cause, the only thing that mattered. The Legione Armata was the only cause worth supporting. The League allowed crime to run rampant, and The Carabinieri who ruled over Enotria with an iron fist and their military power were both greedy and incompetent.
“Despite their actions, they may have only helped us in their attempt to harm Aldo. I will speak with Comandante Generale Guerra about this when I go to Siculi,” The Colonello said.
Aldo suddenly raised a brow and looked to Ombretta, who appeared just as bewildered as he was.
Salvadore had always been the general of The Legione. Never was Comandante, or Commander attached to his name.
The Colonello raised a brow as he looked at the two, and then smirked.
“Oh right! The good news!” He clapped his hands in excitement. “Salvadore is reorganizing everything… you know how he is. He’s always wanted a perfect military machine, and I think looking back on our past has… motivated him to enact some changes.”
“Never change, Salvadore,” Aldo thought with a smirk.
The old man had always loved Enotrian history. When the two had met for the first time during the war, probably some time before The Coup and OPERATION: ESCAVILIER, Salvadore had rattled on and on about the story of Lupa and Aquilus, and how both shouldn’t be ignored by the masses.
“Our colors shall remain the same, but you two are officially Consoles of The Legione Armata.” The Colonello stood up and put down two patches onto the table. “Personally, I believe you two should be much higher ranked but… you two are our little secrets.”
“And what should we call you?” Ombretta smirked as she took her patch, then slouched back on the couch.
“If we’re going by the command structure of the Dissian Imperium… then I would assume you are Luogotenente generale?” Aldo asked as he got up and took his patch.
The title itself was a bit too long for Aldo’s taste, but it meant Lieutenant General and a title like that was good enough for his superior and for those in the room.
He smirked when he looked at the patch. It had a gold rhombus above two golden lines, and underneath was the symbol of a large bird, clad in metal armor with shining red eyes to boot- this bird was Aquilus, the symbol of War and the polar opposite to Lupa.
“Officially? No.” The Colonello sighed. “Unofficially? Yes, and when things go through, I will be appointed as Salvadore’s Chief of Staff, and when you two put your daggers down and draw your swords, you’ll be equal to me.”
Of course he would be. He had been working alongside Salvadore for years, even pushing him to help create The Legione Armata- who else would better serve as Salvadore Guerra’s right-hand man?
“You’ll be appointed soon?” Aldo raised a brow. “That involves you leaving your current position. Last I checked, you didn’t have any successors.”
“Yeah, here comes the real kicker…” The Colonello- no, The Lieutenant General smiled. “Due to recent happenings, Comandante Generale Salvadore Guerra has declared The Promised Time to be now.”
Aldo’s eyes widened.
Ombretta stopped slouching on the couch and sat upright, her steel eyes now focused on The Lieutenant General.
“Aldo, as your superior, I am ordering you to take your most loyal and competent men and go into hiding, but leave the unworthy to be captured by The League. They can be replaced,” The Lieutenant General ordered him.
“Understood sir, but what about the other families?” Console De Luca asked.
“Again, I will have to discuss with The Commander General about them, but… given what you and Ombretta have told me, they are guilty of treason,” The Lieutenant General said.
The Legione did not tolerate traitors, and one didn’t need to think too hard as to how they would be dealt with.
“Now then… Console De Luna,” The Lieutenant General spoke. “I am ordering you to go to Carbone. I need you to talk to your friend in the mines. Convince him to fight for us.”
The air suddenly felt tense, and Aldo looked at Ombretta, who was listening to The Lieutenant General’s every word.
Slowly, her lips crept upward, and her smile stretched ear to ear, so wide and vicious-looking that it could put a Haunter and a Perrserker’s to shame.
“Yessir.”
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Lantana
Pokemon Center
Emile
“So how was your visit?” Belle asked as soon as Emile entered Frère’s room.
“Could have gone better. Kid got ticked off again, hopefully he’s cooling off at that apartment,” he replied as he sat down in his chair and sighed. The cold air, despite being at freezing temperatures, felt comforting for once.
“What was it about?” Belle asked again.
“He wants to play hero, and crazily enough that old man of his is allowing it…” Emile wiped his forehead. “Probably to keep an eye on him. Kid probably wouldn’t have listened no matter how many times any of us said no.”
“I feel like I’m missing something.” Belle moved towards Emile and sat beside him.
The trainer looked beside him and stared at Belle for a brief moment, taking in the fact that his Gardevoir was sitting on the air itself.
“That’s freaky,” he pointed out.
“Nobody complains when a Mr. Mime does it.” The Gardevoir huffed as she crossed her arms. “I don’t see why this is any different. Now, talk to me.”
“I wanna hit these guys back,” Emile said. “They didn’t just hurt Frère, they hurt other Pokemon as well,” he continued as he reached out to pet the sleeping Glaceon.
His blood boiled as he thought back to the Tangrowth of The Woodlands and how much he had suffered, and then there was the Aegis Bunker that they had gone into, full of equipment designed to drug and take Pokemon to their new “homes.”
It was all disgusting.
“That being said, Vito wants to go in… he thinks because he fended off two hoodlums he can take on a bunch of hardened criminals,” Emile explained.
“That sounds familiar,” Belle said with a light chuckle. “It reminds me of two eleven-year-old boys who charged headfirst at a group of traffickers, one of whom had only an Eevee and a Weedle by his side.”
The memories of how he had first met Belle played back in Emile’s mind, and he briefly smiled at them. He had gotten curb-stomped by Gurkinn three times before deciding to finally catch more Pokemon.
He wasn’t bright back then, and maybe he still wasn’t.
“That was different.” Emile looked at Belle.
“How? Because you were younger, or because you had Amadis with you? As it stands, I don’t see much of a difference,” Belle declared as she rested her chin against her palm.
“I did it because it had to be done, because if Amadis and I hadn’t done anything then nobody would,” Emile shot back.
“And this doesn’t need to be done either?” Belle narrowed her eyes.
“It shouldn’t have to be done by him!” the trainer shouted before taking a deep breath.
The room fell quiet, and Belle lightly placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Do you remember Mars?” Emile asked quietly.
“I do. How could I not? She was an Electric type specialist in Team Galactic,” Belle replied.
“Do you remember how many bodies she dropped?” Emile asked.
Arceus, he could still remember how many corpses littered Mount Coronet. Simply thinking about it brought back the Arceus-awful stench of burnt grease and decayed flesh mixed with the cool rock walls.
“I do.” Belle swallowed.
“Vito shouldn’t have to go through any of that, and you heard what Lucrezia said.” He shook his head. “These people killed his father. He shouldn’t be forced to face that again.”
“Maybe not,” Belle replied. “But I don’t think this is something that can be prevented. If you really plan on going along with him, then maybe the best thing you can do is be by his side.”
“Maybe,” Emile sighed as he stood up.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to have a heart-to-heart with someone important,” Emile replied as he began to put the Pokeballs on his belt onto a nearby cabinet. “I’ve put it off for too long, and frankly I’m disappointed in myself because of it.”
“I’m going with you,” Belle declared as she stood upright. “Goyl almost chewed your hand off the last time he was out.”
“No, you won’t.” Emile turned towards the Gardevoir. “If you’re there, he’ll get more ticked off. You know how he is… I can talk to him.”
Belle was gritting her teeth, Emile knew, but this was necessary. Dragons and Fae didn’t get along well. The former tended to dominate their very surroundings, asserting their strength upon everything, while the latter wished to be a part of something.
In a nutshell, Dragons liked destruction and Fae liked cooperation. They were polar opposites through and through, and nothing would change that.
“I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.” Emile smiled as he reached for the door.
—
Lantana’s air, while cool, was much better than Frère’s cold room in the Pokemon Center. While he had grown used to cold environments over the years, he didn’t like sticking around in them for so long. He would only bear with it if it was necessary, like with Frère.
He took a deep breath as he reached for the only Pokeball on his belt, and as soon as he took it off he outstretched his arm and pressed the button.
A Garchomp appeared, standing tall on the grass. He was taller than Emile, and the dragon type’s black and gold eyes looked down upon him with scorn.
Goyl did not make a single noise. He merely observed his surroundings before glaring down at his trainer.
It was odd. Goyl’s glares would normally make Emile’s heart stop, but tonight was so different. He didn’t feel scared, or angry, or upset. He just felt…
Hollow.
“I figured we could talk. Just you and me.”.
Goyl raised a brow in response, but he said nothing.
“Do you remember when we first met?” Emile asked.
The dragon, of course, remembered, but Emile was going to go on anyway.
“I was looking for a strong ground type near the power plant, and I found myself going off Route 13 and far away from the Power Plant in my desperation for a Gible, all because I saw Cynthia use a Garchomp when she competed.” Emile chuckled. “I was under the impression that having a Garchomp would make me the greatest trainer around.”
He had been on Route 13 for so long that he was starting to get sunburnt, and it had gotten worse because a sandstorm had formed. The harsh sand cut Emile’s skin, and he could still taste the harsh, rough sand that had gotten into his mouth.
Yet it was all worth it, because when the storm ended…
“Then, I met you. I remember seeing you pound a couple of Trapinch senseless, and I was in awe. I knew right then and there, I wanted you to travel with me.” Emile smiled.
Goyl listened intently, not making a noise as he listened to his trainer reminisce, but a light smile did appear on his features.
“And after the harsh ass kicking you gave to most of my team… I managed to catch you anyways, and while our meeting was rough, we became good friends. I wasn’t the greatest trainer, but having you and everyone else by my side… I’m certain it made me the happiest trainer,” Emile finished.
Ah, and now he was onto the hard part.
He looked down at his Pokeball, at Goyl’s Pokeball and Emile took a deep breath.
“I know why you’re mad, and you have every right to be I… I left you, and everyone else after we lost someone we all cared about, and while you were left behind, I merely degraded and wallowed in shame and regret.”
Goyl growled only lightly, he wouldn’t accept simple words, and his trainer knew that very well.
“I’m not going to beg you to forgive me. I wish I could have been better, but none of us can change the past,” Emile said as he dropped Goyl’s Pokeball at the dragon’s feet and took two steps to the side. “And I understand that if I really care about you, I should give you a choice..”
Goyl’s eyes widened, if only momentarily, before shifting back into his casual intense stare, his throat rumbling.
“Yeah,” Emile said. “If you want, you can leave. Kalos is North-West of here if you wanna go back to where I first found you,” he said as he pointed in the direction of Bellissimo Mare. “If you go too far though, you’ll enter Paldea.”
The Garchomp looked down at the Pokeball, and then up at Emile. He raised his foot, and finally…
Goyl made his choice.