MATURE: Stray

[OrionTheAbsol]

- Blood of a legendary soldier? He's Solid Snake?

Naw. He'd think "Solid Snake" would be the nickname of an Onix or something.

- Hey a soft side from Orion. Much more meaningful seeing this stand out given later events.

Perhaps he sees a bit of himself in the kid.

- Bringing up uncivilizeds...

Think of them as the "Unclean Ones" from SMT4. Sort of. They're subject to quite a bit of prejudice, even from the Absol (who experienced prejudice himself).

- Gotta eat em all!

Now with Starly-shaped macaroni!

- Rip right apart

Rip and tear!

- This seems too nightmarish to be the Shadow's work. Heh. See what I did there?

Not really no. :/

- So this all but confirms the Cult of Darkrai and the Shadows were linked. Thought they might be different factions.

You're correct. They're not quite directly affiliated with each other. However, the Darkrai Sect is interested in the Shadows' power.

- Well I was not expecting it to be a well-spoken sermon giver.

PRAISE THE DEMON LAWD!

- And here comes a deal with the devil. If he calls himself Dharke Raidou or something I am going to just grin.

Dharke Raidou? :|

- And Geris confirmed to be the Chaos Hero. Getting power in the form of evolution, I suppose. Very early to be going off the deep end.

Not exactly a friendly fellow to begin with.

- I hope the necklace was left behind and fell apart when the Missy D died. In the sense of a ghost dying

Took me a bit to figure out what you were talking about. Then I realized you were referring to Misdreavus's Pokémon Stadium 2 KO animation, lol

- Well it seems Orion's heart wasn't the only one pounding intensely there. Wasn't expecting it to just celebrate its own death.

Yeah, wonder what that's about.

- Looks like they can go Freddy Kruger on you here.

Kinda, except you can't dream up superpowers to defeat the supernatural baddie.

Isn't clear how they came to end up in the nightmare world, but I'm supposing that's something that will be explained later on.

Yep, next chapter.

Looking forward to seeing more!

Glad you're enjoying it! This is just the first story arc. There's going to be a lot more going on from here on out.

 

[System Error]

Dharke Raidou? :|

Look they can't all be as snappy as Louis Cyphre.

And catching up with the last of these chapters. And with this I should be all up to date here.
- Guest characters, eh? Well that seems ominous for them in this world.
- Wow calling him a drifter. Also magical dreams.
- Just a tap?! Somehow it is amusing.
- GHOSTS...DON'T...DIE!! Well, tell that to Mario. Or people who can make things deader than dead. Like, a super ded.
- Casually dissing Mandibuzzes. Seems Pokemon bigotry is something that's just ingrained.
- Aww, becoming besties.
- Oh dear, touching on some lore with this whole execution thing. You know, starting to think the whole civilized side might be the Law faction, or at least the Sol Council.
- Ahh that thing of referring to individuals as pronouns.
- Oh, so it wasn't exactly the Nightmare Realm. More like one of the alternate fight dimensions like in Nocturne
- You (nearly) suffered a terrible fate, haven't you? Good thing Hesh had his precious item.
- Hm. Working theory is that Dharke Raidou possesses all Ascended Shadows' bodies, but we'll see.
- Valuing strength? Opposing the creator? Yeah, that is the Chaos Faction all right.
- And there seems to be the definite connection between them and the Shadows, at least, almost all but confirmed by how nearly all of them were Shadows. Maybe Dharke Raidou was manipulating them to become them. Or they didn't know the power they were getting into.
- Well Hesh seems sensitive about his religion.
- That feel when they don't just wear off naturally, status that is. I'd like to think that they eventually would because they would be permanent otherwise without some sort of healing access.
- Oh hey guess who's back and somehow still didn't get eaten by Shadows. Have to say, I was half expecting that and yet also have expecting it to be a one off.
- Hesh with the idealistic heroism. Definitely in the wrong genre here. But then again, maybe that's what it takes to make a difference here.
- Ahh kids and fluff.
- Well that turned dark fast. Poor kid is heading for a scarring, if not a far worse fate. And hey, proving that the gap between civilized and uncivilized isn't that wide, and may in fact indeed be more of a philosophical thing rather than a case of the latter being savages.
- Tsun.
- Huh, and sudden, bad things happening with Orion.
- Which get dropped as soon as everything goes to shit and Shadows and God's soldiers show up.
- And God's soldiers attack, presumably wiping out all the shadows except Not Geris, because a major villain wouldn't go down like a bitch, right? Well, maybe in this crapsack world where no one is safe.
- Well Hesh has some weird relatives in the family. Pokemon breeding is weird.
- I like this character already. Which means I probably shouldn't get too attached to this character. Seemingly guest character or not.
- It seems only two of the guest characters showed up, unless Savage is just somewhere else or more subtle.

Ending on an ominous note here, and I wouldn't be surprised if Orion the Absol from OriontheAbsol's story died off in this sort of world where anyone can die. But we'll see when the next chapter rolls around.

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

- Guest characters, eh? Well that seems ominous for them in this world.

Hopefully, they'll live long enough to watch the biggest fireworks.

- Wow calling him a drifter. Also magical dreams.

If I were more on the nose, I'd probably call him a "jobless hobo."

- Just a tap?! Somehow it is amusing.

Orion's feeling generous that time. Imagine if he straight up swung his paw at full force instead.

- Casually dissing Mandibuzzes. Seems Pokemon bigotry is something that's just ingrained.

Wait till you get to the dragons.

- Oh, so it wasn't exactly the Nightmare Realm. More like one of the alternate fight dimensions like in Nocturne

SMT4 domains and SJ sectors work too.

- You (nearly) suffered a terrible fate, haven't you? Good thing Hesh had his precious item.

Hmmhmmhmmhmm!

- That feel when they don't just wear off naturally, status that is. I'd like to think that they eventually would because they would be permanent otherwise without some sort of healing access.

Depends. Might take quite a bit of time to wear off eventually. For more severe "status effects", they'd have to be treated properly or they can permanently damage the body.

- Well that turned dark fast. Poor kid is heading for a scarring, if not a far worse fate. And hey, proving that the gap between civilized and uncivilized isn't that wide, and may in fact indeed be more of a philosophical thing rather than a case of the latter being savages.

Yes, indeed.

- And God's soldiers attack, presumably wiping out all the shadows except Not Geris, because a major villain wouldn't go down like a bitch, right? Well, maybe in this crapsack world where no one is safe.

lol, God's soldiers.

- Well Hesh has some weird relatives in the family. Pokemon breeding is weird.

Not quite like that. It'll be explained next chapter.

- I like this character already. Which means I probably shouldn't get too attached to this character. Seemingly guest character or not.

Oh, Keelan's a favorite. She's gonna be around for a while, lol

- It seems only two of the guest characters showed up, unless Savage is just somewhere else or more subtle.

Not named in the actual text yet, but he's the Dragonair who appeared briefly. He'll show up in future chapters.

Ending on an ominous note here, and I wouldn't be surprised if Orion the Absol from OriontheAbsol's story died off in this sort of world where anyone can die. But we'll see when the next chapter rolls around.

Oh man oh man oh man.....

 

[Welkamo]

All right, seeing as no one has reviewed this for the review game, I might as well, seeing as you've reviewed my story and I want to return the favor. Bear in mind that I'm squeamish, so if I don't mention a lot of stuff about the fights/fight injuries/deaths, it's probably because I was skimming through the bloodier parts.

I use "interesting" a lot in this review I'm realizing...

1

• So I'm guessing this is a post-apocalyptic story but with Pokémon and no humans. Interesting, interesting in a good way.
• Ooh a mysterious shadow who could it be?
• Ooh Mark of Creation what could that be?
• The ending of that dream is giving me flashbacks to the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga's Black Fog.
• The opening chapter is giving me vibes that I can't really pin down, but it's a strong vibe that works.

2

• In this fic, are Shadow Pokémon left over from human times, or are they a thing separate from humans?
• Interesting exploration of Pokémon-only warfare. (And in Chapter 4, Ilike how you added in the use of Items.)
• I'm not too well versed on Pokémon fics where the main characters are, well, Pokémon, but I think the trope of exploring the stigma around Absol is a good one, especially because this story features only Pokémon. I don't know how used the trope is, but it works here.
• Ooh who's Hesh's father?

3

• Pokémon making wine? Interesting. I wonder what Berries they use.
• Sol Council? And a connection to the name "Absol". I like that.
• Whelp, I do not like Geris.
• I feel like Hesh and Orion are going to be friends. I'm glad Orion has at least one Pokémon to be his friend.
• We're getting some backstory at a good time to be getting it: after the premise of the story has been set up, but not too long after the beginning.

4

• The village from early on in the story gets attacked! A trope I very much enjoy.
• Emerald Valley? I immediately thought of Emerald City from Wizard of Oz, especially with the colors. I imagine it being filled with Grass types.
• Wonder where Orion is. I'm guessing he's off fighting a big Shadow Pokémon.
• Whelp, no one's safe in this story, I can assume.
• Poor Hesh.

This story is very tropey (and I mean that in a good way. This story's use of tropes works). I'm not sure how far I'll be able to get what with the things listed in the content warnings, but I like what I've read, and I think it's a very good story. Descriptions and characterizations are very well done, as well as the worldbuilding.

By the the way, how do you name the characters in this story? Are the names from the days of the story being an RP? Because I recognize Orion from Greek mythology, but names like Julia and Hesh don't really fit a specific theme.

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

Ayyyyyy, good to see you!

Bear in mind that I'm squeamish, so if I don't mention a lot of stuff about the fights/fight injuries/deaths, it's probably because I was skimming through the bloodier parts.

That's perfectly understandable. Starting from chapter 5, the death count goes up.

Ooh a mysterious shadow who could it be?

Chapter 9 confirms its identity.

In this fic, are Shadow Pokémon left over from human times, or are they a thing separate from humans?

That's an explanation I would like to save for much later.

Interesting exploration of Pokémon-only warfare. (And in Chapter 4, Ilike how you added in the use of Items.)

There will be some allusions to PMD, maybe to the main series games too.

I'm not too well versed on Pokémon fics where the main characters are, well, Pokémon, but I think the trope of exploring the stigma around Absol is a good one, especially because this story features only Pokémon. I don't know how used the trope is, but it works here.

Generally speaking, the stigma was mainly a human thing. When an Absol appears before a village, a natural disaster soon occurs after. This leads to some ignorant people believing that the Absol was the one who caused said disaster and did so with malicious intent. But in truth, the Absol was simply trying to warn the village of the disaster. But because of the Absol's ominous and frightening appearance, the anxious people jumped to conclusions.

The reasons for the stigma in this story are quite different, as they were connected to the Shadow Pokémon instead. Like those ignorant humans who made Absol into a symbol of disaster, the Sol Council blamed them for bringing the Shadow Pokémon into existence. Just a convenient opportunity for a political scandal.

And because of the events that occurred 8 years ago, this leads to the Absol being a very rare species in the continent of Hevalkin. Nobody knows how many are left alive.

Ooh who's Hesh's father?

None other than the general of the Peacekeepers himself, Typhon. Hesh has a LOT to live up to.

Pokémon making wine? Interesting. I wonder what Berries they use.

This is something that I haven't quite pinned down yet, though I imagine any berry can be an ingredient for a cocktail. For the purpose of worldbuilding, this is something I would like to experiment with in later chapters.

Whelp, I do not like Geris.

Nobody really does, except for other violent sociopaths.

I feel like Hesh and Orion are going to be friends. I'm glad Orion has at least one Pokémon to be his friend.

They'll each need a friend to keep their sanity intact. The rough journey ahead is a real test to see how long this uneasy friendship lasts.

[*]We're getting some backstory at a good time to be getting it: after the premise of the story has been set up, but not too long after the beginning.

I'm so glad that this is the case. Took me forever to figure out WHEN to get this information out.

Emerald Valley? I immediately thought of Emerald City from Wizard of Oz, especially with the colors. I imagine it being filled with Grass types.

You are correct. Also lots of birds and pond/river Pokémon, and an interesting mix of other residents.

Whelp, no one's safe in this story, I can assume.

(sinister laugh)

Poor Hesh.

Poor kid's gonna learn the horrors of the Shadows the hard way.

This story is very tropey (and I mean that in a good way. This story's use of tropes works). I'm not sure how far I'll be able to get what with the things listed in the content warnings, but I like what I've read, and I think it's a very good story. Descriptions and characterizations are very well done, as well as the worldbuilding.

Glad you enjoyed it so far! Though I will definitely say that the content gets more intense from chapter 5 and onward. Even during the moments of reprieve, things will remain tense.

By the the way, how do you name the characters in this story? Are the names from the days of the story being an RP? Because I recognize Orion from Greek mythology, but names like Julia and Hesh don't really fit a specific theme.

There's no particular naming scheme going on, which is meant to throw some ambiguity on the world's past human cultures. Orion himself is not necessarily a Greek Absol, just someone with a name that happens to match that of a mythical Greek hero.

The Pokémon usually go with names that they like and usually don't adhere to a specific culture. So there would be names that are actually real, and names that either sound like cute nicknames by humankind or completely made up.

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

Chapter 10 - Hors de Combat

Content Warning: Blood, strong language, minor suggestive themes

Author's note: chapter uses guest characters created by other users with their permission
​

A sea of stone-colored clouds coursed through the dimmed sky. Piles of cinder were swept away by the wind, encompassing an infinite, flat landscape. From the recesses of the wasteland, a deep-toned, regal voice spoke.

“We meet again.”

An umbrose figure emerged from the endless streams of ashes, hovering over the landscape. Its body fluctuated and flickered like a hungry flame.

“You have done well. It seems you are putting your talents to good use. I beared witness to your achievements at the plains and the forest. I am pleased that you survived all the hardships thus far.”

A myriad of dark figures with glowing red eyes became visible through the dust storm, standing in an endless line.

“Do you see the great power of the Shadows? They are tenacious foes indeed. But you have demonstrated to be the more persistent adversary. Use that to your advantage. Strike fear in your enemies! Show them what it means to cross you!”

More Shadows emerged from the dust storm.

“The Shadows will continue to grow in number. And as their numbers grow, so will their power. You saw what they are capable of. The destruction they wreak. The chaos they spread.”

The dark figures dissolved into dust.

“But you are capable of much more. For you were made witness to the world’s rebirth. Harness your gifts and seek out the Mark of Creation.”

In place of the Shadows, more Pokémon appeared. But instead of the dark, menacing beasts from before, they wore armor and appeared to be bathed in a subtle golden light.

“But beware of the Creator’s agents. They will stop at nothing until they seize control of these lands and eradicate all dissenters. Do not fall for their false promises of salvation! The Mark of Creation must not fall into their hands!”

The numerous incandescent Pokémon faded away.

“Disciple Orion, treasure what you have left in this forsaken world. Keep those you considered your friends and your allies close to your heart. Remember them, as the ones who will attempt to reestablish their dominion over this world will cruelly take them away from you.”

The wind picked up in strength and the dust obscured the dark figure.

“Now, go. Follow your instincts.”

---

Orion awoke in a small dark room, surrounded by the tiny flickering flames of several oil lamps. He saw three blurry figures watching him. He could hardly discern their facial features.

“His breathing is stabilizing,” whispered a raspy male voice. “Amala, keep the Heal Pulse going…”

“Yes, doctor,” answered a matronly voice.

“Chloë, get the salve and the cotton gauze. Clean up the remaining blood.”

“Yes, doctor,” a youthful female voice answered.

Orion’s vision began to correct itself as the facial features of his company grew more recognizable. A wave of nausea struck him, inciting the Absol to groan.

“Doctor, he’s waking up!” exclaimed the matronly voice, belonging to a female Audino. She held out her miniscule hands, which emitted a visible pulse of rosy energy.

Orion was suddenly taken aback as a small green Pokémon—whose species he was unfamiliar with—jumped into view.

“Heya!” She gave a demure smile, waving the large leaf hanging over her head, emitting a soothing sweet scent. “Hold still, okay? We’re trying to get you fixed up. This is gonna hurt.” Using the vines protruding from her neck, she pressed the gauze down on Orion’s stomach. The Absol cried out in pain as he felt an intense burning sensation.

A yellow Pokémon with a long nose and a thick white collar of fur stared down at him. “You need to take better care of yourself, son. I can tell that this laceration had reopened multiple times. And you’re lucky that someone was willing to donate some of their blood to you.”

Orion remained still, feeling apprehensive around these strange Pokémon whom he had never seen before. He felt the desire to run away.

“The wound is closing,” said the Audino.

The long-nosed yellow Pokémon sighed. “Alas, it’s going to leave a very noticeable scar. I hope you’re not looking for a date anytime soon.” He chuckled.

The small green Pokémon shook her head and gave a smug, but encouraging, grin. “Don’t listen to him. You can brag to the ladies that you survived this.”

“Don’t encourage the boy too much. Don’t want the ladies thinking he has skin problems or hair loss or something.”

“Doctor!”

The doctor emitted a hearty laugh. “I kid, of course. Just need to get cleaned up and keep the bandages on. And he’s got the other desirable qualities.” He glanced at Orion. “You’re a very strong one. Most other Pokémon in your position would have entered a coma. Or worse. But you managed to pull yourself out of death’s cold grip.” He pulled out a disc-like instrument, waving it back and forth in front of the Absol’s face. “Keep your eyes on this.” Orion suddenly felt dizzy.

The green Pokémon exhaled. “Okay, it’s time for your rest. Good ni—”

The Absol shut his eyes, unable to make out their words anymore.

---

A ray of sunlight shone on Orion’s face, stirring him from his dreamless slumber. He was lying on a soft bed made of Wooloo fleece, with a delicate blanket draped over his back. He exhaled softly as he began to determine where he was at.

“You’re up!”

Orion stopped breathing as he felt someone tugging his neck. The person was none other than Hesh.

“Thank the gods, you’re alive. If you had perished, I would never forgive myself.”

Vexed, Orion gawked at the Wartortle, noticing the bandages tied around his arm and his neck. Smaller bandages were plastered on his face.

“Where are we?” Orion asked.

“What do you mean?” responded Hesh. “We finally made it. This is Emerald Valley! We’re actually here, Orion!”

The Absol continued to stare at him, looking somewhat uneasy. “D-did… did you see anything, kid?”

Hesh crossed his arms. “See what?”

Orion pulled his eyes away. “You know… did I… die?”

“Well, you almost did! You were bleeding out!”

Orion heaved a sigh. “Then… no one saw anything then?”

“I mean, I was freaking out at the time! But you survived!” The Wartortle eased up. “Why? What’s wrong? What was I supposed to see?”

Orion held his tongue for a moment, then shook his head. “Nothing. Everything’s fine.”

Hesh gave a concerned glance. “Uh-huh.”

“Where’s Yukie?”

“Oh, she’s sleeping in another room. She’s pretty well-behaved so far. Didn’t give the medics much trouble. She did seem depressed, though.”

Orion’s nose fidgeted. “She wanted to see her sister.”

“Yeah. But I don’t know if we should let her.”

Orion gave a disapproving frown. “No. It’s better that she doesn’t know.” He sighed. “It’s better she forgets about her sister. There’s no telling what would happen if Yukie goes out to find her.”

Hesh nodded in agreement.

“How are you holding up?” asked Orion.

“Oh, you know… surviving. Just some bruises and cuts. Nothing’s broken. Well, except a bit of my shell, but I can always grow more scutes. It’ll be fine. You, though…” He chuckled nervously. “You’ve been out all of last night. The doctor did something called a blood transfusion for you.”

“Huh? Wha?”

“Like, he stuck you with a needle and put a tube in you. Then he gave you somebody’s blood. I-It’s complicated stuff. I have no idea how it works.”

Orion quieted down. They did what!? There was hardly a time when he had to see the doctor, so he wasn’t aware that a procedure like this existed.

Hesh continued. “And well, somebody I know was willing to give a bit of his blood to you, so you would survive. And, here you are!”

Orion inspected his body, noticing the fresh new bandages tied around his belly. They felt tightly bound. “Who?”

The two stopped talking as another Pokémon walked through the drape-covered entrance of the room. Orion recognized her as the small green Pokémon from before.

“Hiya!” She waved a paw at them. “I’m just here to check on the patient. Is there anything I can assist you with?”

“Water,” Orion answered, taking notice of the nurse’s white Peacekeeper ribbon around her neck.

She nodded. “Coming up!” She glanced at Hesh. “I know you’re just checking up on your friend, but he needs to rest. I’ll let you know when he’s ready for visitors.” She walked out.

Hesh whistled. “Ho-ho! Damn! I’m a little jealous that you got such a cute nurse taking care of you.” He nudged Orion, who reacted with an unamused frown. “Anyways, bud, talk to you later. I’ll let you sleep a bit.”

Orion nodded, watching Hesh walk through the drapes. “Yeah. Take care, kid.”

Orion rested on his side and set his head back on the pillow, taking care not to scratch anything with his horn. He scrutinized the room, regarding the marble floor tiles and the rose-colored cedar walls.

He stared at the single bright aperture in the room, through which he could hear the lively chatter of the townspeople and the delighted shrieks of the children. Not since he was a child had he stayed in such a cozy place. He was used to sleeping around dirty rags or on a cold, rocky floor.

And yet, he felt out of place. Something within urged him to leave.

The Absol wandered into thought and reflected on the events of the past month. So much happened that he barely took the time to process it all.

The betrayal of the Darkrai Sect still stung. Just as he believed he found his calling, the ones whom he believed to be his allies would rather see him dead.

No one can be trusted. Isn’t that right, Orion?

Something snapped within him that day. Ever since that altercation, he had visions of a ruined world. And glimpses of the one he once considered his deity. He clearly remembered the day when the sect attempted the ritual to summon Lord Darkrai. And its failure. So, why? Why did the phantom of Darkrai reach out to Orion of all Pokémon?

The world as you see now will soon vanish.

Those words haunted the Absol. Despite everything, he could not shake off that feeling of impending doom. That everything he had done up to this point was insignificant. Sooner or later, even someone like Hesh would, too, vanish.

The Mark of Creation. What even is that? How would I know where to find it?

“Boo.”

Orion jumped as the voice whispered in his ear. He shuddered as he noticed the little green nurse playfully mugging at him.

She snickered. “Did I scare ya?”

Orion scowled at her. “….Is it policy for your medical stuff to come in unannounced?”

“Sorry. You just look so serious there. I thought I might do something to perk you up a bit.” The vines on her neck extended and set down a bowl of water. “Here, I got you this.”

Orion took a few sips and rested his head on his pillow once more. He gave the nurse a thankless expression, to which she responded with a coy smile.

“Heh heh. You’re actually making me feel bad.”

“You don’t want to know what happened to those who snuck up on me like that in the past.”

“Hmm. I imagine something not that good.”

“Well…” Orion paused. “Yeah.”

The nurse chuckled under her breath. “Actually, I’m here to check up on you. Are you still feeling dizzy?”

“Yeah.”

“Any nausea or pain still?”

Orion nodded.

“Ooh, I bet. You were in a pretty bad shape when you first came here. The guards had you wrapped up in sheets soaked in your own blood. The whole infirmary could hear me scream.”

Orion attempted to get back on his feet. “Well, I’m fine now. So I’ll just take my leave.”

The nurse pressed her paws on his back and forced him back into his bed. She gave a disapproving frown. “You don’t look fine. And you just told me now that you weren’t feeling too good. Your wound may have closed up but it’ll take a while before it fully heals up. But whatever you did out there, agitating it would risk opening it up again. You were lucky.” She inspected the strange creature before her and ran one of her paws across his fur, causing him to flinch.

“What!?” Orion shouted.

She ignored his outburst. “You have such a pretty white coat. A shame you haven't been taking care of it.”

The Absol growled with an unappreciative tone. Does she know a thing about personal space?

The nurse stared at his gashed face, noticing his piercing red eyes. Same color as hers. “So, what are you exactly? We get many visitors here, but I've never seen anyone like you before.”

“None of your business.” Orion flipped his body and lied on his other side.

“Hey! Don’t be like that.”

Orion grumbled. Leave me alone already!

The nurse walked over to the other side of the bed, to the point where she could make eye contact with her patient again. “Let’s start again. I'm Chloë. I'm a Chikorita. And you are?”

“Orion,” the Absol muttered under his breath.

“Orion? That’s a funny name.”

The Absol sighed.

“I’m only kidding. Don’t take it so personally.”

“What do you want?”

Chloë tilted her head. “Huh? Nothing. I thought maybe I could have a nice chat with my patient.” She shuffled her feet on the ground worriedly. “Sound good? You seem like… you travel a lot.” She eyed the Absol’s facial scars.

Orion shut his eyes in an attempt to ignore her. Chloë noticed that his eyelids had an abrupt change of color, as if the skin there wasn’t his natural color; from indigo to black. Perhaps some kind of tribal markings?

“So what are you?” Chloë asked.

Orion exhaled. “An Absol.”

“Ab… sol? Hmm.”

“What? Is there a problem?”

“Did you come from across the sea or something?”

“No.” Orion’s voice grew agitated.

“Are you a native Hevalkite?”

“Last I checked.”

“Wow. You have to tell me all about your home!”

Orion opened his eyes and glared at her. “I don’t have one.”

Chloë winced. “Really?” She shook her head profusely. “No no no, that’s not good at all.”

Orion groaned. “Can I go now?”

The Chikorita leered at him. “No, you cannot! Did you know how much blood you lost? You’re in no condition to be walking around.”

Orion snarled back. “I’ll be fine! I’m used to it.”

Chloë sighed, looking pensive.

“What now?” Orion asked.

“Nothing.” Her demeanor shifted. “Just don’t be wandering off.” She gazed at him with an oddly pained expression. “I’ll be very upset if you do.” With one last glance, she trod out of the room.

The Absol relaxed back on the bed. What's her problem? I don’t want to be here. Simple as that. I’m fine. I can walk on my own.

“O-oh, general!” Orion heard Chloë’s voice nearby. “What are you doing here today!?”

An unfamiliar deep masculine voice responded. “Good morning, nurse. I hope you’re doing well. I’m looking for a Mister Orion.”

Orion flinched as soon as he heard his name. Who is that? What does he want? On the other side of the walls, he heard Chloë answer back, “Oh, he’s in that room over there.”

“You’ll have to be more specific, miss. My vision is not very good.”

“Oh, he’s in the next room to your left.” A pause. “B-but he’s still resting!”

“A few minutes are all I need. I’m afraid this is urgent business.”

Orion’s eyes widened. What the hell? Don’t tell me they knew…

“Y-yes, sir!” Chloë exclaimed.

Orion held his breath as he listened to the thuds of footsteps approaching his room. Somebody on the other side began to tap the wall until they made contact with the drapes. A tall bipedal figure pushed them aside and walked in.

“Good morning. You must be Orion.”

Orion stared at the Pokémon, unable to determine his species: he had a canine face that resembled a mask of sorts. His body was a mix of blue and black fur around his head, arms, and legs. On his chest and stomach, cream-colored fur. His arms were noticeably muscular and were covered in bandages. At the end of each hand protruded a single large spike.

The canine Pokémon glanced at Chloë, who walked alongside him. “Is there a seat nearby?”

“Hold on!” Using her vines, Chloë grabbed the nearest wooden chair and dragged it next to Orion’s bed. “There you go.”

“Thank you, dear.” The canine Pokémon nodded as he sat down. “I’m afraid that this is a private exchange, so I’ll need you to be away for several minutes. Go ahead and take a break.”

“Yes, sir!” Chloë spoke enthusiastically as she rushed out of the room.

Orion observed the strange visitor once more, noticing a striped yellow-and-black ribbon tied around his neck. Embroidered on it were three golden stars. The Absol felt many of his strands of fur rising. He had seen a Peacekeeper ribbon like that before.

“Now, now,” the canine Pokémon said with a calm smile. “No need to be alarmed on my account. I'm just here to talk. From my understanding, you're the mercenary who escorted a Wartortle and an Eevee to our city. Am I correct?”

Orion nodded tentatively.

The canine hummed, his wide ears twitching. “I sense that you’re agreeing to my question. My apologies. But if you’re moving your head now, I can’t really see it. I’m actually blind.”

Orion stared at him in the eyes, noticing that his red pupils were dim and cloudy. The canine’s snout held a subtle layer of silver fur.

“It’s better that you vocalize your answers.”

“Okay.” The Absol felt apprehensive. If this Pokémon couldn’t see him, how would he know that he said yes?

“Good. So, how are you feeling now?”

“Awful,” Orion said curtly.

The canine suppressed his laughter. “That’s an accurate assessment. I couldn’t remember the last time I went into a state of shock myself. But you recovered astonishingly quickly. I trust that the infirmary staff patched up your injuries?”

“Yeah.”

“Was the blood transfusion a success?”

Orion hesitated to answer. “How do you even know about that?”

“Well, you see, I’m the donor of that blood. I talked with the doctor to see if it would be compatible with you and he said it was fine. I did it as a personal favor, considering what you just went through. Thanks to Private Hesh’s intel on your species, I knew what I must do.”

“Y-you?”

The canine bowed his head. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lieutenant General Seanán of the Emerald Valley Peacekeepers. From my understanding, you’re an Absol, correct?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Interesting,” Seanán murmured. “I thought there was something vaguely familiar about your aura. The last Absol I met was maybe… hmm, ten years ago? Yes, it’s been some time…”

Orion quieted down as the general mumbled to himself.

“However, I noticed you have a strange dark aura, young man. It’s… chaotic. In constant turmoil. I wonder, why is that?”

“Dark aura?”

Seanán cleared his throat. “Aura is the essence of every living creature. For most of us, we maintain it inside our bodies. As for the Shadow Pokémon, they expel it. My species, the Lucario, can easily identify the aura of all Pokémon. That is how I know you’re in front of me now. That is, aside from listening for your voice. And I must apologize, but your scent is rather awful too." He pressed his hands together. “I’m aware that the Absol clan was attuned to the element of darkness. But I must ask: why is your aura fluctuating?”

“You tell me.”

Seanán’s expression twisted into a grimace. “If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t be asking you this.”

“I don’t know.”

Seanán sighed. “I see. We’ll move on then. There are more important matters to discuss.”

“Fine.” Orion exhaled, anticipating difficult questions to come his way.

The Lucario glowered. “Right now, the city’s battalion is on high alert. Do you understand why?”

“Dragons.”

“Correct. At this moment, more of our troops were stationed at the guard towers. The scouts reported to me that a fight broke out in the southern forest yesterday. Do you attest to this?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.” Seanán bobbed his head. “Were you also at the town of Vera and witnessed what took place?”

“Yes.”

Seanán emitted a deep sigh. “Then I must ask you to attend a mandatory meeting sometime in the afternoon. Private Hesh will rendezvous with you there. We need both of your testimonies. There’s a lot to discuss, I’m afraid. Then we’ll let you go.”

Orion exhaled. He was not prepared for this.

“I do apologize for the inconvenience, but the safety of this city comes first. I hope that we can count on your cooperation.”

“...Is the Sol Council here?”

Seanán seemed bemused by the question. “No? None of its active members reside in Emerald Valley. Why do you ask?”

Orion felt like he was ready to vomit. As if sensing it, Seanán waved at him. “Never mind. It’s okay, son. I understand. All I need from you and Private Hesh is important intel about our current situation.”

“...Fine.”

The Lucario gave a gentle smile. “Thank you for being so understanding. I can see why Private Hesh has taken a shine to you. Which reminds me… there’s one final matter to discuss before I let you go.”

“And what would that be?”

“This should be a simple question. Where do you come from?”

Orion fell silent. This is it. This is how he’ll discover that I’m an outlaw.

“Speak,” the Lucario demanded, his ears twitching more fervently.

The Absol came up with a quick answer. “I came from Vera. My home was razed.”

Seanán chuckled. “I apologize, young sir.” He glared at him. “But that’s clearly a lie.”

“W-what does it matter? I was at Vera!”

“True as that may be, that didn’t answer my question. So I’ll ask you again: where are you from?”

Shit! What do I tell him? Should I bring up Daem? No, what if he tells the mayor that I’m here? No… can’t bring up Lusang...

The Lucario exhaled. “Your silence is very telling. Don’t make this harder on yourself.”

“I-If I t-told you… it would be harder on me anyway…”

“Hmm.”

“Look, I don’t have a home. Okay? I rather not talk about it.”

Seanán hummed, sounding a bit uneasy. “That’s all you needed to say to begin with. And something tells me you’ve done something that you’re not proud of.”

Orion kept quiet.

“Very well. This goes against my better judgement, but I’ll skip this question for now. You’ve already gone through a lot. And, well, I owe you a great deal.”

“Huh?” Owe ME? What is he on about?

“As hard as that young nurse tried to disguise your scent, I smell the blood of many different Pokémon on you. Quite an achievement there, young mercenary. Whose unit did you belong to?”

Orion shook his head. “No one’s. I work alone.”

“Probably not the most profitable job, I imagine.”

“...No.”

“If that’s the case, then tell me: are you Uncivilized?”

Here it is. I knew he would ask that. “N-no.”

“Hmmmmm.” The Lucario sniffed noisily. “Have you eaten another Pokémon?”

Damn it all… Orion hesitated to answer, mumbling, “No.”

Seanán made a long face. “Don’t lie.”

Orion burped, feeling some bile rising in his throat. “Fine. Yes.”

The Lucario fell silent for a moment, glancing at the direction of the doorway as if checking to see if someone was listening. He laid eyes on the Absol once again. “That’s a real shame. Surely, you know that is a taboo?”

“Yes… I’m well aware…”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I had no choice. There was a time when I had no food with me. So that was all I had. And well...” He thought about Hesh. “I was saving a few berries for the kid.”

“You didn’t try talking him into eating another Pokémon?”

“No! Of course not!” Orion protested.

The Lucario gave a patient smile. “So, you have no desire for flesh then?”

Orion shook his head. “No. If you give me a few Bluk Berries, I’ll be fine. I don’t hunt. I scavenge, if necessary.”

Seanán kept his silence and shut his eyes. Orion watched as a faint outline of blue energy enveloped the Lucario. With a deep exhale, the energy dissipated. Orion was unsure of what he just did, but it made him nervous all the same.

“Very well,” Seanán said. “Thanks for being truthful. I understand being out in the wilderness can be very difficult. And food can be out of reach. But I must remind you that as part of the chain-of-command, it’s my job to remove Pokémon like you from our societies. We allowed the Uncivilized to live independently from us. As among the Civilized… killing another Pokémon for nourishment is punishable by death, as ordained by the Sol Council. Here, we only treat ourselves to nature’s bounties. You’re not to kill any of the villagers for sustenance. Or otherwise. Are we clear?”

“Yes.” Orion nodded. “I understand.”

Seanán lightly clapped his hands together. “With that said, you may remain in Emerald Valley. But remember this law well. If our guards caught you hunting one of our citizens, we’ll have no choice but to place you at the mercy of the Sol Council.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Lucario’s expression grew more sullen. “You’re a most unusual guest. Do you know about the tragedy that happened with your clan years back?”

“I do,” responded Orion.

“Were you one of the survivors?”

“I… I’m not sure.” Orion paused. “I don’t know. Truly. I can’t remember my family, no matter how much I tried.”

“Did you live outside of Hevalkin?”

“No. Not as far as I could remember.”

“Ahh…” Seanán shut his eyes, his posture slouching. “I sense that you’re telling the truth. That’s… a real shame...” Orion could hear the old Lucario's voice crack. “A rare Absol playing the role of a mercenary. And such a fearlessness against death. I’m not sure what to make of that. But I think I understand why your aura is the way it is.” He stared down at the floor for a moment, until his eyes met Orion's. “You’re a lost soul who had a rough life. In such a young body too. My sister possessed a similar aura to yours.”

Seanán rubbed his eyes, as if wiping away tears.

“For the record, I don’t know very much about your species. But neither I nor any of my family believe a word of those nasty rumors. I hope you can take comfort in at least knowing that.”

Orion's eyes narrowed. “Ummm. Thanks.”

“Well, I guess that settles it.” Seanán rose from his seat. “Other than the incident that occurred yesterday, there’s another reason why I’m here. And that’s to express my personal gratitude.”

In an unexpected move, Seanán gently patted the top of Orion’s head. The Absol was stunned. He didn’t remember the last time something like this happened.

“You’ve done well, Orion,” Seanán said. “In fact, you’ve actually done a great service for the Peacekeepers. What went down in Vera was an utter travesty. But you managed to save one person. That boy you saved is my godchild.”

“What!?” Orion jumped back.

The Lucario emitted a hearty laugh. “Yes, sir! I’ve known his father for a long time. I was there when his son was born and they named me the Squirtle’s godfather. So again, thank you very much.”

“Y-you’re welcome.” So, that’s why he saved me…

“Did Hesh ever tell you about his family?”

Orion’s eyes narrowed. “Well… a little bit…”

“Did he tell you who his father is?”

“Not… really. He only said his father is an officer.”

“Ha ha. Not just any ol’ officer. He’s General Typhon’s son.”

Orion jumped out his bed, panting. “WHAT!?”

“Wh-whoa! Settle down, son! Don’t wanna agitate your injuries!”

Orion set himself back on his bed. Just hearing that name made him quiver in fury.

“What’s wrong?” Seanán asked.

Before Orion could speak again, he heard footsteps pounding from the hallway outside. Orion expected Chloë to return, but a different Pokémon rushed in.

“Yo! What’s going on here? I heard shouting.” The youthful male voice belonged to yet another Lucario, but this one looked different. This one was slightly shorter and possessed a leaner frame than Seanán. Furthermore, much of his fur was a radiant golden color with occasional patches of navy blue fur. He wore a striped red and black ribbon around his neck. “Oh, there you are, Seanán! I was looking for you! Just letting you know that the officers were notified and the assembly will be ready in the next hour. The mayor’s kinda pissed though, not gonna lie.”

Seanán nodded. “Thank you, En. How are things out there?”

“The dragons are still there. They settled at the burnt remains of the forest.”

Seanán shook his head. “The Creator have mercy on us… we need to go then.”

The Lucario called ‘En’ eyed Orion. “Oh, who’s Scars over there?”

“This is Orion. He’s our guest. And the one who saved Private Hesh.”

“Whoa-hoh! Nice job out there, man! That couldn’t have been easy.”

It’s not, Orion thought. The Absol responded with an irked frown.

Seanán glanced at him. “It’s been a real pleasure meeting you, Orion. I’ll tell the doctor and the nurse to release you a bit early. They’ll guide you to the city hall.” He formed a genial smile. “And I really do hope you enjoy your stay in our fine city.”

The two Lucarios hurried out.

As soon as he could no longer hear them, Orion breathed a throaty growl. That kid… is General Typhon’s son… unbelievable… DAMN IT ALL! It seemed so obvious now. The boy did seem like a miniature version of his father (an old Blastoise). But he never considered that the general had a family to begin with.

No… it should be fine… he doesn’t need to know I’m here… I’ll just leave now… the kids will be fine… the Peacekeepers will handle things just fine…

Trembling, Orion took his first few steps towards the exit, picking up a sensation from his stomach like being poked with needles. He peeked his head out the doorway, listening to the faint voices coming from various rooms. He veered to the right and slinked through the corridor, deliberately keeping his footfalls silent. Shortly, the path converged into a perpendicular hallway.

Left or right… left or right… Left!

As Orion swerved his way towards his destination, he saw a brightly-lit doorway further ahead.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?”

The voice startled the Absol. When he turned around, he saw a huffy little Chikorita tapping her foot against the tiled floor.

---

Author’s Notes:

• Yukie is based on user Akina’s character
• Seanán and Enitan are based on user Telume’s characters

 

[SuperTrainStationH]

Just read the first five chapters!

As much as I've always loved the PMD derived concepts of Pokemon living in human-like villages, using limited technology such as architecture and basic tools, and having to deal with outside threats from other, often possessed or maddened Pokemon, this is the first time I've actually taken a dig into a fic with any of those ideas, and this seemed like a nice dark one to start out with.

The author clearly put a lot of thought into the setting of Hevalkin, it's the type of thing that really SHOWS someone's been brewing this up in their head for ages and ages and had a lot of story to tell that was dying to get put to writing.

In spite of all the deep worldbuilding and starting the story rather in the middle of things, I found the factions and their motivations easy enough to keep track of.

The author cites inspiration from the Orre based Pokemon titles on GameCube, I'm left curious to discover if these Shadow Pokemon are a distant remnant of the activities of Cipher during the previous age of humanity alluded to, or something different entirely, I'll either find out in the story, or find out that it doesn't really matter, either way I look forward to reading further.

From what I see now however, it's interesting to have the Shadow Pokemon as a faceless "unknown enemy", with added zombie/virus like elements for good measure.

I don't know how much of what I'm about to say is sort of pointless just because the "vocabulary" or "texture" of a dark gritty fantasy in a world with magical creatures and dark beasts is pervasive, but I'm reminded of a lot by this, and I don't find that to be a problem whatsoever.

Look forward to reading more.


And as an aside, Javil, my man, never start talking about returning to your hometown and reuniting with family members in a war situation, it NEVER works out good.

But really what I wanted to say is, I like the use of some of the more brutal aspects of plant-survival techniques with the Grass-Type Pokemon that did Javil in, its easy to get so underwhelmed by energy blasts and giant blades and claws that you forget how freaky some of the more "subtle" Pokemon techniques can be if the sort of cartoony context is removed.

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

As much as I've always loved the PMD derived concepts of Pokemon living in human-like villages, using limited technology such as architecture and basic tools, and having to deal with outside threats from other, often possessed or maddened Pokemon, this is the first time I've actually taken a dig into a fic with any of those ideas, and this seemed like a nice dark one to start out with.

Well, I'm honored that this is your first read for such a concept. Unfortunately, despite the word count, the story is still sort of in the beginning stages. At the very least, I can say the first story arc is complete and I'm working on the next.

The author clearly put a lot of thought into the setting of Hevalkin, it's the type of thing that really SHOWS someone's been brewing this up in their head for ages and ages and had a lot of story to tell that was dying to get put to writing.

In spite of all the deep worldbuilding and starting the story rather in the middle of things, I found the factions and their motivations easy enough to keep track of.

Good to know that my patience and planning paid off. One of the major issues of my earlier drafts was people confusing different factions for each other.

The author cites inspiration from the Orre based Pokemon titles on GameCube, I'm left curious to discover if these Shadow Pokemon are a distant remnant of the activities of Cipher during the previous age of humanity alluded to, or something different entirely, I'll either find out in the story, or find out that it doesn't really matter, either way I look forward to reading further.

You might be disappointed in that regard then. In the older drafts, I borrowed the concept of "evil" and imposing Pokémon, even though I didn't actually play the Orre games. So, definitely a loose inspiration. I also didn't like the whole explanation about how Shadow Pokémon existed ("close the door to their hearts").

Of course, this reboot is subject to change as some aspects of the setting haven't been fleshed out in planning yet. I haven't fully developed what mankind was like prior to the events of Stray, but I can at least say it was a modern setting where urban cities once existed.

But really what I wanted to say is, I like the use of some of the more brutal aspects of plant-survival techniques with the Grass-Type Pokemon that did Javil in, its easy to get so underwhelmed by energy blasts and giant blades and claws that you forget how freaky some of the more "subtle" Pokemon techniques can be if the sort of cartoony context is removed.

Well, do I have some good news for you! While it's easy to remember that grass Pokémon tend to underperform compared to their peers in the actual metagame, there are ways to make them absolutely terrifying, lol

Aside from being good healers and being in touch with nature, I see them as particularly ruthless when they know how to use the environment to their advantage. Strong, tensile vines that can strike with the force of whips is nothing to sneeze at. Same with leaves sharp as blades or being struck by a literal tree. Same with being able to spread spores and neurotoxins that can affect another creature's behavior.

Thanks for reading! Definitely a lot more to come, and chapter 11 is still underway.

 

[SuperTrainStationH]

CHAPTER 6 review -

Hey thanks for the reply!

Don’t worry, there’s seldom any way for a story to disappoint me compared to my own educated guesses or predictions, I think borrowing the vague sense of an idea you heard a little about before you got a full sense of how it was deployed in the canon makes for even cooler ideas when they are compared and contrasted with the official material.

Don’t worry about all my questions, I just tend to like to ask rhetorical questions in my reviews as I feel like they give the author a sense of what sort of curiosity or interest their work is arousing within me, if I’m ever genuinely confused by somethng I’ll be sure to ask for explicit clarification.

I think what I’ll do from here on until I’m caught up is read a couple of chapters when I have the time, then post a review for the pair of them, but I’ll write each review as I go, since I likely will rarely be reading both chapters at a time.

As for Chapter 6, wowie, what a dank depressing slog through muddy wastelands full of brutal creatures, I sure got a sense of the difficulty of the journey that came to follow after the battles (well, ill fated massacres) of the previous chapter.

The dynamic between a freshly traumatized and rattled fighter like Hesh and an experienced soldier with an enhanced survival rate like Orion is interesting in that still being “new” to this and having a lot of questions that need to be answered (and beyond awed at Orion’s ability to even operate in this situation), I can identify a lot with Hesh.

And the “scary” thing is, I dont know if Emerald Valley is something that’s just a chapter or two away, or if the entire rest of the story is going to be traveling to this place, and then, perhaps only to find it destroyed and its like “Maybe the real Emerald Valley was the friends we made lost along the way” – I’m only slightly kidding about that last part, but that tension and uncertainty is what is keep me hooked to the next chapter.


**********

CHAPTER 7 review -

Orion marking the trees as he traveled struck me as an “oh, cool” sort of moment, one of those moments of the Pokémon in this setting combining human intelligence with more animalistic survival behaviors and instincts, with the juxtaposition between those two elements being a theme of this particular chapter.

Well! The event with the Eevee made me wonder for the first time (though it should have been a more obvious question) where ANY of the food the “civilized” Pokémon were eating was coming from in the first place.

In the games they reference wild Pokémon eating each other for food, but it’s implied in the anime that Pokémon that live with humans eat a diet deliberately unspecified fruits and berries with representations of meat being rare if not nonexistent among food eaten by humans or by Pokémon.

The use of Lexi here not only deployed some natural traits of a particular Pokémon species, but also sort of exploited Hesh’s weaknesses at this particular moment, as he’s looking for some warmth and companionship (maybe not THAT kind of companionship), even if being with an unfriendly and unyielding, and yet uniquely skilled and experienced fighter is his best bet for practical purposes.

This also answered a lingering question I had, as some dialog last chapter seemed to imply a Pokémon bitten by a shadow could be saved from fully transforming if the particular Shadow that bit them could be killed first, and also, wowie, the transformation sure starts quicker than I imagined!

Lexi here also makes me wonder (worry?) if shadows can actually reproduce more Pokémon amongst themselves, and if those offspring would be normal or just be born as shadows to begin with, or if they spread PURELY by biting normal Pokémon. This question like anything else involving potential future plot developments is rhetorical.

And as for the chapter’s wind-down, its interesting that the previous existence of humanity and the fact that Pokémon are trying to live as humans once did, and how some Pokémon may feel about that, is becoming a more significant puzzle piece to the story at hand, as the mention of that at the start of the piece could have just been general background context as to how the world got this way, not an active element some characters today are concerned with.

So we’ll see what happens next!



Thanks for writing!

 

[SuperTrainStationH]

CHAPTER 8 review -

Well the theme of temptation with Lexi and Hesh last chapter certainly was carried through to this one, with much higher stakes!

I was anticipating some more discoveries about the origin and motivation of the Shadow Pokemon, but I wasn’t expecting it so soon, or to be as interesting as it was. I like how the consequences of the fall of humankind in the distant past has actually come to be important in constructing the emotional fabric of this world and the motivations of the forces at play.

And my question about the origin of all the food these Pokemon are eating is spelled out more explicitly, just in time for when it was becoming something important about that I was hoping for some clarification for.

Looks like the long awaited destination may or may not be coming up soon, so I look forward to see what comes next!


********


CHAPTER 9 review -


Finding food and a cute little kid!

So, good things CAN happen in this story sometimes huh? Well after last chapter they sure do deserve it, right?

My immediate thought is that Yukie is adorable. There’s something so satisfying about writing for an endearing little child character that’s helpless but trying their best to be really fierce, but with her status as an outsider and her MIA sister being a shadow, I’m sensing plenty of opportunities for heartbreak, which I dread/eagerly anticipate.

It’s interesting listening to Hesh and Orion discuss the nature of their world, the comments made last chapter about these Pokémon becoming too similar to humans, and talking about whether or not divine beings that don’t make their presence and influence tangible are worth believing in as suffering continues to exist.

Also it was about time for a little more history on Orion, the mystery was being built up for a while, and after the events of last chapter, some new info was necessary and came at just the right time, though there is still plenty I can sense that I don’t know, and don’t know that I don’t know.

I look forward to reading on some time soon, as I come close to catching up with the currently available material.


Thanks for writing!

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

Chapter 11 - The Meeting

Content Warning: Strong language, references to death, bigotry

Author's note: chapter uses guest characters created by other users with their permission​

The first thing Orion saw as he passed through the exit was a bright ray of sunlight obscuring his vision. Oddly, part of the sun was blotted out by a massive tree, its leaves and branches rippling from the wind. He was not particularly fond of the sun’s rays caressing his face, as it reminded him of a time when he traversed through the Ruby Desert. The only things missing were the scorching winds and sand particles birching his face.

Lines of the valley citizens tarried across the cobblestone roads and overhead wooden walkways that connected to humongous trees. The pathways linked up to numerous buildings, comprised of stone bricks and beams of painted wood. Further ahead, from where Orion was facing, was a glade holding many trading booths, where many different species of Pokémon clamored.

The sight of it all felt like a dream to him, to say the least.

“First day on your feet, going to city hall. Today must be your lucky day!”

Chloë said those words with nothing short of enthusiasm, but Orion knew the Chikorita was being contemptuous. Two of her vines were strapped around his neck, after all.

“Sure.” Orion gave a mortified snarl. “But do you really have to put me on a leash!?”

“Can’t have you running off.” She gave a cocky smirk.

“You know it’ll seriously hurt if I do start running, right?”

“For me or for you?”

“Probably more for you than me, when I’m dragging you across the pavement.”

“Ugh! Why? Would you really do that to a delicate lady like me?” Chloë asked with an uneasy grimace.

“What does it matter? Little girl or little boy, I’d still drag you across the pavement.”

"Well, that’s just rude! And I’m not a child!”

“So are you confirming you’re a boy now, or—”

Orion felt a sting as Chloë belted his face with one of her vines. The Absol laughed and shook his head. “I’ve had worse.”

“Geez, no manners. I take pride in my appearance, you know!” Chloë pouted.

“Compared to me, you look like a child clinging to a parent.”

“Please don’t make this job harder. I have to make sure you find your way to the city hall. So can you please stop taking shots at me?”

Orion sighed. “Fine, fine.”

Chloë released her vines around his neck. “Tell you what. Just walk with me. Don’t wander off or I’ll call for the guards. I'm not trying to give you a hard time. You're my patient, and the general expects me to make sure you come to the city hall on time.”

“Yes, you got a job to do. I know how that is.”

Chloë gave an appreciative smile. “I’m glad you understand.”

Taking their first steps onto the road, with Chloë in the lead, the two Pokémon merged with the crowd. The number of passersby made Orion feel uneasy. The strange looks he got from some of them, even more so.

While he was expecting a city around the size of either Lusang or Daem, there was a more unique quality to Emerald Valley. The city itself was settled within a massive forest, with buildings nestled between gigantic redwood trees and smaller tree species; even over mountainous slopes. A system of wooden walkways and bridges of either stone or wood led to buildings built at higher elevations. Orion noticed more overhanging buildings built alongside the trees, reaching ever closer to the canopies. With the exception of birds, he couldn’t understand what kinds of Pokémon would want to live up that high.

“Impressive, right?” asked Chloë.

“Why build houses up that high?” asked Orion.

“It’s to help compensate for the growing population of the city. We’ve been getting so many visitors and refugees here lately. Some of them lost their homes to the Shadows or the Asa’i Hara’min.” She sighed. “It’s been a while since I left the city. Things are just too dangerous out there.”

As he and Chloë entered a nearby underpass, in the shadow of an aqueduct, Orion silently examined the meshes of city life. A great number of small cubs skipped across the roads, agitating some of the adult bystanders. Among them were multiple Tauros, Mudsdales and Bouffalants dragging carriages carrying materials or even citizens. Nearby, he could hear a Staravia herald sermonizing to the passing crowd from his perch, puffing out his chest pompously to show off his glittering sash.

“...re here! The dragons have finally made their move! My brothers and sisters, it’s time to take up arms against those barbaric Serapíans! With the purity and might of the Creator on our side, we shall purge those filthy lizards off our beautiful lands! We toiled to make a living here, and it is our right as the blessed Hevalkites to bring about a new crusade! Join the Knights today, and we’ll make that wicked Prince Temeré pay for his crimes! Believe in the Creator, and his light will erase the taint of the Shadows and the Serapíans!”

Orion ignored the rest of the conceited bird’s speech, knowing full well that it was nothing more than malicious propaganda. He remembered hearing such words from similar zealots before, always calling for more warmongering.

Beyond the city limits, Orion could see the distant green mountains and hills, recognizing that the city had truly earned its namesake. On top of a few of the hills stood imposing guard towers, reinforced by lines of bulwark. The Absol respected the city’s impressive defenses, knowing they were more than capable of repelling invaders.

But would those be enough to intimidate the nearby Serapíans?

“We’re almost there,” said Chloë. “Look! See that building? That’s where we’re going.”

The two Pokémon crossed a timber bridge built over an artificial canal. The structure ahead had a noticeably more grandiose appearance than most buildings in Emerald Valley, being built out of mostly limestone bricks and featuring genuine glass windows. Judging from the height of it, it seemed to be three stories high. Light green banners hung from overhead, bearing the insignia of the Peacekeepers. The pavement was bordered by a pair of shallow mortar walls, leading to a magnificent water fountain. Standing in the water were three Pokémon statues, none of which whose species Orion recognized.

One depicted a bulky fish-like Pokémon with massive fins decorated with unusual patterns. Another depicted a bipedal dinosaur-like Pokémon with an armored body, spines growing from its sides and a massive tail split into blades. And the final statue depicted a dragon with a long, segmented body and short arms.

“The Earth Father, the Sea Father and the Sky Father,” said Chloë.

“Huh?” The answer caught Orion by surprise.

“Were you wondering about those statues? They’re ancient gods who we believed to have formed the world as we see today. They brought the land, the sea and the sky to us.”

“Hmm, is that right?”

“Anyways, we’re here! Let’s head inside!”

Orion gave one last glance at the ominous statues, pondering if those Pokémon still existed somewhere in this world.

---

As Orion and Chloë passed through the pavilion, a Lampent greeted them. “Hello! Welcome to city hall! Do you have someplace to be today?”

“There’s supposed to be some kind of town meeting going on,” answered Chloë. “Where would that be?”

The Lampent stretched out one of its limbs, pointing ahead. “At the very end of the entrance hall. There’s a room below the staircase. That’s the meeting room.”

“Thank you!”

“Not a problem, young lady!”

Orion took in the sight of the entrance hall, stunned by its magnificence. With its tiled granite floor and flameless lanterns on the arched pillars, he was unsure on how to react. To him, it was like a real palace, a far cry from the crude wood and stone huts of Vera. A long green carpet formed a path up ahead, leading to a massive staircase.

Many Pokémon had gathered in multiple groups, talking amongst themselves. Some wore Peacekeeper ribbons. Orion overheard one of them as he passed through. “What’s going to happen to us? Do I need to evacuate my family?”

Orion figured that this uproar was caused by the recent appearance of the Serapían soldiers to the south. Though considering the Shadow Tempest, he wondered how much activity in the city hall had picked up since then.

“Orion!”

The Absol heard Hesh calling out to him from the end of the entrance hall, waiting next to a room covered by magenta drapes. The Wartortle, standing next to a bipedal fox Pokémon, waved at him. “We’re right here! They’re going to start soon!”

“Here’s Trouble!” Chloë exclaimed, pointing at Orion.

“Hey, Trouble!” greeted Hesh. “Did you give the nurse a hard time?”

Orion kept his silence, but Chloë responded in his stead. “Oh, he tried to sneak off. He’s ever so anxious to come to this meeting.” Orion rolled his eyes.

Hesh nodded, rubbing his temple. “Actually, I’m a bit nervous. There are a lot of officers inside. The mayor and the city council are coming too. Lots of important people.” He gulped. “It feels like I’m about to go on trial. Heh heh heh. Heh heh. Heh…”

The bipedal fox Pokémon patted him on the head and spoke in a gruff voice. “Eh, it’s nothing to get worried about, Squirt. Officers have to do these boring meetings often. I attended a few and I just ended up sleeping through them.” The fox shrugged, sniggering. “Seanny was so pissed.”

“What about you, Orion?” asked Hesh. “Aren’t you a little nervous?”

Orion delayed his answer and silently shook his head.

“Heh. You’re so quiet now. Did something happen?”

“No.” The Absol eyed him for a brief moment, then looked away. “Everything’s fine.”

The fox Pokémon chuckled. “They put you on sedatives, didn’t they?”

Chloë answered, “W-well, we had to keep his procedure as painless as possible!” She laughed sheepishly.

The fox Pokémon crossed its arms. “He’s going to need a whole week of sleep with the beating he took!”

Hesh cleared his throat. “Oh, by the way, I don’t think you two met. Orion, this Zoroark is Sergeant Major Keelan. She’s my godmother and General Seanán’s elder sister.”

“Wait, are you really?” Chloë asked, eyeing the Zoroark suspiciously.

Keelan shrugged. “Damn straight. See the familial resemblance?”

A few questions popped up in Orion’s head. Wait, godmother? That’s a lady? And she’s the general’s sister? Why is she a different species? And the way she talks… are they even related at all?

Keelan grumbled. “Ya know, I can do without the judgmental stare.”

“Sorry,” said Orion, tilting his head down.

“Well then, Orion, Squirt here wouldn’t stop gushing about you.”

Hesh leered at her. “Hey!”

Snickering, Keelan spoke, “Yes, I remember you. We almost gave ya more spines than a Pincurchin! Sorry ‘bout that! My men thought you were a Shadow. They’re real dumbasses sometimes. Hopefully, yer feeling a bit well since Seanny decided to give you some of his blood.”

From the staircase, the group heard someone clearing his throat. “I would appreciate it if you didn't refer to me in that manner in front of guests, Kee.” Seanán slowly descended the stairs, keeping one hand on the rails, and approached them with two other Peacekeepers by his side.

The Zoroark shrugged and shook her head. “Always the life of the party…”

“Yo, Uncle Seanán!” Hesh shouted. “Are we almost ready?”

“Soon, Hesh,” answered Seanán. “The mayor is, well, slow for his age. He’ll be down soon. In the meantime, we’re waiting for a few others as well.” The Lucario glanced at Orion. “Good to see you back on your feet, Orion. I hope the walk isn’t too far.”

“It isn’t,” Orion responded.

Seanán nodded in response, then took a glimpse at Chloë. “Well, hello again, young lady. I apologize again, but due to the confidential nature of this meeting, I’ll have to ask you to remain out here. Then we’ll run Orion back to the infirmary.”

Chloë sighed dismissively. “Yes, sir.”

“Very good. Keelan, let me know when the mayor’s approaching.” He stepped into the meeting room with his two attendees.

Keelan gave Chloë a mischievous grin. “What a killjoy, am I right?”

Chloë could only laugh nervously.

Keelan turned her head towards Orion. “Say, you’re an Absol, aren’t ya?”

Orion wasn’t sure how to respond, but Hesh stepped in. “Wait, you know about the Absols?” Nearby, Chloë looked on with awe.

“‘Course I do, Squirt. I wasn’t born yesterday. Bro and I actually met the clan leader once. A real harsh old coot, but with a soft heart.” She exhaled, shutting her eyes. “Rest his soul. He would probably bawl his eyes out if he were to see how his family was treated.”

“You know Korin?” asked Orion.

“Well,” Keelan continued, “I don’t really know him, but we definitely talked before. Always looking serious-like, kinda like you are right now. Wore that creepy necklace of claws and teeth. He’s old but definitely no slouch.” She gave a devious smile. “He liked to fight. And that fogey was crazy enough to kick anyone’s ass.” She sighed. “Those were the days. I guess you wouldn't know what happened to him, did you?”

Orion shook his head. “I never met him.”

“Huh.” She shrugged. “I figured you might have come from the same clan. There was no other large Absol clan in Hevalkin other than his. But I guess a tough old bastard like him wouldn’t have been able to survive that slaughter.” She exhaled. “A damn shame.”

“Slaughter?” asked Chloë, appearing uneasy.

“Yeah, girlie, you didn’t know? The Shadow Pokémon were first sighted in Prospa eight years ago. A massive horde overwhelmed everyone in those lands. Ever since, very few people have sighted an Absol. Safe to assume what happened to them...”

“Oh gods, no…” Instinctively, Chloë covered her mouth with one of her paws. She was at a loss for words, and gave a pitiable look at Orion. The Absol did not make eye contact with her, refusing to accept her pity.

“Enough,” Orion said. “Are we going to participate in this meeting or not?”

Keelan sneered at him. “Be patient, kid. You heard the boss man. Besides, I feel like yer gonna frighten our meeker residents here. No offense, but you look like a typical Uncivilized.”

“So do you.”

Hesh covered his mouth and his eyes widened. He expected ‘Auntie Kee’ to give her usual form of discipline.

“Ha! A ballsy son of a bitch, aren’t ya!?” The Zoroark laughed boisterously, raising her claws in a threatening manner. “Well, let’s see how long that smart mouth will last you. The city council could barely tolerate me being around them.”

“It saved me quite a few times,” retorted Orion.

“Oh, is that why you’re all torn up now? Great plan, hurting the Shadows’ feelings. I’m sure that went well.” The Zoroark howled with laughter as she smacked the Absol’s back, who responded with an agitated frown. “Hey, thanks for looking after Squirt. It means a lot to me and my family. You better wear those scars proudly! And the next time you see those ugly-ass Shadows, tell them to go fuck themselves!”

“L-language!” Chloë yelled, poorly suppressing her laughter. She noticed that some of the nearby soldiers were staring at them.

“Nah, ain’t my style, little lady. I’m no stick-in-the-mud like my brother.” Keelan took a glimpse at the staircase, noticing a descending Slowking grumpily muttering under his breath. “Oh, speaking of which, it’s time for the ‘fun,’ kiddos.” She entered the meeting room and gestured to the others to come inside.

As Hesh was leaving, Orion faced Chloë, who was holding a sour expression. When the Chikorita noticed him, she smiled at him sweetly. “I-it’s okay! Don’t worry about me! Go on ahead, I’ll be waiting out here for you.”

The Absol nodded at her. He exhaled deeply as he mentally prepared himself.

---

A long, rectangular table sat in the middle of a well-lit, plain room, where many Peacekeepers of varying ranks were seated. There was a noticeable lack of windows, and the only light in the room came from flameless lanterns.

Feeling overwhelmed, Hesh hesitated to pick a seat from the table, only for Keelan to escort him over. Orion followed, feeling the eyes of the officers upon him. The Absol tried to ignore their stares, but he could feel his legs quaking slightly. He chose a seat next to Hesh and a white, stern-looking bird Pokémon. Off to the side of the bird, Orion could see what appeared to be a long, pointed weapon and a shield fashioned from a vegetable and leaves. Are those his? the Absol thought.

As soon as the mayor wandered into the room, Seanán called out to everyone. “Peacekeepers, rise for Mayor Cord!” The soldiers stood up, with Orion falling behind. The disgruntled Slowking, followed by a few other Pokémon, took a seat at the table, panting.

“Everyone, take your seats!” Seanán called again, prompting everyone else to sit down.

Mayor Cord exhaled, eyeing the soldiers before him. “My apologies, everyone. Being over 70 is rough for someone like me. I’m not as fast as I used to be.”

Orion could hear Keelan snickering under her breath to his left.

“But since we’re here,” the mayor continued, “we’ll go ahead and commence the meeting. Now, out with it, general.” The Slowking pressed his hands together and glared at Seanán. “What is the meaning of this? I’m very busy today.”

Seanán cleared his throat. “Sorry to disturb you, sir, but this is an emergency. We had a situation near the forest last night. With that said, it’s time we sit down together and talk. With all the recent events going on, there’s much for us to discuss.”

The Slowking slammed his hands on the table, startling Hesh and Orion. “Oh, what is it now!? The Shadow Tempest was bad enough, but there’s more?”

“Yes, unfortunately. We now have a dragon problem to address.”

“So the Serapíans are here too!? Damnation, how much worse can it get?”

“We also have two refugees with us today. The young Wartortle here is Private Hesh, a recruit from one of Lusang’s companies. He was stationed at the town of Vera, before it was unceremoniously razed to the ground by the Shadows.”

“Are you serious!?” shouted Keelan. “The whole damn village?”

The other Peacekeepers responded.

“Oh, dear…”

“Damn it! What the hell?”

“How could this have happened?”

The yellow Lucario rose from his seat, staring at Hesh. “Wait, so what happened to Captain Berg? Did he make it?”

Hesh sadly shook his head. “No one did. Except me.”

The Lucario took his seat, placing his hands on his head, looking exasperated. “I went to the training academy with that guy. Gave me tips and everything. He could literally crush boulders with his fists. What could possibly have taken him down?”

The white bird shut his eyes. “I used to spar with him when I was training at Turret. I had always thought his shell was impenetrable.”

Seanán carried on, with a dark expression. “Captain Berg. One of our finest warriors and a loyal Peacekeeper up until the end. Our world grows ever dimmer.” He exhaled. “But we’ll come back to this conversation in a bit. During Hesh’s tour at Vera, a wandering mercenary came along, who’s standing here today as well. Everyone, meet Orion the Absol.”

The room fell silent as the majority of the officers gawked at Orion, whispering to each other through indescribable words. Orion’s legs shook more intensely as the silence made him more agitated by the second.

“What?” Orion said. “Are any of you going to speak?”

Mayor Cord leaned closer, squinting his eyes. “Is it true, sir? Are you a genuine Absol?”

“Yes?” Orion tilted back.

The mayor faced Seanán. “General, why do we have this accursed creature in our city?” Orion flinched as soon as he heard his cruel words.

“Mayor, we talked about this. Our doors are open to all refugees.”

“You keep saying that, but look at how many houses we’ve built. And our crime rates have gone up as of late!”

“That can’t be helped. We’re in a war.”

“I know we’re in a war! Do you know how hard it is to keep the populace calm at a time like this!?”

“There’s no need to be crass, mayor. These two are our guests.”

“Guests, schmuests! First, a Shadow Tempest. Then, dragons! Now you want us to shelter a harbinger of disaster? Is that what I’m hearing!?”

One member of the city council, a Clefable, spoke. “Please calm down, mayor.”

The Slowking snapped at her. “Don’t tell me to calm down! There are dragons at the city outskirts and there could still be Shadows running amuck! And the Asa’i Hara’min are raiding our trade routes! My thoughts are racing! How am I supposed to keep calm at a time like this!?”

Seanán cleared his throat again, tapping one of his hands in a disconcerted fashion. “That’s why we’re gathered here today, mayor. So that we can discuss our plan of action.”

Mayor Cord exhaled. “Very well, general, but where does an Absol factor into this? Tell me. Why did you invite it into Emerald Valley?”

Seanán grumbled, losing more of his patience. “With all due respect, mayor, I was getting to that.”

Hesh rose from his seat and slammed his hands against the table. “For your information, this Absol saved my life! What is with you old people jumping to conclusions!?”

In an instant, half of the table burst into laughter—the loudest being Keelan and a male Manectric wearing a red ribbon. A perplexed Orion watched the scene unfold, growing more uncomfortable. Irked, Mayor Cord huffed and gave a menacing look to Hesh, where he could see the young Wartortle’s eye twitching.

Seanán shook his head, rubbing his forehead. “Sit down, Private Hesh! All of you, quiet down! We need to stay on task!” The general’s voice boomed throughout the room, causing everyone to pipe down. The general’s sudden shift in vocal tone even took Orion by surprise.

Mayor Cord shook his head. “Make it quick, general. My patience is wavering.”

Orion heard Keelan muttering under her breath, “How ironic.”

With a deep breath, Seanán continued. “So, because of recent events, I’m calling for Emerald Valley’s officers to assemble here. And I don't call these meetings off a simple whim. Private Hesh told me the fate of his unit after he arrived at the city. And if what he’s saying is true, then we have a serious problem. Lieutenant Colonel Sorin will brief you on the details.”

A Typhlosion wearing a striped yellow and black ribbon arose, bowing his head and speaking in a baritone voice. “Yesterday morning, the Shadow Tempest vanished. Someone who’s not from our unit managed to vanquish the Ascended Shadow there.”

The officers glanced at each other. The white bird sitting next to Orion spoke out with an authoritative tone, “Did you find out who’s responsible?”

“Not yet. Though I have a feeling that our young guests might be able to tell us what happened.” Sorin glanced at Orion and Hesh before continuing. “Anyways, around sunset on the same day, a fight broke out between the Shadow Pokémon and the Serapíans. Soon after, we found a Wartortle, an Absol and an Eevee fleeing from the scene.”

“Where’s the Eevee?” asked a female Roselia.

“Resting at the infirmary. She is but a child. She also refuses to speak to anyone, so I’m afraid we can’t have her over here today.”

The Roselia’s expression grew sullen, her voice softening. “Aw, I hope she’s doing alright.”

Sorin pressed on with his summary. “Major Nicodemus confirmed to me earlier that the dragons still remain near the burning forest.”

“Where is he right now?” asked Seanán.

“Rallying our defenses, in case they approach the city. Some of the other company commanders and platoon leaders decided to remain at the towers, which is why they're not here now.”

“Ugh. I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all. It’s too close for comfort. What next? They’ll set up a forward base at this rate!”

A female Grumpig raised her hand. “At this time, general, I’m staying in psychic contact with one of our scouts. She’ll notify me if the dragons try something.”

“Thank you, Ranya, for taking the initiative. Anyways, you may continue, Sorin.”

The Typhlosion cleared his throat. “Anyways, our refugees survived. The Eevee sustained minor injuries. Private Hesh here was hurt in several places but remained mostly intact. Orion had the worst injuries of all, losing a lot of blood. Upon arrival, he required immediate medical attention. And as you can see now, the lad pulled through.”

Some of the officers clapped and cheered words of encouragement. Despite that, Orion responded with a timid expression, refusing to make eye contact with any of them.

Seanán stood up. “Orion, as much as I would rather have you rest up, your testimony is valuable to us. After the meeting adjourns, you may return to the infirmary.”

Orion gave the Lucario a resentful glimpse, already feeling his haunches going numb. The Absol wanted nothing more to do with this meeting.

Seanán turned to Hesh, giving the Wartortle an apologetic look. “Now, Private Hesh. Please, in your own words, state what you saw in the past week. Everything from Vera, up until this point.”

Hesh felt his breaths growing uneasy as he glanced at Orion. The Absol gave an encouraging nod. “Okay… Okay… Here goes…”

The Wartortle recounted his hazardous tale to the whole room; everything from the siege of Vera to crossing the Condemned Plains to entering the heart of the Shadow Tempest. Everything, except for the one time Orion scavenged for a dead Starly or anything to do with his past. The Peacekeepers repeated bits of Hesh’s story, reacting with a mix of shock, horror and disgust.

“So it was a Shadow Nidoking that had done him in,” the yellow Lucario said to himself.

“Traitors within our ranks…” the white bird said.

“The Condemned Plains were overrun by Shadows,” the Roselia said. “Things have taken a turn for the worse.”

Next to her, the Manectric spoke. “And that Shadow Gengar sounded like a nasty piece of work. How can the Shadow Pokémon produce someone so foul?”

Hesh exhaled, rubbing his forehead. “Anyways… that’s the gist of it. Captain Berg passed away. My squad was wiped out. Corporal Geris went rogue. And Orion took out that Shadow Gengar.”

“Is everything what Hesh said true, Orion?” asked Sorin.

Orion nodded. “Yes. As we speak, that Shadow Nidoking is most likely still around the Condemned Plains. It’s possible that Shadow Toxicroak may be squirming around somewhere too.”

“To think you two survived that ordeal,” said the white bird. “Impressive, but extremely dangerous. Were there no fliers to evacuate you?”

Orion shook his head.

“Still, did you really take on that many Shadows and still defeated the Ascended Shadow?” asked the Manectric.

“I mean, yes, but we barely even made it out. There were a number of times when either one of us could’ve died.”

The Manectric grinned, showing his teeth. “Still, we were contemplating how to take out that Shadow Tempest, but you two managed to do it on your own! Now that’s the sign of true warriors!”

Hesh laughed nervously, unsure of how to take the compliment.

“Valerian,” the Roselia said. “Now’s not the time. They both suffered a lot coming out this far.”

The Manectric nodded. “Understood, ma’am.”

“Still,” Hesh said. “If it weren’t for Orion, I wouldn’t be here now. He saved me from a fate worse than death.”

The Roselia raised her hand⁠—or rather, the fully bloomed rose in place of one would expect a hand. “Out of curiosity, Orion, what made you continue with the mission? If the captain had already paid you in advance, you could've easily ran off with that money. I don't agree with the captain's decision, but it seemed that he had some confidence in you. Why is that?”

“I only knew him for a short time,” replied Orion. “How should I know? He just gave me a job. And I needed to fulfill it.”

“Interesting,” said the white bird. “Very interesting indeed.”

The Absol glanced at the bird next to him. “Why? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, don’t mind me. I'm just thinking out loud. But if I must offer my input, that was a noble undertaking you did there.

“I don’t think I follow.”

“See, we generally don't recommend hiring mercenaries to do our job. Mainly because they don't follow through with said job and try to abandon the sortie halfway. Or they’re just some bums siphoning off military funds. But you... you were different.”

“I agree, Ruxolus,” said the Roselia with a gentle smile. “It’s comforting to know that some mercs out there possess a kind heart.”

“Kind is a bit much,” said Orion.

From the end of the table, the group could hear the mayor clearing his throat, his expression softened. “Well, then. Orion, is it? Please forgive my rudeness earlier. Same to you, young Hesh. I misjudged your friend there. As you can see, everything’s a mess out there and the city is in a terrible position. Orion the Absol, you’ve done us a great service by clearing out the Shadow Tempest. Alas, it seems to be in vain. None of us expected the Serapíans to make it this far inland. And now, it seems that a clash between us and the dragons is imminent.” The Slowking heaved a sigh. “We may need to request aid from the Sol Council.”

Orion froze up. The mayor couldn’t possibly mean actually bringing them over to the city, would he?

“Hold up, mayor,” said Sorin. “If what Orion said was true, then the Sol Council was partially responsible for this tragedy. Had Captain Berg gotten the reinforcements he requested, perhaps some of the residents of Vera would’ve survived.”

“Private Hesh,” called Mayor Cord. “Can you confirm that the Sol Council refused to send aid?”

The Wartortle nodded, looking sullen. “I heard it from Captain Berg and First Sergeant Tullio too, shortly before they passed away. If my dad were to know about this, he’d be furious…”

“So, what now, general?” asked the white bird. “We can't expect the Sol Council to send aid when it matters most. Where do we go from here?”

Seanán furrowed his brow and pressed his hands together. Though Orion knew he couldn’t see, he could tell how exhausted he looked through his cloudy eyes. “Ranya, any new intel about the Serapíans?”

The Grumpig hummed to herself, the pearls on her stout body glowing. “It was a smaller detachment from a larger unit. The scouts told me they wore black bandanas.”

Hesh interjected. “Oh yeah, I remember now! That Dragonair we saw earlier was wearing one!”

“Claw mark insignia, Hesh?” Seanán asked.

“Yeah!”

“Damn!” He slammed his fist on the table, causing the whole thing to rumble. “The empire sent the Black Claw Squadron after us!”

“The Black Claw Squadron?” asked Hesh.

One other officer raised his hand; this time, it was an Intelleon who had remained quiet up until this point. “The Black Claws make up part of the Serapían Empire’s vanguard. If the emperor sent them over to our lands, that usually means they’re preparing for an assault.”

Hesh rose up from his seat. “Wait, so they’re coming here!? For real?”

Seanán muttered, “That means… that Salamence can’t be too far behind…”

The yellow Lucario spoke out. “Hold on, I thought our patrols swept that area every other day. How could they not spot the dragons heading straight for us?”

The group could hear Keelan snorting loudly. “It’s like I’ve been yelling to you all every other day. We needed to put more patrols out. But then we lose an outpost and you all start freaking out! But no, you ‘professionals’ just don’t wanna listen to a non-commissioned officer.”

The Roselia rose from her seat, looking agitated. “And where are we going to get the numbers for that, sergeant major?”

“Send your own platoon out there, lieutenant! There’s your numbers!”

“They’re not ready! They’re still not primed for combat! You’ll have to give us more time.”

“Pfft, more time… In the time you train maybe 25 recruits, the Black Claws will put out a hundred more! And they’re already here. What’s more time, Miss Frou-Frou?”

The yellow Lucario spoke out, “Erm, Keelan…”

The Zoroark snapped at him. “Don’t start with me, Enitan!”

As the air around them grew heavy, Hesh tensed up and instinctively lowered his face into his shell. Orion watched as the Zoroark and Roselia hurled more harsh words at each other, as the officers attempted to quiet them down.

“And what do you expect us to do about it!?” the Roselia shouted. “There are more Shadows out there than before! My platoon will die before the dragons even reach us!”

“Pick your poison!” Keelan snapped back. “You wanna die by the Shadows or the dragons? 'cause it doesn't look like you're giving us too many options here, Riko!”

“Listen, sergeant major, I JUST HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOUR—”

“AT EASE!” The room shook as Seanán bellowed. “GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS!” Huffing, both Keelan and Riko sat down, giving each other the evil eye.

Riko shook with frustration, growling. Next to her, the Manectric named Valerian prodded her. “Stay calm, ma’am. That one just likes to get a rise out of people.”

The yellow Lucario, named Enitan, nervously glanced at the rest of the room and cleared his throat. “I understand my lieutenant’s frustrations, but Keelan is right. We can’t just ignore the fact that one of our enemies decided to park right at the ruins of the forest, where the Shadow Tempest was. We do need to ramp up our field operations. As you all know, I’m ready to face the front lines alongside the rest of my company.” He faced the Roselia. “I’m sorry, Riko. But you and Valerian have to get the Rose Platoon ready soon. We need all the soldiers we can spare.”

Riko heaved a sigh, her arms shaking. “But… many of them are still young and inexperienced. They would be around Hesh’s age. They won’t stand a chance against the dragons.”

Enitan tapped her on her tiny shoulder. “It’s going to be alright. I’ll be nearby, supporting your platoon.”

The Roselia responded with another mournful sigh.

“So, does anyone have other suggestions?” asked Seanán.

Sorin responded. “We can call upon the rest of the brigade throughout the region to increase our numbers. I can reach out to the brigade commander to see if he’s willing to part with some soldiers. But that would mean we'd leave some of the towns with weaker patrols. That would put those smaller towns at risk.”

Enitan raised his hand. “May I make a suggestion?”

“Go ahead,” said Seanán.

“Since Sorin's suggesting that, I propose we do an exchange. Post the inexperienced recruits at the towns to make up for the units we're going to lose, increasing patrols out on the field? It’ll give the recruits some much needed experience.”

The white bird Pokémon named Ruxolus responded. “I concur with Captain Enitan. Other than the Rose Platoon, we still have new squads that need proper training. We might have to delay deploying them all until we're certain they could stand against the Shadows or the dragons."

Riko sighed. “I can’t say I like this idea, but I'd rather not have my platoon at the front lines yet. Very well. I'm in.”

Valerian nodded. “I follow my platoon leader. You have my support.”

Most of the others agreed.

“Anyone else want to propose a plan?” asked Seanán.

The Intelleon raised his hand. “I do.”

“Go ahead, Lieutenant Sulo.”

“Because we need the numbers, we might have to reach out to mercenaries to aid us in our defense of the city. We may have to enlist help from the war clans as well. Since the dragons will most likely sweep the whole region, it’ll be to their benefit that we all combine our forces.”

“Sounds like a risky venture,” said Enitan.

“Indeed, it is, sir. Should we require those numbers, we can send out envoys to hire them.”

“I’ll take this plan into consideration,” said Seanán. “That’ll be our last resort. But for the time being, we’ll wait on the scouts to report back how large of a force we’re facing. I will go to Lusang and speak to General Typhon about sending in reinforcements. We might have to call upon Daem for their aid as well. We can probably enlist the help of Ku'malra from the north. Their ice warriors will help up greatly. And because the Condemned Plains have grown more dangerous lately, we won’t be able to reach out to Bluewood for their fairy warriors. Do we have any objections?”

No one responded.

“Mayor? Your call.”

Mayor Cord shut his eyes, rubbing his temple. “I wonder what Lady Setsuna would’ve done at a time like this. During a period where we’re taking in the most refugees we’ve ever had, our enemies converge on us. If Emerald Valley falls, the rest of the region will collapse as well.”

“So, I have your authorization to move forward?

The old Slowking sighed. “Very well, general. Everyone's futures here are at stake. If the dragons succeed in invading the city, not even the combined might of Lusang and Daem will be able to stop the incoming Serapían army. We have to put a stop to them.”

“Of course. Does anyone else want to bring up anything?”

Ruxolus raised his wing. “Hold on, general, before you adjourn. What of our new guests? Private Hesh here no longer has a unit. Where do we place him?”

“That decision will fall on him.”

Hesh glanced at the others with an uncertain, mournful expression. He wasn’t sure how to answer them.

“It’s okay, Hesh,” said Seanán. “You don’t have to decide at this moment.”

“What about the mercenary?” asked Ruxolus.

“Orion?”

The Absol, who hadn’t said a word in a while, jolted when he saw everyone in the room staring at him. “U-um… I’m set to leave soon.”

Riko blinked. “Really, hon? With your injuries?”

“I-I have a ton to do. Lots of jobs to catch up on.”

Nearby, Orion could hear Keelan snorting.

“Wait, what about Yukie?” asked Hesh. “She came here with us too.”

“Once she’s ready to talk,” said Sorin. “We’ll decide. If we can reach out to her family, that’ll be great. If not, well, we might have to submit her to an orphanage.”

Orphanage. Now that’s a place that Orion hadn’t heard of in a while.

The mayor cleared his throat. “In the meantime, I deem it appropriate to hold a memorial service in the middle of town square. In memory of those who lost their lives at Vera.”

“Would you really do that, sir?” asked Hesh, his eyes shining.

“Yes, dear boy. We must also notify the families of the fallen ones as well. It’s their right to know what befell their loved ones. I'll see if I can set this up by next week.”

The Wartortle sniffled, suppressing the urge to cry. “T-thank you, mayor.”

“Alright, battalion,” called Seanán. “You all have your orders. Dismissed!”

Everyone rose from their seats and proceeded to exit the room. Orion remained, dumbfounded by the discussion that had just taken place. He had never sat through anything like this before, though he was left both intrigued and worried. If the Serapíans would end up laying a siege on Emerald Valley, then no place on Hevalkin would end up being safe. He would have to leave these war-torn lands behind.

“Orion?” Hesh nudged the Absol, stirring him from his trance. “Let’s go, buddy. We need a long rest after everything. I’m tired. How about you?”

Orion nodded. “Yeah.”

---

Author’s Notes:

• Seanán, Enitan and Keelan are based on user Telume’s characters

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

Did a quick update to the story. Because of the sheer length of Chapter 10 (~12K words), I decided to trim some of it and delegate it into a new chapter. An aforementioned scene and in Chapter 10 and the buildup are now all of Chapter 11. Chapter 11 doesn't have any new content, really. It's still going to be some time until Chapter 12 comes in.

@SuperTrainStationH Thanks for getting this far! Some of your comments are actually quite thought-provoking, like how Shadows "breed" and how the remnants of mankind influenced the Pokémon societies (the latter of which you'll get some clarification on pretty soon). Some of Orion's past will also surface, revealing what he does or doesn't know.

 

[System Error]

- Guest characters intensify and get a piece of the action
- What a sus dream. Yet it appears to be from the neutral faction, or at least a neutral faction.
- Wow Hypno hypnosis abuse.
- Hm, curious that he reacted that way towards the blood transfusion.
- Also very curious that Darkrai might not agree with his cult's plans. Ominous.
- Hm, wasn't expecting the green thing to be a Chikorita. Guess he wasn't that well traveled to recognize one. Let alone the e mark.
- For some reason I thought it was a Grimmsnarl before he started talking about aura, maybe the mask part was confusing me.
- That feel when lie detector.
- Yeah, here comes the bigotry and philosophical differences once more. Hundred percent seems to be a case of being no different in personality between the two groups.
- I don't trust this Lucario. Or at best, don't trust him to survive.
- Okay with the godchild thing, the death flags just went up, but will he die as a reluctant villain or absolute hero> We shall see.
- Oh no, a shiny. That has guest character/super special written all over it.
- Hmhmhm, it seems Orion has a personal history with Hesh's father.
- And clingy Chikorita intensifies, who I get the feeling is going full Florence Nightingale on Orion. Maybe to the point of preventing him from attending the meeting?

The fic continues to move right along with some interesting developments. Man though, all these sudden guest characters is making me both wonder and worry. A lot of lore to chew on this chapter, that said. Thanks for splitting this one up, and I'll try to read the next one soon.

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

- Hm, curious that he reacted that way towards the blood transfusion.

He's not aware that it's possible to share blood with others to save someone's life. And he's not used to people saving his own life, though he has his reasons on why he doesn't encourage this.

- For some reason I thought it was a Grimmsnarl before he started talking about aura, maybe the mask part was confusing me.

Ehh? Grimmsnarl is a canine? :/

- That feel when lie detector.

Oh shit...

- Yeah, here comes the bigotry and philosophical differences once more. Hundred percent seems to be a case of being no different in personality between the two groups.

That's still something I'm working towards distinguishing. Like, what makes the "civilized" and the "uncivilized" different?

- Hmhmhm, it seems Orion has a personal history with Hesh's father.

Uh oh...

- And clingy Chikorita intensifies, who I get the feeling is going full Florence Nightingale on Orion. Maybe to the point of preventing him from attending the meeting?

Orion, this is your creator speaking. Run!

A lot of lore to chew on this chapter, that said.

Uh oh, lol. You're gonna looooooove chapter 12 then.

 

[System Error]

- Yandere Chikorita intensifies.
- A street preacher who is certainly not a preview of things to come, no siree.
- I see there's different religions going on here possibly, what with the super ancient ones.
- You're just asking for a PREPARE FOR TROUBLE joke there
- Well at least he seems to sort of be getting along with someone here
- Did they think he was a faker Absol or something? Like some Ditto playing a long term joke?
- A whole lot of summing up and characters who will surely die later.
- Guess the story was all it took to change their mind on Orion, but Absols must have a rep for a reason.
- Yup, these guys are so disorganized they are going to fall apart when it matters, I can see it now.
- And in conclusions it seems there's way more than the Shadows and the Law faction to worry about here.

The world is going to hell in a handbasket! With the rate it's implied to be going there might not be much world left to save, let alone rule over if one of the evil factions wins. Mostly an exposition chapter otherwise, but can't wait to see what's next.

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

Fantastic! You're all caught up. Now I need to catch up!

- Guess the story was all it took to change their mind on Orion, but Absols must have a rep for a reason.

This is more or less related to Tullio's story about the Absol clan mentioned in chapter 3. He mentioned that the clan had attacked some of the nearby outlying villages and were seemingly to blame for the Shadow Pokémon. There was also an execution of an Absol cub at Lusang at some point. These incidents lead to the Absol being a very rare (and reviled) species in Hevalkin, with Orion possibly being the last living one.

Some of the officers have never met an Absol in person but may have heard about the species, so they have no idea how to react. The city mayor, though, was not as willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

I don't have a lot to say at the moment, but thanks for getting this far! Much appreciated!

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

Chapter 12 - Emerald Valley

Content Warning: Strong language, bigotry, minor depiction of blood, references to death

Author's note: chapter uses guest characters created by other users with their permission​

---

The entrance hall echoed with activity as civilians and soldiers alike chattered amongst themselves, peering at the group of Pokémon departing from the meeting room. Mayor Cord ambled alongside the members of the city council, murmuring to themselves as they scaled the staircase. The Peacekeeper officers each wore a scowl and wouldn’t look the others in the eye, leaving a disquieting impression. In turn, none of the other Pokémon would dare ask what just happened.

Hesh let out a brief yawn, then spoke to Orion in a griping tone. “Man, I can’t believe the mayor just trashed you like that. You barely even said a word to him and he called you an ‘accursed creature.’ Tch. Ignorant old man. Who does he think he is?”

“The mayor, of course.” Orion gave a sly grin.

“Well, yeah, but that’s just not right! He doesn’t know you. He just assumed that you’re some dangerous creature.”

“But I am a dangerous creature.”

Hesh threw his hands out. “Agh! That’s not my point!” He quietly exhaled. "Well, at least he did offer a memorial service. And he did apologize to you."

Chloë came up to Orion and Hesh. “So, um, how was it, guys?”

“Tense,” answered Hesh. “I was told that a meeting like this would be boring.” With a shrug, the Wartortle sighed. “But I guess today was different.”

“Ooh. Sounds like you boys went through a lot.” She looked away, rapidly blinking.

With a menacing glare, Orion asked Chloë. “Were you eavesdropping?”

The Chikorita winced. “Noooo? O-of course not! What makes you say that?”

The Absol looked around the hall, observing the citizenry, noticing how “dragons” kept coming up in conversation. He caught some of the citizens’ glimpses before they timidly looked away. “Everyone else here seemed to have heard it.”

“Well, excuse me! But you were all kinda loud! The people out here could hear the shouting.”

“How much of it did you hear?”

Chloë hushed up and sat down. The large leaf on her head covered her face. She spoke in an unusually grim tone. “Oh-ho... all of it.”

“You sat through all of it?” asked Hesh.

“Quite the nosy nurse, aren’t you?” said Orion, scowling. “I hate gossipers.”

Chloë pursed her lips. “Sorry… I can’t help it.” She feigned a smile. “You know what they say. ‘Curiosity killed the Meowth.’ Heh heh. Heh.” The Chikorita noticed her companions’ grumpy expressions. “Really, I’m sorry for everything that happened to both of you. Hesh… what happened to your company was pure evil. It takes real strength to keep it together the whole journey.”

Flustered, Hesh covered his face, hiding his blush. “O-oh, um, thank you, ma’am. Very kind of you to say.”

“And you, Orion… your bravery is something unheard of. Foolhardy, but I admire it. Not just anyone would take on a Shadow Tempest like that. I’m sorry about your injuries. And I’m sorry the mayor is giving you such a hard time.”

“Why are you apologizing?” asked Orion, appearing vexed.

Her expression darkened. “Because I know what it’s like to watch everything around you crumble…”

Orion and Hesh exchanged confused glances. The Chikorita’s breaths grew more shaky by the second.

“I heard about dragons, and…” Her lips trembled.

“Hey. Are you okay?” asked Hesh.

“Sorry… d-dragons… scare me… and… t-they're coming here…"

“Bad experience?”

The Chikorita nodded.

“Yeah… I know how that is. I don’t think I would want to see another Shadow Pokémon as long as I live.” Hesh paused, noticing Chloë’s distraught expression. “But it’s going to be alright! There are so many capable soldiers living in this city! We’ll be okay. I’m sure of it.”

Another voice interposed the conversation. “Aren’t ya just the optimist?” Keelan came into view. “That’s adorable, Squirt, but it takes more than optimism to face this kind of threat.”

Seconds later, Enitan the Lucario passed by. “Yo, Keel! Drinks after work?” He raised one of his hands, tipping it into a drinking motion.

“Yeah, gotta pick up the kid first and… I gotta talk to them.” She motioned at the rest of the group.

“Uh-huh. Heeeey, what’s up?” Enitan waved at the group, to which both Hesh and Chloë waved back. Orion, however, leered at the yellow Lucario. “Anyways, don’t be long!” Like a sprightly child, he took off.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Keelan nonchalantly waved her hand at Enitan. “Sheesh, speaking of optimism…”

“Anyway, you needed something, Auntie Kee?” asked Hesh.

“Oh yeah. Have you ever fought a dragon, Squirt?”

“W-well, no, but it can't be harder than fighting Shadows, right?”

Keelan groaned, placing a hand on her forehead. “Damn, kid. Did your old man teach you anything?”

The Wartortle crossed his arms and gave a contemptuous frown.

The Zoroark chuckled, patting him on the head. “I don’t mean it like that, Squirt, but dragons are gonna be some of the toughest adversaries you’ll ever meet on the field. They’re resilient bastards, especially the flying ones. The foot soldiers ain’t so bad, but the flying ones are real bitches to fight. The tough part is trying to keep ‘em grounded. If you can’t do that, you’re screwed.”

“Oh! Um…”

“But if you do get them on the ground, trying to hurt them is another thing. Dragon scales are tough. If you can learn an ice move, Squirt, it'll help.” Her expression dropped to a grimace. “If you wanna win a fight, you better do whatever you can to exploit your foe’s weaknesses. If you’re out on the battlefield, don’t hold back. It’s either you or them.”

Hesh twiddled his claws together. “Ssssounds like a real pain.”

“Yeah, no shit. If it’s just a few dragons, we can take ‘em. But an army? That’s the real problem. And let’s face it. Our air defense ain’t the best, and that’s their greatest advantage over us. If one slips past the guard towers, then won’t be long before the city becomes a smoking ruin.”

“S-so, what do we do then? Fight them one by one?”

The Zoroark howled with laughter, unsettling the nearby citizens. “What, you really think they're going to fight fair in a one-on-one match? Ha! Good luck. If it were like that, Bro and I would make short work of them. But those cowardly lizards would rather keep to the skies than tangle with one of us.”

Hesh sat on the floor in a rigid posture, laughing deliriously to himself. “Wow… I don’t feel so good… heh heh… heh…”

“Whaddya expect? This ain’t happy, fun time, Squirt. This is war. You came at a crappy time. I guess that’s just your luck.”

“I was hoping I could enjoy the sights here. Now I’m just… anxious…”

“Same,” replied Chloë, quivering.

Just as Orion opened his mouth to say something, Seanán approached the group. “Go ahead and enjoy the sights, everyone. You earned it.”

“But, Uncle Seanán! The dragons!” Hesh protested.

The Lucario kneeled down to pat the Wartortle on the head. “I know. But for now, this burden is on us officers. Normally, personnel of your rank are not allowed to attend these tactical meetings.” He gave a knowing glance to Chloë, making her flinch. “But we had to make a special occasion for you and Orion. Which reminds me, please keep your emotions in check, Private Hesh. Can’t have anymore outbursts like that.”

“Sorry…”

Keelan laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Squirt. You were fine. All you did was stand up for your friend. I can only imagine what you woulda said to that seedy mayor if that meeting went on longer. Woulda paid to see that!”

Seanán clenched his jaw. “Please don’t encourage the boy, Keelan. What you did in the meeting room was also unnecessary.”

Keelan grunted in response.

Seanán bowed his head. “Anyways, thank you both for attending. We’ll take things from here.”

"What's gonna happen now?" asked Hesh.

Seanán’s expression shifted. “Well, I’ll need to meet up with your father at some point. See if I could bring over some of his veteran soldiers to our defense.”

“Can… can I come with you?”

“Of course! I’m sure Typhon would want to see his son’s face again after what you just went through. But we can't go right away. We'll need to assess our current situation before we can take a flying taxi."

Keelan intruded into the conversation. “A flying taxi at this time? You might as well go for a jog across the mountains, Seanny. Maybe knock the piss outta some Asa’i Hara’min thugs along the way.”

Seanán narrowed his eyes on her. “I thought I told you not to call me that. And you’re not off the hook, Keelan.”

“What is it now? Is it about the wannabe Mommy Roselia?”

“Keelan, why’d you have to upset Riko?”

“What? You want me to smile all pretty-like?” She spoke in a high-pitched voice and gave a sardonic smirk, batting her eyelashes. “And pretend the Peacekeeper base is a daycare center? That rose lady needs to set her priorities straight! We’re the military, not a school! Sooner or later, everyone in this city will have to fight for their lives. And I really do mean everyone.” She glanced at Chloë, who meekly recoiled.

“And what exactly is piling on more pressure going to do for us?”

“You know as well as I do that she’s gonna make up an excuse to make sure her platoon doesn’t see any action. Coddling them is not gonna do ‘em any favors. I dunno how Eni puts up with her.”

“Well, I’ll tell Enitan to make sure they’re properly trained. In the meantime, please stop antagonizing her.”

Keelan exhaled. “Whatever.” She eyeballed Seanán’s unamused visage, to which she responded with a taunting salute. “I mean, yes sir! General, sir!”

The Lucario grumbled dubiously. “Good. I’m glad we understand.”

Hesh modestly tapped Seanán’s leg, getting his attention. “Um, Uncle Seanán? Auntie Kee?”

Seanán’s eyes broadened momentarily. “O-oh, yes. I’m sorry you had to watch that, Hesh. Same to you, Orion and…?” He faced Chloë. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I never got your name.”

The Chikorita gave an enthusiastic grin. “Chloë, sir! Specialist, nurse-in-training. Planning to get certified.”

“Wait, specialist?” asked Hesh. “Crap, I never took you for a soldier!”

Chloë giggled. “I mean, I went through basic training, but that’s about it. I’m not a fighter. I’m a healer.”

Seanán smiled coyly. “Well, best of luck to you, Chloë. That's a remarkable undertaking. Be proud of yourself that you helped save this young Absol’s life.”

“O-oh stop! That was all Doctor Froid.” The Chikorita covered her flushed face with her leaf.

“Anyways, I need to check up on our patrols. Sergeant Major Keelan, meet me there.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the Zoroark grumbled.

“And Orion... again, thanks for what you did out there. And I’m sorry the mayor treated you that way.” Seanán's expression darkened. “I want you to know to be proud of who you are.”

Orion jerked his head back. Instead of responding, he stared back into Seanán's hazy eyes for a moment.

“Be seeing you all.” With a nod and a wave of the hand, Seanán departed. Hesh and Chloë bid him goodbye. Orion stared with his mouth hanging open, unsure of how to accept the Lucario’s words.

Keelan sighed. “What a pain in the ass. I need to pick up Cuán soon.”

Hesh blinked. “Coo-ahn? Who’s that?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right! You haven’t met my boy yet.”

“Wait, you have a son!?”

The Zoroark grinned. “I know. Shocking, right? But yes, my little ball of fuzz, Cuán. He’s still a pup, so mind your manners once you see him.”

“I can’t wait to meet him then!”

Keelan chuckled. “In a bit. Maybe later tonight. But first, I need to talk to your Absol friend in private.”

Just as he was losing his focus, Orion snapped into position. “Wait, what?”

“Why?” asked Hesh.

Chloë protested. “With all due respect, Sergeant Major, I need to bring my patient back to the infirmary.”

“What, you don’t trust me?” Keelan gave a sly grin.

“N-no, ma’am, but… just don’t be long. Orion really needs his rest.”

“Don’t worry, girlie. I just have questions for the boy. Then you can have plenty of alone time with him.”

Chloë backed away, grimacing. “Whoa-ho-ho! Hold on! What are you implying here? I'm just saying he's probably not feeling too well right now.”

Keelan chuckled impishly as she motioned over to Hesh. “Hey, kiddo, keep the nurse company for a bit? I’ll be back, I promise. Then you can talk with yer friend some more.”

Hesh nervously glanced at Chloë, who was giving an annoyed pout. “Okay, sure.”

The Zoroark signalled at Orion, beckoning him to follow her. The Absol warily obeyed, squinting at her. The two went over to an emptier, remote portion in the entrance hall, away from the troubled onlookers.

“Hold on. What’s this about?” asked Orion, seemingly ready to flee.

“Chill out, kid,” said Keelan, as she leaned against a wall, arms crossed. “I just wanna talk a bit. Maybe you might learn something, who knows.”

“Out with it, then. What do you want?”

“The truth. About you and the Absol clan.”

Orion winced. “What? I-I don’t have time for this.”

“Sure you do. ‘Lots of jobs to catch up on,’ huh? A scrawny runt like you? And one who was bleeding out not too long ago. What are you trying to pull, kid?”

“I’m not trying to pull anything.”

“Trying to check out early?” The Zoroark’s tone grew more taunting. “That little nurse is not gonna be very happy with you.”

“What do you care? She’s not my mother and she can’t keep me here.”

“Maybe so, but she’s a bit of a clingy one. She’ll drag you back to the infirmary herself if she has to. Why do you need to leave so badly?”

“I just need to go, that’s all.”

“Really, why? Afraid of girls? Fleeing from the law or something?”

Orion’s expression soured, to which Keelan responded with a mischievous chortle.

“Not very subtle, aren’t ya? Don’t worry about it, kid. I can respect the urge to get back out on the field. And I’m not here to rat you out. I probably did worse than you ever did. In fact, can’t say if I’m really following the law now or not.”

“O-okay…?”

The Zoroark’s expression darkened. “Anyways, what do you actually know about Korin’s clan? You gotta know something.”

Orion’s movements grew restless. “I don’t know anything. You’re wasting your time.”

Keelan exhaled. “You just enjoy being difficult, dontcha? Alright. Let me show you something.” She tilted her head upward. Etched on the bottom of her muzzle were several arced patterns, weaved into an intricate tattoo.

“What am I looking at?” asked Orion.

“This is a brand from my own clan,” she said, gently running a claw across some of the patterns alongside her muzzle. “This is my proof of where I came from. And guess what? You got one too.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes.”

Orion stepped back. “No.”

“Just do it, kid. Shit.”

With a defiant glare, Orion shut his eyes, grumbling under his breath. He flinched when he felt the Zoroark’s claws brush against his eyelids.

“Yeah, just as I thought. Right on your eyelids, and that’s it. Weird."

“W-What are you doing? What does that mean?”

“Sheesh, what’s with you? Awfully skittish for someone who fought a buncha Shadows just to get here. Anyways, go ahead and open yer eyes.”

As he followed through, Orion emitted a low growl.

“Oh, don’t gimme that. I’m trying to help you. You know that yer species was mostly wiped out, right? You’ll benefit from at least knowing a thing or two about yer clan.”

“I don’t know where you’re going with this, but fine. Tell me.”

The Zoroark snorted. “You have Korin’s brand tattooed on yer eyes. Every male in his clan would receive one shortly after he was born. Every female would have markings on her cheeks.”

“I always had these. I wasn’t branded. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What, you don’t actually think you were born with black eyelids, do you? Come on, kid. You sure you don’t remember anything?”

Orion snarled. “No! How many times do I need to tell you that?”

Keelan puffed out. “Heh. Do you even know who your parents are, kid? Did somebody kidnap you from the clan or something?”

Orion’s nostrils flared up. “I’m telling you again. I don’t know! Stop interrogating me!”

Keelan stood up straight, shaking her head. “That’s just disappointing. Shit, I was kinda hoping…” She exhaled. “Not gonna lie, kid. I never expected an Absol to still be up and about. Not after what happened to Korin’s clan. For all we know, you’re the very last one in Hevalkin.”

“Don’t remind me.”

The Zoroark shrugged. “Listen. I’m asking these questions for somebody else’s benefit. And it just so happens to be yours too. And I’m supposed to be out on the field now, and Seanán is probably already thinking about giving me an earful of lectures. So if you don’t mind, can ya stop acting like a jerkass? I don’t have time to fuck around.”

“Tch!” Orion faced away from her.

“Alright, kid, lemme ask you this. Have you seen others like me or my brother? Any other Zoroarks or Lucarios?”

“No?”

Keelan’s mouth fell open. “You’re not fucking with me, are you? You gotta have at least met one of us.”

“Why would I? I told you, I’ve never seen any of you before. I grew up in an orphanage.”

The Zoroark inched back. “W-wow. That’s… damn, kid. That makes a little sense now.” She sighed in disbelief. “I would think you would at least remember just a tiny bit. But maybe you were too little. Well, maybe it was for the best. Considering what happened to the clan, I guess you got lucky.”

“Depends on what you meant by ‘lucky.’ Because I’m really not feeling it.”

“Lemme guess. Nasty rumors about yer species, social stigma, a bunch of rubbish that you cause disasters or death or some other stupid shit. You hate yourself and the Sol Council wants you dead.”

“Wh-what?” stammered Orion.

“‘Cause that’s what happened to my clan, kid. When you don’t fall in line with the council’s demands, they’ll excommunicate you and ruin your clan’s reputation. Even now, the mayor doesn’t trust me. He only tolerates me because he needs my brother here. Not like the council believes my brother anyway. Tch. Those fuckers from the Sol Council sicken me. If they wanna put me down that badly, they better send in their best.” The Zoroark leered at him. “So do me a favor, Orion. Don’t give those bastards more ammunition. You’re no harbinger. You’re a proud warrior of a once esteemed clan. And people like that brown-nosing mayor can’t tell you otherwise.”

Orion’s eyes widened. “Umm, thanks?” Brown-nosing mayor?

Keelan puffed her cheeks and exhaled. “Man, I thought my manners were bad. Can’t even appreciate a motivational speech! How did Hesh even put up with you?”

“You should ask him.”

“And a smartass too. It’s like I’m looking at a mirror.” She lowered her chin close to her chest. “Anyways, I didn’t want to bring the other kiddos here, because they’ll ask me a ton of questions. You’re free to go. Don’t be a pain to my godchild. I don't think I need to tell ya what'll happen if any harm comes to my family.” As if on cue, the claws on her hands clenched together.

“Yeah, sure,” said Orion.

“Tch. A half-assed response, but I’ll take it. Laters.”

The Zoroark walked off, gesturing at Hesh and Chloë nearby. Orion looked on with a cross expression.

---

Orion flinched as the summer heat struck him with the might of a pyre. The sudden change from the dimmer lighting of the city hall’s interior to the lustrous weather outside was a bit unsettling. The group crossed the canal separating the area from the rest of the city, entering a more crowded district.

“Look at this place,” said Hesh, as he marveled at the massive trees and the city’s unique structures. “This is incredible. I was hyped for Emerald Valley when Sarge brought it up, but… wow, this is something. I wasn’t expecting it to be this beautiful.”

“I know! Isn’t it great?” replied Chloë. “I love it here!” She closed her eyes and exhaled. “You know, the weather out here was gloomy for a while. It was even chilly! Everyone kept saying it was the Shadow Tempest not too far away from here.”

"Well, the Tempest is gone now! Now we get to experience this nice weather again. Isn't that right, Orion?"

Chloë gave a sweet smile. "Yeah, Orion, you did good out there."

Orion scoffed. "You know that was not the intent, Hesh."

“Aw. Well, would you look at that?” Chloë continued. “Orion actually has a bashful side.”

Hesh laughed. Maintaining his frown, Orion’s eyes flicked upward. The group followed a stone road pulling ahead of the crowds of townspeople, as Hesh and Chloë continued the conversation.

“So, Hesh, that’s certainly an interesting family you got there. You even have General Seanán himself as your godfather. How did that happen?”

“Oh, he and my dad knew each other for a long time. You see, I’m actually the son of General Typhon.”

Chloë giggled. “Are you really?”

Hesh threw his hands up. “Oh, come on! Why is that everybody’s response when I tell them this?”

Orion snorted.

Hesh’s mouth slackened. “You too, Orion? Really?”

“I’m sorry,” Chloë said, maintaining her smile. “I don’t mean to offend. I was honestly expecting someone more loud and proud to be the son of the general of the army. But you’re far more humble than I was expecting.”

“Oh, um… I guess that makes sense,” Hesh said, as he bit his lips.

“But that’s a good thing! That means you don’t let your victories get to your head and you appreciate every little accomplishment you could get.”

Hesh gave a restrained laugh. “I guess that’s true.” As an awkward silence settled between the group, the Wartortle continued. “So how long have you lived here, Chloë?”

“Hmm. I don’t know how long exactly, but I’ve been in Emerald Valley for over ten years. I was still a kid at the time.”

"So, you weren't born here then?”

"No, I came from Bluewood with my big brother Ka’yen. It’s a jungle town far to the south of here.”

Hesh gasped. “Wait, past the Condemned Plains!?”

“Yeah.”

“How’d you even manage to travel that far? Orion and I took a few days to get here.”

Chloë chuckled. “Oh, Ka’yen did most of the work. He carried me over here himself. He’s rough, but dependable. You got any siblings, Hesh?”

“Huh? Oh no, I don’t. I’m an only child. Heh heh.”

Chloë tilted her head. “Hmm, really? Did you ever ask your parents for more? Don’t you get lonely?”

“W-well, you see, my mother’s… no longer around…”

Chloë looked down. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Naw, it’s fine. It can’t be helped. But I do get lonely sometimes. No siblings, no uncles, no aunts, no cousins, no grandparents. Dad never really talked about our family.”

“I can say I’m in the same boat as you. I never knew my parents. My big brother was the one taking care of me. He never said what really happened to them.”

“Geez, I’m sorry about that. Where is your brother now?”

Chloë formed a pained expression. “Oh… he’s gone.”

Hesh gasped. “I...I shouldn’t have...”

“It’s okay. That’s life, right? When your loved ones join a war, there’s a good chance that you may never see them again.”

“Yeah. I guess this happens too often now. Heh, I mean, look at us.” Hesh glanced at Orion, who stared back. “Actually, Orion here doesn’t have a family either.”

“I figured,” said Chloë. “The Zoroark lady mentioned what happened to his clan.”

The Absol grumbled, “Kid, don’t divulge details about me.”

“Sorry,” replied Hesh. “I just thought it’s a relevant topic of conversation.” Hesh rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I’m curious, Chloë. How old are you?”

Chloë frowned. “Is that how you approach a lady, Hesh? Ask them about their ages?”

The Wartortle stared at her awkwardly. “Umm…”

The Chikorita giggled. “I’m only kidding! I’m actually 20 years old.”

“What!? I’m only 15! How are you older!? Have you even evolved?”

She gave a stern look. “Okay, that is the kind of response that makes a lady feel self-conscious. And no, I didn’t evolve. If I did, I’d be towering over you right now. And that’ll make me feel awkward. I actually like my petite frame, thank you very much.”

“Huh. Actually, you made me think of something. If I evolved, I’d be big like my dad! But I see where you’re coming from. I can’t imagine being taller than Seanán or Keelan. That’ll feel weird, and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.” He paused, rubbing his chin. “On the other hand, I’ll get those awesome cannons on my back...”

“Would you feel comfortable, though? An evolution means your body will change. Once you evolve, you’re stuck in that form forever. Bigger doesn’t always mean better.”

“Maybe you’re right. My old man does have a hard time fitting through doors. And he eats a lot. I dunno. Maybe I should ask more people about it. What do you think, Orion?”

The Absol did not respond back, gazing in a different direction.

“Hey, Orion? You awake?”

“H-huh? What?”

“You’ve been awfully quiet. Did something happen between you and Keelan?”

Orion looked away, feeling the dryness in his throat. “No. Everything’s fine.”

“Ya sure? You seemed agitated when you were talking to her.”

“It’s nothing, kid. Drop it.”

“Are you just feeling sore? I know I get grumpy whenever I’m sore.”

“I’m fine, kid! Let’s just get going.”

“Hmm. If you say so.”

Chloë cleared her throat. “What were you looking at, Orion?”

Orion stared off in the direction of a large structure sitting next to a water channel. A giant wheel protruded from the building, gyrating against the water.

“Oh, that’s a water mill,” answered Chloë. “Have you seen one of those before?”

“There were many of those in Lusang,” said Hesh. “I remember Dad telling me that’s how we get our bread.”

“Yep! Those mills help produce our flour for bread. But you know what else they do?”

“No. What?”

She approached a strange metal structure jutting out of the road. It was tall and thin, ending with a cap made of glass. “They light these up at night.”

Hesh scratched his ears. “Wait, isn’t that just a lamp? How do mills light it up? I don’t get it.”

“This one runs on electricity.”

The Wartortle leaned forward. “Seriously!? How!? Does fire come out of it or something?”

Chloë’s eyes lit up. “No, silly, it’s more like electricity runs through a metal wire and it turns very bright. Mills can actually generate power, which is why Emerald Valley has so many of them. It gets pretty windy out here, so we got many windmills too. We have generators around the city that store electricity. Every now and then, an electric Pokémon would donate some of their extra pent up energy to help light up the city.”

“Whoa.” Hesh fidgeted, inspecting the lamp. He ran his claws across the metal surface, emitting a high-pitched scraping noise. “How does that all work? I mean, how is this made possible?”

Chloë giggled sheepishly. “I’m a nurse, not an engineer, Hesh. I’m sure some of the mill workers can give you a better lecture.”

“Huh. And Lusang is still using oil lanterns for all our lighting.”

“Oh, we still use oil lanterns,” explained Chloë. “But not as much anymore. Whenever we have an accident involving them getting dropped, the fires get really bad out here.”

“Oh, okay, I get it.” Hesh nodded. “So many trees and plants out here. And some of the houses are made from wood.”

“That’s right! But in case of fire, the Peacekeepers here actually have a firefighting department. Their job is to suppress fires and save the people involved.”

“Ho! That doesn’t sound like a bad job, actually. I might be able to do it. Better than fighting Shadows, that’s for sure.” For a moment, Hesh fell into a trance, imagining himself in a situation where he was able to use his water abilities to put out a massive house fire. “This all sounds very neat. Especially the electric lamps. I want to see them work for myself.”

Chloë nodded. “Oh, definitely! Just wait for dusk and you'll see. I don’t know how our engineers managed to keep the city so bright. I’ll tell you this, though. Apparently, humans used electricity to light up their cities long ago.”

Hesh leaned in. “Humans? Really?”

“Yeah. They had all this advanced technology that lets them do all sorts of crazy things. They could move very fast without using their legs. They could fly without wings. They could talk to each other from very far away without the need for telepathy.”

“That sounds cool!”

“They could also keep massive Pokémon in these little red and white balls. And carry them everywhere."

Hesh’s lower jaw grew slack. "Okay, that's not cool. Why would they need to do that? That's just weird."

"Humans were weak, fragile creatures," answered Orion. "They couldn't survive out in the wilderness like we do. They didn't have sharp claws, couldn't breathe fire or couldn't move large rocks on their own. They needed us Pokémon in order to survive. So they imprisoned some of us to do their dirty work."

Hesh cocked his head at Orion’s response, to which Chloë shook her head at. "I don't think that's how that works, Orion.”

"What else would you call it? I'd say pulling a Pokémon away from its home like that is the same thing as kidnapping.” His expression soured. “And to be put to work immediately? Slavery."

“I mean, it was more like a partnership. In exchange for the Pokémon’s abilities, the human would give it food, care, training and a home. Both parties benefit.”

Orion’s voice wavered. “And what if the human doesn’t do most of that and just puts the Pokémon to work? What then?”

“Oh, Orion,” said Hesh, rubbing his forehead. “You just had to bring up the disturbing questions.”

Chloë cleared her throat, ignoring Orion's question. “You know, Pokémon and humans used to live side by side over 120 years ago. Together, with little issues. Then, the humans just vanished and their societies crumbled. And we were left to pick up the pieces. Even today, you might still come across some old buildings or artifacts left behind by humans in Hevalkin.”

“Wow. I wondered what happened to them. Did you know any of this, Orion?”

The Absol hummed to himself. “Some. I once heard of a story that a massive human settlement was buried somewhere in the Ruby Desert. A city of giant towers of glass and stone. Many roads rising above the ground. And the corpses of strange metal creatures everywhere, and they don’t decay like normal bodies. Supposedly, you can easily crawl through their insides.”

Hesh cringed. “Geez, Orion, you made it sound so creepy.”

“You’re talking about the fabled city of Makedo,” answered Chloë. “A huge place where humans used to live. Though I wouldn’t go looking for it if I were you. It’s a massive ruin harried by frequent sandstorms that are easy to get lost in. And those who go looking for it never return. Supposedly, the city is cursed and you can still hear the voices of the humans who died there. And those dead metal creatures that Orion mentioned? They would move by themselves and hunt down any intruders.”

Hesh rapidly blinked at Chloë. “Really?”

The Chikorita gave an evil smirk.

The Wartortle shuddered, uttering, “Come on, Chloë, it’s too early for ghost stories.” To which the Chikorita responded with a mischievous giggle.

“It’s not a big deal, kid,” said Orion. “Just stay away from the Ruby Desert. No good will ever come from it.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

“Yeah. Because that’s where Daem is.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s right, you told me that…”

Orion sighed. “So, this has been a long, riveting conversation and all, but where are we going now?”

“Back to the infirmary, of course,” answered Chloë, squinting her eyes. “You didn’t forget, did you?”

Orion grunted in response.

“You don’t sound enthused.”

“This one can’t sit still,” said Hesh. "Always ready to move out."

“You two seem a bit close. How long have you known each other?”

As Orion grumbled, Hesh answered back, “Well, not that long ago. He did save my life out there. And, well, my buddy here prefers to be dark and mysterious.” He toned his voice down to a whisper. “It drives the ladies wild.”

“Shut up, kid!” snapped Orion.

“Well, he’s got my attention,” said Chloë.

Hesh whispered in Orion’s ear. “Hey, you got another fangirl now.”

Orion snarled under his throat.

---

In the city square, a bronze bell tolled from atop of a clock tower. Hesh looked on in awe, marveling at the elaborate stone structure that seemed to rise higher than other buildings in the area—even higher than the aqueducts, but only humbled by the outlying redwood trees. Much like the city hall, the clock tower possessed a more grandiose quality compared to the shops and the residencies.

A potpourri of Pokémon clamored around the booths and shops bordering the area. Perched around the more open areas were several garden beds bordered by simple stone benches. Near a lofty fountain, a trio of grass Pokémon danced gracefully, entertaining the passersby. And sitting in the middle of the city square was a single bronze statue.

Alongside his companions, Orion studied the statue. It depicted a bird Pokémon with an upraised wing, seemingly being its battle stance. Its head was enshrouded by what appeared to be foliage, covering a part of its determined visage.

“Lady Setsuna, the founder,” said Chloë. “She came here over a hundred years ago and established a small village in the mountains. Since then, the village grew into a city.”

“She looked so cool,” commented Hesh, as he eyed the noticeable sharp-looking feathers jutting out of the interior of her wing. “What was she?”

“A Decidueye. She was a renowned sniper who protected the village from enemies who threatened to pillage it. But one day, one of the invaders took her life. The villagers didn’t back down and continued to fight in her honor. Since then, Emerald Valley continued to prosper as one of the largest cities in Hevalkin. Because of the mountains and trees, it’s such an easy place to defend from invaders.”

“Damn. Did she ever have a family of her own?”

“Unfortunately, no. She never truly settled down with anyone, as she spent her time building and protecting the village.”

“Man, she must’ve been really dedicated.”

“Mmm-hmm! Many Peacekeepers in Emerald Valley aspired to be like her: formidable and courageous.”

Hesh grinned with a look of admiration. “Yeah. That’s what I wanna be too.”

Chloë pointed towards the myriad of booths. “Anyways, the marketplace here is where we get most of our business. You can find a lot of things out here: different crops, breads, accessories, materials for evolution!”

“You sure know a lot about the city, Chloë. You should be a tour guide!”

The Chikorita snorted. “Maybe I’ll consider it as a side job. Though I sometimes visit the local orphanage to keep the kids company. I don’t know if I want to give that up.”

As the two trailed off in conversation, Orion kept to himself, making rapid glances at different parts of the city. Though Emerald Valley presented itself as mirthful and energetic, it was not enough to fully capture his attention. Everything that happened today felt uncanny to him, and he couldn’t ignore that sinking feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t just the nausea either.

Everything from Lord Darkrai’s warnings to Seanán and Keelan scrutinizing him. Moreover, Hesh being the son of General Typhon—someone he once thought he could trust.

No one can be trusted. Those words would not stop swimming around in his head. Being the typical naïve kid, Orion figured Hesh would be loose-lipped as well and draw too much attention to the Absol.

His one silver lining was that he didn’t die from the blood loss.

And the meeting. He remembered Mayor Cord’s hostility towards him, the desperation in Riko’s voice, Keelan’s vehemence, and Seanán wearily trying to keep everyone on the same page. Everyone’s disheartened expressions as they walked out of that room. And the possibility of the Sol Council visiting Emerald Valley, finding out where a certain outlaw had taken refuge.

Is Emerald Valley even ready for the Serapíans? Is it even going to remain standing by the end of the week?

Close by, Hesh and Chloë remained deep in conversation, neither of which seemed to acknowledge Orion. By far, this was the happiest that Orion had ever seen Hesh.

Orion shook his head, going over his options. No, I’ve done my part already. If I stay here, then the Sol Council will eventually find me. But… that annoying nurse won’t let me leave. And I don’t know any exits out of this huge city. And even if I find a way out, where the hell am I supposed to go now? Should I get a map? Do they even make maps for the outskirts?

The Absol gritted his teeth.

“Orion! Helloooooo?”

The Absol attempted to recover his composure as Chloë called out to him.

“I was just asking if you wanted something to eat.” The Chikorita held out a small purse made of brightly colored fabric, adorned with bright pink flower patterns. “I could hear your stomach talking to you. My treat!”

Hesh’s voice squeaked. “She’s gonna get us some Nanab bread, Orion! Nanab bread!”

Orion hesitated to respond. Though he had a meal yesterday, he wasn’t feeling particularly peckish. Though he felt his stomach rumble, it wasn’t out of hunger. “S-sure.”

Hesh scratched his chin. “Are you sure everything is okay, Orion? You were staring off into space there. I know you usually keep things clammed up. Come on, you can tell me what's on your mind."

Orion's jaws clenched. “Everything’s good, kid. Let’s just go.”

“Nauseous, Orion?” Chloë asked, tilting her head.

“I said everything’s fine! Stop worrying about me! Damn!” The sudden outburst drew judgmental glances from passing bystanders. Orion’s cheeks were starting to feel hot. At a split-second, he noticed a look of terror on his companions’ faces. “I’m sorry… I just need some time alone.”

Chloë began to fidget. “I-it’s okay, Orion. We can get something later. W-we'll just get going."

As Hesh groaned in disappointment, Orion felt the need to criticize himself. Damn it. Why did I do that? Why did I ruin things again?

Chloë suddenly yelped as a large bipedal Pokémon shoved her aside. "Outta the way!" he shouted, as he knocked Hesh over on his back.

"What's the big idea!?" the Wartortle protested, as he swerved his shell side to side.

Orion glared at the passing creature, revealed to be a Loudred. "You could've just gone around!"

"Fuck off, loser!" The Loudred quickened his gait, hands clutched.

"How rude," said Chloë, as she helped Hesh back on his feet.

"What's his problem?" asked Hesh.

"I don't know. I've never seen him before." The Chikorita jerked her head as she noticed something was off. "H-hey! Where's my purse?"

"Uhh, Chloë?" Hesh pointed in Orion's direction, who was trailing behind the fleeing Loudred.

"Oh gods no, what is he doing?"

Hesh and Chloë rushed over to Orion, who called for the Loudred, only for the purple creature to ignore him. Orion pushed forward and targeted the back of the Loudred's massive head. With one quick strike of his paw, the Absol toppled him. A small colorful purse fell out of his massive hand.

"Argh! MOTHERFUCKER!" the Loudred yowled, clutching his head. A mob of nearby Pokémon gathered to watch the scene unfold. Hesh and Chloë forced their way through.

“Orion!” Chloë cried out.

Orion loomed over the Loudred, snarling. “You will return what you stole. And you will apologize to them right now.” He slanted his horn towards the direction of his companions.

The Loudred rolled over, facing him. “And what if I don’t, you revolting little shit?” He raised one of his legs and launched a swift kick at Orion’s face. The Absol recoiled, clenching his teeth, feeling his head throb. The Loudred rose up with a wide grin, baring his peg-like fangs. “What’s wrong, little boy? You gonna cry now?”

Orion shook his head, disregarding the pain. “Why? From that poor excuse of a kick?”

“Fuck you!” the Loudred bellowed as he bolted towards Orion. The beast clenched one of his fists and threw a punch. Orion strafed to dodge the attack and continued circling his opponent. The crowd hollered out, one voice in particular shouting, “Yeah, kill that Absol!”

The Loudred scrunched his face. "Absol? You're an Absol?"

"So what if I am?" retorted Orion.

The Loudred smirked. "Ohh, this is rich. You just made this a whole lot easier." He turned to face the crowd. "This Absol is trying to rob me! Let's send this Uncivilized trash back to where he belongs! Who's with me?" Many citizens screeched in agreement.

Among the crowd, Chloë was growing restless. “Hesh, we gotta stop this! Orion is in no condition to fight!”

“What should we do?”

“Go find somebody from the city guard! Bring them over here!”

“On it!” The Wartortle saluted and took off.

Unable to look away, Chloë watched as the Loudred shouted at the top of his lungs, stomping towards Orion in an attempt to ram into him. The Absol scampered away, with the tip of his horn aiming at his opponent’s direction. As the Loudred prepared another charge, Orion leaned forward, ready to pounce.

Just as he was about to leap, Orion felt something constricting his hind legs. A cluster of vines from one of the spectators began to drag his feet across the pavement, throwing off his stance. The Absol struggled to break free, until he felt the impact of the Loudred’s uproar.

The force of the attack sent him flying for a brief moment, before colliding with the rocky ground. Pain shot up through Orion’s legs and ribs as he gasped for air. The Loudred approached his limp body and pressed his foot against the Absol’s head.

“Let’s see how long it takes before you go splat!” the Loudred exclaimed with a sadistic chortle. With the mob applauding, the Loudred began to exert pressure on Orion’s head, causing the Absol to thrash his legs about.

Out of nowhere, a single glowing leaf struck the Loudred across his cheek, leaving behind an impressive gash. The beast cried out in pain as he released his opponent. Orion took the opportunity to swing his horn at the Loudred’s leg, splattering blood across the ground. The Absol limped away, keeping his eyes on his opponent.

“YOU SEE THAT, EVERYONE?!” the Loudred bellowed, clutching his leg. “THIS ABSOL JUST TRIED TO KILL ME!”

The rabble entered a state of frenzy, some of the citizens even attempting to pin down Orion. The Absol fought back, gnashing his teeth and swatting at the air with his horn as a warning. One grass Pokémon managed to knot some vines around Orion’s neck. The vines contracted.

“CLEAR OUT! EVERYONE, STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING!”

The crowd of Pokémon began to disperse as another group of Pokémon, wearing different colored ribbons and sashes, shooed them away. Orion gasped for air as the unknown assailant constricting him released his neck. One of the guards restrained the Loudred. As he was getting dragged away, the frenzied Pokémon pointed at Orion, yelling, “HE HIT ME! THAT ABSOL TRIED TO KILL ME! EVERYONE, THERE’S AN ABSOL IN OUR CITY! IT’LL CURSE US IF YOU DON’T GET RID OF IT!”

Chloë rushed over to Orion, who was coughing violently. “Breathe, Orion,” she urged.

The Absol obeyed, assaying to maintain his breathing. His head felt light and his vision had grown blurry. The inside of his chest pounded wildly. He could still hear someone shouting, “ALRIGHT, SHOW’S OVER! CAN’T HAVE YOU ALL GAWPIN’ OVER HERE! MOVE ALONG!”

Chloë jabbed Orion in the face. “What was that!?”

He panted. “What’s… what?”

“You can’t just go attack citizens like that! What were you thinking!?”

The Absol glared at her. “So what... you’re okay with him shoving you away? Taking your money? What if you get hurt? Is anyone going to hold him responsible for it?” He inhaled slowly and exhaled sharply.

“All I needed to do was notify the guards and they’ll take care of it! You and Hesh are my witnesses!”

“You saw him running away. What if we lose him? You’re gonna get the guards to check every Loudred in the city to see which one’s the thief?”

“No, that doesn’t matter! I didn’t want you risking your life for that! Will you just listen?”

The ground rumbled slightly as a Nidoking wearing pieces of bronze armor and a red ribbon approached the two. Hesh, with a timid expression, walked alongside him.

“Awright, out with it,” the Nidoking demanded, leering at Orion. “Just what do you think you’re doin’, son?”

Orion stared at the Nidoking, returning the Peacekeeper’s leer. He drew in more breaths.

“And what do you think you’re lookin’ at?” the Nidoking asked, his vocal tone growing more frustrated. “It’s not polite to stare, kid!”

Chloë poked Orion. “Say something!”

The Nidoking grumbled. “You know that startin’ brawls can land you in jail, right? Haven’t your parents taught you that?”

The Absol smirked. “My parents are dead. I guess I’ll never learn.”

The Nidoking rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Alright, smartmouth. I’m turnin’ you in.”

Chloë’s eyes widened. “H-hold on, Niks! He was recently injured and he's new to the city. And I have to bring him back to the infirmary!"

"No can do, Chloë. We'll hear what he has to say at the station. Bein' new ain't an excuse and I got more than enough shit to do today."

Close by, a Machoke wearing bracers and a red ribbon approached Niks. The Nidoking grumbled, “What now, Rixis?”

The Machoke cleared his throat. “I’m getting mixed stories from some of the people. Some say the Loudred caused it. Some say the Absol caused it.”

Hesh spoke out. “Well, whoever said Orion did it are a buncha liars!”

Niks groaned. “Look, I know you’re stickin’ up for your friend there, but we have to bring him in.”

“What!? I’m not lying! That’s not fair!”

The Machoke shook his head. “Easy, kid. We have the Loudred in custody. We gotta bring the Absol too. Hear out both sides. Can’t make any judgement yet.”

Chloë sighed, rubbing her forehead with a paw. Orion gave a silent derisive glare at the Peacekeeper guards, seemingly ready to flee.

“Um, excuse me?” a gentle female voice called. Nearby, a Lilligant waved her one of her leaf-like arms at the group. Standing next to her were a Bellossom and a Vileplume. “The ladies and I want to say that we watched the whole thing play out.” She gestured at Chloë and held out a small familiar purse in her other arm. Despite the purse’s small size, it caused her leaf-like arm to wrinkle.

Chloë accepted it. “O-oh! Thank you! He…” She gestured towards Orion. “...went through a lot of trouble to get that.”

“I know.” Though the Lilligant lacked a visible mouth, she politely bowed her head with a kind expression. She faced Niks and Rixis. “If you gentlemen don’t mind, I’m willing to testify on the Absol’s behalf. We were practicing in the city square until we saw the Loudred run into the group. The Absol is not at fault here. The young Chikorita was a victim of a robbery.”

The guards looked at each other, with Rixis breaking the silence. “Well, the other ‘witnesses’ failed to mention that. And Miss Aysu has no reason to lie. Whaddya say, Niks? I’d say that checks out. Still, pretty bold of a thief to mug someone in the middle of daylight.”

"I dunno. I'd rather not risk more bodies poppin’ up."

“B-bodies?” asked Hesh.

Rixis jabbed his elbow against Niks’ chest. “Hey now, don’t say that in front of the kids.” He glanced at Hesh. “Um, what he means is… don't wander off alone at night. Stay close to a group. We have the overnight guards stationed around the city, but you can never be too careful.”

“U-um, okay.” In response to the Machoke’s answer, Hesh's head partially retracted into his shell. “So, um, what about Orion? Is he free to go?”

“Who says he’s free to go?” asked Niks.

“Come on, Niks!” cried Hesh. “Orion did nothing wrong! Why are you already treating him like a criminal?”

“That’s Mister Niks to you, boy!” the Nidoking snapped, crossing his arms. “Damn kids, lackin’ manners...”

Rixis patted the grumbling Nidoking. “Easy there, big guy.” He faced Hesh. “Alright, kid, lucky for you, you have a renowned dance troupe backing you up. We’ve dealt with Miss Aysu before, so you can all go now.”

Niks gave the Machoke a dumbstruck look. “W-what? Really?”

“Come on, Mister Niks,” pleaded Chloë. “Orion here is my patient and he recently just got a blood transfusion. He’s well-meaning, if not a bit short-tempered. Look at him, he’s not feeling well!”

The Nidoking glanced at the Absol once more, noticing that his breaths hadn’t slowed down. His face was drenched in sweat. Niks sighed. “Damn it. Look, kid, if stuff like this happens, don't be a hero. Give us a call and we'll detain the thief. People here are on the edge as it is. We don't need more fights breaking out. We still need to make a report of this incident, but we’re letting you go this time. Next time I see you, I expect you to be a model citizen, capische?"

Orion glared at him. “Yeah… sure.”

The group cheered as Niks and Rixis began to march away. The Nidoking looked back with a grimace. “And I do mean model citizen. Good day!” The two disappeared into the crowd.

Hesh sighed, clutching his stomach. “Wow… what’s up with the grump there?”

The Lilligant known as Aysu answered, “Oh, he’s probably having a bad day. But he’s really a big ol’ softie once you get to know him. He has kids of his own after all.”

“Heh. Well, who would’ve thunk?”

Chloë went over to Aysu and bowed her head. “Thank you again, Miss Aysu. Um, big fan of your work, by the way. Heh.”

The Lilligant bowed back. “Oh, It’s been a pleasure! And just Aysu is fine. I hope we get the opportunity to chat again soon.” She glanced at Orion, giving an expression that he could only discern as the closest thing to a smile. “Try not to get into too much trouble. The streets have grown more dangerous lately. Do be careful, okay?”

Orion’s expression softened, taken aback by her kind words. “Um… yes, ma’am.”

The Lilligant held out her leaf-like dress and curtsied. Her Bellossom companion followed, with the Vileplume tilting her head down. The troupe went on their way.

Hesh cleared his throat. “W-wow. So anyways, I guess we’ll be on our way!”

Chloë responded, looking tense. “Yeah.” She glanced at Orion, whispering, “You see what happens when you don’t listen?”

Orion gave a defiant stare, in return.

---

Chloë brushed her paw against Orion’s head, feeling for unusual bumps. “You’re lucky that Loudred didn’t cave your skull in. You just came to the city and you’re already getting into fights. What am I gonna do with you?”

Orion remained silent as he kept his head resting on his bed. The familiar overwhelming scent of Chloë’s leaf was enough to make him feel drowsy. He had nothing else to say.

“Orion, please don’t take this the wrong way. I really do appreciate you trying to help me out there, but those few lucitas are not worth losing your life over. As your nurse, I have a responsibility to keep you out of harm’s way. Doctor Froid would kill me if he finds out that we had to clean up your blood again. You almost cost me my job.”

The Absol exhaled.

“And this is not just about me. I know what you warrior types had to go through on a daily basis. With that said, I still feel sick looking at someone else’s blood. I’d rather that you don’t repeat the same mistake that got you here in the first place.”

Orion finally broke his silence. “Hmph. What do you care?”

“More than you think!” the Chikorita snapped. “I don’t think I’m asking much, Ka’yen!”

Orion’s eyes narrowed. “Ka’yen?”

Chloë gasped. “S-sorry, O-orion. My mistake. Can you at least promise me you won’t go into any more fights? At least, until you leave? You do have someplace to be, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

The Chikorita nodded. “Well then, I’ll keep you to that promise.”

An unseen figure knocked on the wall. "Chloë, are you in here?"

"Yes, doctor!"

A yellow-furred bipedal Pokémon with a thick white collar walked in, alongside Hesh. Orion recognized him, by his long nose, as the doctor who operated on him. Is this Doctor Froid?

The doctor approached Orion. "Well, young man, I heard you got into a scuffle today. You really shouldn't be doing that while you're not at full strength." He lightly jabbed Orion in the ribs. "But seriously, you're not ready. You noticed how hard it is to breathe while doing intense activities like that, right? You have to give your body some time to adjust to your new blood. In maybe a week, you can fight like a champion once more."

Orion nodded with a blank stare.

“So, here’s the rundown of everything that happened. Upon arrival yesterday, you were hemorrhaging quite badly. Your wound showed traces of venom and burns, so we took care of that. What in the world were you doing out there?”

Hesh answered, "Um, he was fighting Shadow Pokémon."

The doctor glanced at Orion, "Really? What compels you to do that?"

Hesh spoke once more, "He was taking care of the Shadow Tempest."

"Oh! Is that right!? Very impressive, if not reckless. I’m surprised you didn’t join the Peacekeepers." The doctor cleared his throat. "Anyways, you're free to go for now. If you need a stay at a local inn, we can arrange that for you."

"But doctor," said Chloë, "do you think that's alright? What if he passes out?"

The doctor chuckled, taking notice of Orion's scowl. "I have a feeling the boy knows better now. But Chloë is correct, Orion. You'll probably feel out of breath throughout the week, so you need to take it easy. You may have General Seanán's blood running in you, but even his blood takes some time to kick in."

Orion nodded once more. "Okay."

"Anyways, since you're an outsider, there is the matter of your bill."

Orion's eyes widened. "Bill?"

"Bill?" repeated Hesh, covering his mouth.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, sir. What, you thought the treatment was free?"

Orion exhaled slowly. "Alright, what's the damage?"

"100,000 lucitas."

Orion jumped out of bed, with he and Hesh both yelling, "WHAT!?"

The doctor snickered. "I'm just joking! You were getting a bit too quiet there, so I thought I'd get a reaction out of you."

Is that really necessary!? thought Orion. Likewise, Hesh and Chloë gave an unamused reaction.

"Your real bill is 12,000 lucitas. Think you can manage that, young man?"

Orion did not respond.

"Your silence is very telling, son."

Orion sighed, feeling numb. "Alright, Hesh, where's my satchel?"

Hesh pressed his hands together. "Umm… you don't remember what happened?"

"Remember what? Where’s my satchel?"

"You threw out everything. When you told me and Yukie to get in the bag."

Orion froze up.

"Literally everything. I tried to tell you, but..."

The Absol’s mouth flew open and he sat there for a moment. He smacked the side of his bed. “What the FUCK, HESH!? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT EARLIER!?”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa! Don’t snap at me! This is all on you!”

Orion glanced at Froid. “Hold on a sec, doc! My money’s back in the Condemned Plains!”

“Um, Orion?” squeaked Chloë.

“WHAT!?”

The Chikorita flinched. “Sometime before you arrived, the city council issued a travel ban because of the Shadow Pokémon coming from the Condemned Plains. They’ll let refugees in but that’s it. They haven’t lifted it yet, so… they’re not gonna let you go back there…”

“Then tell someone to go retrieve it for me! That’s 50,000 lucitas! And if the patrolmen snatch up a single one, there’s going to be hell to pay!”

“Orion…” She shook her head. “The dragons are settled there now. No one’s going to go back. Besides, they burned everything down. Your money’s probably already ashes by now.”

The Absol was speechless. His breaths picked up speed.

Doctor Froid patted him on the back. “Well, that’s very unfortunate. But, I’m afraid I can’t exempt you from paying. I’m sorry, Orion, but it seems you’ll need to snatch up a couple of odd jobs to pay off your debt. You don’t have to pay us right away. I’ll give you a month though.” He glanced at Chloë. “He’s free to leave the infirmary anytime he wishes. Chloë, can you help this young man get settled?”

The Chikorita nodded. “Yes, doctor.”

“Good girl. Well then, Orion, I wish you the best of luck.” Froid bowed his head and left the room.

Orion stared at the ground, attempting to keep himself calm, unable to stop blinking. “Hesh… you should’ve left me out there… you have no idea what problems you caused me...”

The Wartortle barked back, “ME!? I can’t take responsibility for your own fuck-ups, Orion! And I can’t just leave you out there! What, you wanna die?”

“I would prefer that, YES!”

Hesh threw his hands up. “Chloë, are you hearing this!? This crazy merc would rather die than pay his debt!”

“Boys!” Chloë yelled. “Calm down! You’re in a hospital after all. You’re making too much noise.”

Hesh crossed his arms. “You’re just talking crazy now, Orion. Don’t you remember what you told me before? ‘You still have a life ahead of you?’ Whatever happened to that? Are you trying to tell me that the same doesn’t apply to you?”

Orion scowled at him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, kid.”

“Oh, don’t I? I lost my whole company, Orion! Everybody died! Did you already forget?"

“Whatever happens to me doesn’t matter. My job was to save you, not myself.”

Hesh hushed up. “What? Orion, that’s…” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

Chloë spoke up. “Orion… I don’t want you to have a hard time in Emerald Valley, so I’m willing to pay off your debt. Just… pay me back later.”

The Absol shook his head. “No.”

“W-why not? This is no time to be stubborn!”

"I'm going to leave the city behind. That's the only choice I have."

"W-what!? Orion, you can't do that! Doctor Froid will put a bounty on you!"

“I’m not dealing with ANY debts. Not from you. Not from the kid. Not from anyone!”

“Well, how exactly are you going to get the money, Orion? In case you forgot, you’ll still need time to heal up!”

“You tell me, Shorty.”

The Chikorita smacked him across the face. “Don’t call me Shorty. I truly resent that.”

Orion snarled at her. “Try that again. Go ahead. I dare you.”

Hesh pulled Chloë away. “Okay, that’s enough. Orion, you’ve crossed a line. Just stop.”

A heavy silence followed. Orion returned to his bed and turned away from his companions. “Both of you, get out. Don’t come near me.”

As Chloë was about to say something, Hesh stopped her. The Wartortle shook his head with a disappointed frown. The Chikorita stomped her feet and stormed out. Hesh glanced at the bedridden Absol and exhaled. “You know, I thought you’re someone I could respect and trust. Is this really how you want to end things?”

Silence.

“I’m gonna go out for a walk. Hopefully you’ll have a better attitude when I get back. I’m sorry, man, but you’re just too much.” The Wartortle walked out without looking back.

Orion remained in his spot, numb to the Wartortle’s words. The son of General Typhon pitying me? Ha! What a life this has been.

He couldn’t muster the energy to respond, trapped in his thoughts.

No one can be trusted.

No one can be trusted.

No one can be trusted.

No one can be trusted.

Isn’t that right, Orion?

---

Author’s Notes:

• Seanán, Enitan, Keelan and Aysu are based on user Telume’s characters
• Niks and Rixis are based on user TehSlinky's characters

 

[SuperTrainStationH]

CHAPTER 10 review -

After all that relentless peril, it’s nice to see Orion getting some medical attention. I was so worried about Yukie accidentally being exposed that I forgot how precarious Orion’s position is within this city too!

I like the balancing of the more obvious magical elements and even healing items mentioned in the games, which one might be tempted to use as an easy solution to many problems - with there being real lasting consequences to illnesses and injuries, as seen in this chapter.

It’s interesting that knowledge of the techniques of blood transfusion exist in this world, it’s another one of those things that has me interested in how much of this stuff survived from the human era and was continued by Pokemon, or if they had to re-discover it on their own from scratch.

Thanks for writing!

**********

CHAPTER 11 review -

It’s nice getting an overhead view over where all the pieces are on this board right now, and even with all that establishment going on, the introduction of several new characters didn’t make things confusing or difficult to follow either, and with all the characters and factions going on that’s an easy trap to fall into, so I’m glad I didn’t need to re-read this to keep up, especially since we keep learning more and more about the Absols as the chapters come on.

Hoping for some more Yukie, but honestly even if she was ready to talk, a little kid like them would just fall asleep at a meeting like this anyway.

Also I’m worried if she did talk she’d say something that would accidentally cause trouble, so I’m glad she’s keeping quiet for now.

Thanks for writing!

 

[OrionTheAbsol]

I like the balancing of the more obvious magical elements and even healing items mentioned in the games, which one might be tempted to use as an easy solution to many problems - with there being real lasting consequences to illnesses and injuries, as seen in this chapter.

Yeah, especially when concerning more serious injuries. I doubt that eating a few berries could mend broken bones and blood loss. I feel this brings more urgency to battles, as the stakes are higher this time around.

It’s interesting that knowledge of the techniques of blood transfusion exist in this world, it’s another one of those things that has me interested in how much of this stuff survived from the human era and was continued by Pokemon, or if they had to re-discover it on their own from scratch.

I had to think hard on this one, but decided that it's actually something reasonably doable in a setting of limited technology. This required some research on my part. Though there's little in ways of machinery, the Pokémon were able to pick up a few tricks from humans.

It’s nice getting an overhead view over where all the pieces are on this board right now, and even with all that establishment going on, the introduction of several new characters didn’t make things confusing or difficult to follow either, and with all the characters and factions going on that’s an easy trap to fall into, so I’m glad I didn’t need to re-read this to keep up, especially since we keep learning more and more about the Absols as the chapters come on.

I'm glad this is the case. That meeting scene in particular was a balancing act for me, lol. Though not all characters from that meeting will have a major role, some will be important quite soon.

Hoping for some more Yukie

lol, I'm on it for this next chapter I'm writing!

I didn't mention this yet, but I updated my first post to include a list of art pieces I had commissioned years back, if anyone's interested in looking. For example, my forum avatar and DIscord pfp.

 

[SuperTrainStationH]

CHAPTER 10 12 review -

Wowie, a 10k word heavy hitter!

Orion's history gradually unfolding both to the readers and to Orion himself has been interesting as we've gotten pretty much constant answers and new information while still maintaining a sense of mystery.

The purse snatchers attempt to turn the crowd against Orion actually didn't go as bad as I was fearing, it caused a lot of trouble, but even the initial law enforcement response was more measured than I expected, and things even got better from there, though it still ended up with Orion losing a lot more blood than he needs to right now.

I was wondering who was formally furnishing all of Orion's medical treatment, but I basically forgot to bring it up before since it didn't seem important, but it turns out it was important, so here it is! And it didn't even come out of left field.

And... wowie I'm finally caught up!

I'll be keeping an eye on this one for sure!

Thanks for writing!