Tamer's Archives

[SerenadeSP]

Hello everyone. I'm SerenadeSP and this is the first fanfiction I've ever written. Hope you enjoy it, here we go.

Prologue

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[ Teneroc - The Legend of Heru Desert]

Section: Lost Archives
Archive No.: 17
Synopsis: Teneroc is known as the ancient desert region, being made up of small towns and cities in the western section of it. Covering the entire region is a massive desert, the Heru Desert, which is the main reason most people remain in their home towns. The eastern section of the region is completely inaccessible due to the harsh sandstorms that take place in Central Teneroc. Although the region’s main source of water, Pureflow River, passes throughout the towns and heads eastbound, so far no one has been able to reach the other side. Many believe rare Pokémon, maybe even legendaries, live on the eastern side, hidden from human eyes. Explorers tried time and again to see if there is anything beyond the central desert but all efforts failed miserably. Eventually all hope was lost that anyone would ever be able to discover the mysteries of Heru Desert and the Eastern Half.

*-*-*-*​

A harsh sunny day loomed over a large man who stood along side a small, pale horse Pokémon waiting outside of their village. It gazed out into the desert with beady black eyes while the man pet its wavy red mane and bird Pokémon hovered above.

“Ah, the Heru Desert… looking at it makes everything seem so peaceful. Doesn’t it?” he said continuing to pet the horse.

“Ta! Ta!” the Pokémon replied eagerly.

“Ha ha Ponyta, I know,” he laughed taking his hand away, “We just have to wait for the messenger Spearow to return before we go back inside. I think there are only three more now.”

They patiently continued to stare out into the desert, watching the wind carry grains of sand into the air. Damn those Spearow! He clutched his fist as sweat fell off it, We sent them out over an hour ago. I know they distracted easily but I can see the town from here. They should at least be in sight! The Ponyta next to him yawned making him relax his grip. He placed his hand back on top of the Pokémon’s head.

“Yeah, they are taking a little while aren’t they? I say we wait a little longer, they can’t be too far away now.”

They continued to stare blankly toward the city on the horizon. After a few minutes his Ponyta started to press its head against the man’s thick arm. It’s getting late… He turned his head back at the village behind him and finally said, “Alright Ponyta let’s go back.”

Just as he grabbed onto the Ponyta’s reins, he saw something in the distance he didn’t notice before. He could see three tiny brown bird Pokémon flapping their wings violently over something else, which from where he was standing looked like a speck in the sand. He yelled at the little messengers five times before hopping onto his Ponyta’s saddle who groaned from the weight added on its back but had no time to complain before its master commanded it to charge forward. The screeches each Spearow made got louder than the last as they drew closer and closer. Soon enough the two arrived just a few yards away from the site, the shape that was unrecognizable before could be seen clearly now.

When the man noticed the object he quickly jumped off the flaming pony and began to shoo his other Pokémon away. It was covered with a filthy brown cloth, probably from being out in the sand for so long. What is this? A cloth? He cautiously lifted part of the fabric, as if he was afraid it would attack, and gasped. There was no mistake, what was lying in front of him was an unconscious baby boy.

Carefully reaching down, he took the toddler off the sand with both arms. This can’t be… I better bring him back to the Archives! He quickly spun returning to his Ponyta when a rusty metallic object fell from the fabric into the sand. Holding the baby with one arm, the man bent down to pick up what appeared to be a gauntlet, glancing at the boy’s face then looked back at the old piece of armor. It was obviously old and the damage done from the sand distorted most of its original color. He returned his attention to the baby in his arms.

What happened to this boy? Who could leave him to die in the sand? And why was a Tamer’s gauntlet with him – of all things?

Looking back at the object, he began to examine it further, almost forgetting about the urgency of the situation. Something unusual about this gauntlet caught his eye that was different from other pieces of armor he had seen in the past. Like the gauntlet in his hand, most armor had gems engraved into them which were used to contain Pokémon that had been tamed. But unlike the others, this gauntlet had words engraved on its sleeve. Although most of it had been worn away by the sand the man struggled to sound out the remaining letters.

“Rameses…” he managed to say. He knew for sure it was a name because there were two words, one above the other, with this word underneath. In spite of his best effort, the man could not read the first name; all of the figures were smudged together by the sand damage making it completely illegible.

He looked back out to the desert, the Heru Desert, the desert he lived next to his whole life. He turned to his Ponyta with a questioning look on his face and the horse gave a slow but assuring nod. Lifting the boy, who was still unconscious, to eye level he whispered to himself, “Heru…”

 

[SerenadeSP]

Archive One – Dawn



Chapter One

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[Brittleville]

Section: Location Archives
Archive No.: 31
Population: 23
Noteable Buildings/Landmarks: Brittleville Archives
Noteable Residents: Sandy (Brittleville Archives owner and director)
Access to: Pureflow River, Heru Desert
Neighboring Towns: Arena City (north), Bast Canyon (south), Temu Ruins (west)
Abundant Pokémon: Spearow, Ponyta, Various bird and Rock-types
Synopsis: Brittleville is known as the information center of Tenoroc. It has a library of scrolls containing data on everything there is know about the region, from Pokémon to people to places. Every scroll in Teneroc is stored within its walls and watched over by its owner, Sandy. When a scroll is needed by someone it is sent out by messenger Pokémon – usually Spearow – and returned once the person no longer needs it. Despite this importance, very few people settle here because of the landscape leaving the town mostly empty.
*-*-*-*​

Gotta keep running, he’s right behind me!

Ignoring the dirty looks of the people surrounding him, a skinny man flew past a crowd. He ran through the city plaza knowing there was no time to acknowledge anything if he was going to live. When you were being chased by a criminal survival was all that mattered.

As he passed an antique shop he heard a shatter and a shout, the man began to cringe stumbling with every step he took. Noticing this he immediately picked up his pace again. Although he was tired he wouldn’t allow his hunter to catch up.

The man hurried into an alleyway jumping when a loud buzzing noise started trailing him. Afraid that turning to look would slow him down, he focused on the narrow path in front of him. Just as he started to go into a full sprint his knee locked causing him to roll forward until he slammed onto his back.

Struggling to get up, he looked up at the stone walls on each side then gasped at the sight of hundreds of red eyes staring him down behind bright yellow and black masks. The buzzing grew more and more overwhelming the closer they came. The man closed his eyes violently and let out a holler, knowing it would be his last.

*-*-*-*​

In the desert outside of Brittleville, a blue wolf Pokémon sniffed around on the cracked surface. Never taking its nose off the ground, it slowly walked forward in its search for food, paying no attention to the large boulder it passed. On the boulder a small bird Pokémon sat watching the wolf attentively keeping its hooked beak closed tightly and its wings folded.

Once the wolf’s jagged tail faced it, the bird spun around, spread its crimson wings and gave a quick chirp. Its master, who waited patiently behind the boulder, peeked over the other side. At the same time he pulled his dirty brown sleeve up until the sand-damaged gauntlet he wore was completely visible. Out of the three gems engraved into it two of them were clear, the other being a dark pink.

Let’s see, he thought touching his chin, I have three slots in my gauntlet. One of them is used to contain my Loyal Spearow. So that means I have two left…The stared intently at the Pokémon reflecting in his dark eyes, preparing to stand. Manectric uses up two slots which means I have just enough to tame it. He stood up and pointing his right arm at his target, then gave his Spearow a nod.

“Row! Spear-ROW!” it screeched sharply causing the blue wolf to perk its head up from surprise. Almost instantly the two clear gems on the gauntlet shone bright pink energy as a sphere started to form in his hand. Before the Pokémon could react, two beams of light shot out of the sphere covering it in a red light. It lifted its front paw, trying to break free from the force and roared angrily at the boy and his Spearow. The boy winced lowering his arm slightly but snapped it back before the beams could break. Come on! I almost have it!

The Manectric tossed its head left and right as the red light became darker over time. When it stopped resisting the boy grinned – soon he would have tamed his first Pokémon all by himself.

“HERU! Where are you?!”

“Ah!” the boy fell back causing the beams from his hand to split and the light covering Manectric dissipated. It glanced at him then bolted as fast as it could in the other direction. He watched lying on his side as the blue wolf ran away –That was it, his chance of taming his own Pokémon, gone.

The boy began to stand up, holding his head in pain. After shaking the sand out of his short brown hair he turned to see who had called his name. Upon seeing his stepfather the boy quickly pulled his hand to his side.

“Heru, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be at the Archives organizing the scrolls!” his stepfather asked confused at the boy’s disobedience.

“But Sandy I’m always in the Archives! I want to go out into the Heru Desert and tame my own Pokémon so I can be a Champion Tamer,” he whined almost shouting.

“Why do you want to be a Tamer?” he spat, “All they do is fight innocent Pokémon for some pointless honor and to entertain others. You should be proud of your duty watching the Brittleville Archives! It’s the most important building in all of Western Teneroc; we protect all of the region’s information. If we didn’t do our job no one would be able to do anything! Now take your Spearow and go back to the Archives.”

“But–”

“Go back to the Archives! I’ll be inside soon,” Sandy stated before heading back.

Discouraged, the boy whistled to his Spearow which responded by fluttering onto his shoulder. Then they slowly trudged towards the center of town.

*-*-*-*​

Heru stood over a table covered with scrolls in the middle of an old beaten library. The walls were dusty and worn. Light seeped through the cracks on the ceiling. Sometimes Heru wondered why the building hadn’t collapsed years ago but at the moment he didn’t care. He appeared to be hypnotized, scanning across the scrolls, absorbing each word he read. When he was done with a scroll he rolled it up, put it in a neat pile to his right and immediately grabbed a scroll from a sloppy pile on his left. His movements were automatic, he already knew everything on most of these scrolls – the ones he didn’t know were new arrivals, but that happened only once in a blue moon. The pattern continued for a half hour until Heru opened one scroll that snapped him out of his trance. A new arrival. It read:

*-*-*-*
[Moltres]

Section: Pokémon Archives
Archive No.: 156
Classification: The Flame Pokémon
Status: Legendary
*Found: Heru Desert
Type: Fire/Flying
*Slots Required: 4
*Synopsis: It is said to be the guardian of the Heru Desert, watching over all who cross it judging whether or not they are worthy of passing through. It roams around in harsh sunlight and sandstorms only appearing to those in desperate need of help.

*As said in Legends from ancient times
*-*-*-*
​

He had read several other scrolls on Moltres but this one was made him raise an eyebrow. All the others described it as the guardian of Heru Desert but none, except this one, said anything about it appearing to people. Heru read this scroll slowly making sure he didn’t miss a syllable. His Spearow yawned hopping off his shoulder onto the table in front of the messy pile.

“Spearow, don’t touch that. You remember what Sandy did last time,” Heru said emotionlessly without taking his eyes off the paper. Spearow took a step back, then turned to see Heru’s stepfather walk in.

“Heru, I need you to make a delivery for me.”

Heru looked up as the image of his stepfather came into focus, “Why aren’t you using any of the messenger Pokémon?”

“It was requested to be hand-delivered. Besides, you said you wanted an escape from the Archives,” Sandy held up a scroll tied with a red thread tied around it. Attached to it was a note card which stated the receiver’s name. “Take my Ponyta and ride out to Arena City, then bring this scroll to a Geb Neuth.”

Heru’s eyes widened, “Geb Neuth? You mean the Champion Tamer Geb Neuth?”

“Yes. He said it was very important that he got this scroll. Make sure you don’t lose it,” he gave the scroll to his stepson who held it with both hands.

Heru hesitated for a moment. The first and only tamer he’d seen in action was Geb Neuth in Plato Arena when he was younger. The same one who inspired his dream of being a tamer and now was his chance to finally meet him. “Come on Spearow! Let’s go get Ponyta.” He finally said excitedly running for the doorway with Spearow close by.

His stepfather smiled but his expression changed almost instantly, “Wait!”

Heru skidded to a stop on his bare feet before twisting around, “What is it?”

“Before I forget,” his stepfather began, “A villager told me there was an obstruction blocking the flow of the river to Brittleville. She said it was in between here and Arena City. I figured you would be able to see what the problem was on your way there.”

Heru nodded. “Alright I’ll look,” he said before he and his Spearow continued to Ponyta’s staple. Sandy walked over to the table Heru once stood over examining his work.

If only he knew…

 

[SerenadeSP]

Chapter Two​

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[Tamers]

Section: Miscellaneous Archives
Archive No.: 5
Current Champion(s): Geb Neuth (Eastern Teneroc)
Notable Tamers: Abyssal Shrine Monks, Plato pedigree, Plato Royal Guards, The Desert Vagabonds
Synopsis: Tamer is name given to those who tame, train and battle with Pokémon. A main goal of tamers is either to collect many rare and powerful Pokémon or to become a Champion Tamer. They tend to participate in events to prove their strength and skill as well as entertain those who admire them. Over time, as a tamer becomes stronger and well known, respect from citizens grows to the point where nearly no one will question them for any reason.

*-*-*-*​

Sweat slipped down from Heru’s face as he rode alongside the dried out river. Damn… this blockade must huge, not even a drop of water is in sight, he thought glancing at the river then to the city in the distance. His Spearow nuzzled his ear with its beak as if it was trying to distract itself. Hopefully it won’t be too much of a hassle. I don’t think Spearow is patient enough to wait for help.

After a few minutes of riding lazily across the desert, Spearow made a cawing sound pointing its wing towards Arena City. Heru, still in a daze from the heat, ignored it focusing on his path. In response, Spearow raised its wings, one behind Heru’s head, and crowed loudly into his ear. Almost falling off Ponyta, Heru tossed his arm at Spearow forcing it to take flight beside him.

“What was that for?!” the Spearow’s annoyed master shouted.

“Row! Row~!” it cawed back, nodding its head in the direction it had pointed to earlier. Heru had to squint to see clearly but his Pokémon was right – something was ahead. Thinking back to what his stepfather said he assumed it was what was clogging the river up. Tightening Pontya’s reins, the three rushed ahead.

Moments later, Heru jumped off the horse and found himself staring at a massive round Pokémon sleeping in the middle of the river, completely stopping the surge of water from passing. Two dark-brown circular feet the size of his head hung over him. Its stubby arms rested gracefully on each side, water rushing between the three claws on its right hand. Although it was mostly dark blue in color, its face and belly were pale white which made Heru recognize it immediately.

“Great, a Snorlax,” he said rolling his eyes before looking to his gauntlet. Only one gem was clear, the other two were used up by the Pokémon he had on hand, each taking up one slot. Snorlax takes up four slots, the boy thought to himself, even if I didn’t have Spearow and Ponyta with me I wouldn’t be able to tame it.

Spearow hopped onto the Snorlax’s belly cheerfully crowing at its master. “We can’t do anything for right now,” he stated as he bent over to fill his canteen, “we should deliver the letter first then try to find help on the way back.”

“Row…” The Pokémon squawked disappointed with this fact. Then, getting onto Ponyta’s back, Heru directed his Pokémon to continue down their path to the city just ahead.

*-*-*-*

Hundreds of citizens filled Plato Arena waiting eagerly for the first battle that was about to occur. People squashed together trying to see the arena floor, most standing with children on their shoulders so they could get a good view. On a platform raised above the coliseum’s gates sat the royal family, their guards, and the family members of the fighter. The king of Western Teneroc sat comfortably on his throne mumbling to himself. At his right was his son who blankly stared at the arena floor.

Ugh, another battle, the prince thought pressing his fist into his cheek, why doesn’t my father understand that I’m not interested in seeing these battles all the time. This is the fifth battle this week! He practically has to drag me by my hair to get me to sit through another! He brought his hand away from his cheek then gently touched his head with his fingertips. Why does he have to pull so hard…

Looking back down he watched the challenger stand in the middle of the stadium, covered in armor pieces that held the Pokémon he had beaten. Every other gem engraved onto his armor was dark pink, meaning he had plenty of Pokémon to call upon during the fight. Although he wasn’t big in size, he appeared extremely fit and had a firm presence that made ordinary citizens tremble. At least its Geb Neuth and not just another prisoner or traitor – he actually as some skill. But the fact that Geb was a great tamer still meant next to nothing to him.


He turned his head to the left, looking past his father. Isis… he silently admired a blonde girl sitting a few seats over. She pushed her curly hair onto shoulders before returning her attention to her little green dinosaur, caressing the tiny leaf on its head.It’s amazing how the daughter of the toughest tamer looks so delicate. After a moment Isis slowly peered over to her right, almost making eye contact with the prince before he briskly turned away. He faced his feet where his Pokémon started back up at him, chuckling with a sly grin on its pasty sky-blue face.


“What are you laughing at Shinx?” the boy barked and as an answer the lion cub continued to smirk. “Quiet or I’ll put you back in your slot!” he shouted angrily lifting up his arm, showing a steel-plated gauntlet with five gems engraved into it, as well as the words ‘Osiris Plato’ near the forearm.

“Osiris,” his father said in a serious voice which made him flinch from surprise, “The battle’s about to begin. Watch carefully, you’ll need to know how to direct this ceremony when you become ruler.” He used his staff as a base to pull himself up off his seat then raised both his arms letting his robes float behind him like a cape. Instantly the entire arena fell silent attentively waiting for the king to speak. “Fellow citizens of Western Tenoroc,” he spieled aimlessly, “Today we have a very special battle in store for you, a rare occasion. We have none other than the great Geb Neuth, who willingly challenged Plato Arena’s Pokémon once again to entertain and inspire you with his strength and talent.

“Geb, the Pokémon are at the gates now. When you are ready, raise your right hand as a signal and the battle will begin.” Although the crowd couldn’t see, Geb gave the faintest of smirks before lifting up his right arm, showing a steel-plated gauntlet just like Prince Osiris’s, only his had no name engraved. The king smiled as well and continued with his speech, “Alright. The rules are simple. If the Pokémon is either tamed, beaten or slain during the battle Geb is declared the victor. If Geb or all of his Pokémon are beaten or slain, he loses.”

Once again Osiris glimpsed over to Isis. He could tell the last sentence bothered her deeply. If he is slain…The way his father said it made him seem like he had no remorse and truly, he couldn’t tell if he had any. You would think that Isis was used to hearing these rules since her father fought for a living but sometimes Osiris felt she was entirely against this. Every time Geb stepped into the arena his life was at risk. He knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it if his own father died in battle, he could only imagine how Isis felt right now. But it wasn’t her choice, it was Geb’s. He looked back to his father who aimed his staff at the gates. “Guards! Unleash the beasts!”

The crowd howled with excitement so deafeningly that the loud clanks of the gates rising couldn’t be heard. As soon as the gates rose about halfway two Pokémon stormed vigorously out of the darkness on the other side. They both ran a full circle around the arena’s perimeter then came to a stop next to Geb on each side. He used this pause in their movements to analyze his opponents.

On his left a brown bull whipped its three tails against the wall behind it, anxious for a fight. On his right a rhinoceros, made entirely out of boulders, sneered grazing its foot across the dirt looking Geb right in the eyes. He stuck his arm out to the rhinoceros with his fingers extended as two of the five gems started to glow.

“My Loyal Feraligator, unleash yourself!” he shouted. On cue the two lights combined on his arm, shot forward like a streak of lightning, continuing to travel until it hit the ground. Suddenly the light took shape about a head taller than Geb and an alligator Pokémon appeared. It thrust the beams off with its large scaled arms, raised it head high, throwing the red three-pronged spikes on it back, and roared showing off its powerful fangs. Once again the crowd went wild at the sight of Neuth’s signature Pokémon, the one he used in all his fights every since it was a little Totodile.

Feraligator faced the rhinoceros, turning its head only to listen to Geb’s command, “You fight the Rhyhorn, I’ll take on the Tauros.” The bipedal reptile nodded looking back toward its opponent. Geb circled around to the bull Pokémon and both it and the rhino started to charge forward.

Feraligator braced itself; keeping its body poised and revealed its gleaming claws. The Rhyhorn rammed into it at full force causing it to slide back. But the alligator clutched onto its stone body using its momentum to toss it to the side. Rhyhorn continued to run forward then turned sharply back in Feraligator’s direction. The alligator made a fist, punched the ground directly in front of it and then a wall of water shot up into the air. With its other hand, Feraligator pushed the tower causing it to fly forward.

Unable to turn around, the Rhyhorn ran straight into the tower, being thrown backwards at top speed after a loud splash covered half the arena. Flowing water crashed the Rhyhorn into the stadium’s wall and when it receded the Ground-type stood up weakly, shook off some excess water and snarled at Feraligator angrily. Osiris took note of this. Interesting, it must have been trained against its weakness. Most Ground Pokémon wouldn’t be able to resist falling over after an attack like that. It must have been trained in Pureflow River…that’s the only way it could handle water with that much force. With that in mind, he shifted his attention to Geb’s battle.

Geb maintained a solid stance staying focused on the Tauros as it came at him. Wait… wait… … Now! Once the bull Pokémon drew close, he leaped to the side and with perfect timing, grabbed onto one of its horns. Taking the opportunity he quickly pulled himself up and jumped onto its back, grabbing the other horn so he wouldn’t lose balance. The crowd mindlessly cheered as the Tauros attempted to buck him off but Neuth held on tightly, his legs clinging to its torso with his armored boots.

Even as Tauros rushed vigorously around the coliseum, tossing its body whenever it could, Geb held on keeping his head down against his opponent’s fur. Soon the bull stopped throwing itself around but now it had a new strategy – as it ran it whipped its three tails at Geb hoping that would get him off. Luckily, he wore a torso armor piece so the hits didn’t hurt. However the shock from each blow did make the tamer’s grip weaken.

As time went on, the bull realized its current tactic wasn’t working so it switched to yet another. Tauros’s tails turned metallic silver then it proceeded to whip Geb the same way it had before. Each strike penetrated the armor’s protection, making him groan from pain as his fingers began to slip from the horns one by one. Ack! It knows Iron Tail!

Knowing that letting go would not only make him lose his advantage but also exposed him to danger, he threw himself forward, regaining his grasp of Tauros’s horns. But now he was no longer in a sitting position. His legs flailed around as the bull returned to its original bucking plan. The audience gasped watching their hero hang on for dear life.

In the other corner the rhino Pokémon crouched down, its focus fixed intensely on the target in front. Then the Rhyhorn bolted towards Feraligator who prepared to throw it aside once more. It rammed into the reptile, just as it did before, but this time Feraligator roared from agony. Instead of catching the Rhyhorn, it was slammed full force by its skull and got knocked backwards until the Water-type fell onto its stomach.

Trying to recover from the aches on its body Feraligator dug its claws into the earth. It stood up on its hind legs looking its foe directly in the eyes. The second the Rhyhorn tried to run at it again, Feraligator swung itself around whacking its spiked tail right in its face. Momentarily blinded, the Rhyhorn jumped and slammed onto the ground causing the whole arena to rumble. Osiris and the others held onto their chairs refusing to look away from what was happening in front of them.

Still dazed, the Rhyhorn dashed forward without thinking. Meanwhile, the Tauros, using the shockwave as support, gave a swift bump finally managing to fling Geb off. He smashed onto the stadium floor with limbs spread out. The crowd watched dumbfounded as they saw both Pokémon charging towards the Champion Tamer.

Isis covered her eyes, fanning her hand so she could see in between her fingers while her Pokémon curled up onto her lap doing the same with its leaf. Osiris strained his arms as if he was about to stand but forced them to grasp tightly onto his chair. Is this it?!

As the Tauros and Rhyhorn drew closer to Geb, the crowd grew more and more anxious; from their seats it was impossible to tell whether or not he was unconscious. The tamer lied motionless on the ground. When the two Pokémon came within three yards the crowd seemed to lose all hope.

Just at that moment, the ground around Geb broke in a perfect circle causing him to fall downward into a newly created hole. The Tauros noticed veering away just a step before falling. But the Rhyhorn wasn’t as lucky – unable to stop moving forward, it fell into the crater roaring from astonishment. Its roar echoed until it became overshadowed by a different sound.

Once again the arena began to rumble uncontrollably, those who didn’t hold onto their seats before did so now. After a minute or two, a jet of water spiraled out of the hole, shooting the Rhyhorn back up with it. Then, after it was airborne, Geb and his Feraligator broke out of the whirlpool jumping just in front of the fissure.

The crowd shouted amazed at the teamwork Neuth and his Pokémon had presented. Osiris put his hand on his chin as a puzzled look appeared on his face. Let’s see. His Feraligator was already spinning with its claws in the dirt…so it must have combined its Dig and Whirlpool attacks to create a Hydro Hurricane and used it as a shield for Geb. Looking for confirmation he glanced over to where Feraligator stood before the whirlpool had been created. Sure enough, another hole was there as well. He really is an excellent tamer.

Isis pulled her hand away relieved that her father was unharmed. She looked up to the heavens as a smile grew along her face. But in an instant the smile vanished. “Father! Above you!” she yelled franticly until the message reached her father’s ears.

Before long the tamer stared up bringing everyone’s attention to the sky. The Rhyhorn that was shot up earlier came hurtling towards the earth. Reflexively he threw his arm in its direction and three gems on his torso armor started to shine brightly. In a moment three energy beams burst out of Geb’s hand aimed at the Pokémon falling above him. Soon the light encompassed the rhinoceros entirely and within three seconds its body’s features could no longer be seen.

Geb grit his teeth, he wasn’t sure if he had reacted soon enough. As the now glowing Rhyhorn came near, Neuth and his Feraligator bent their knees until they were almost touching the ground. He closed his eyes tightly praying this would work.

 

[some colour no doubt]

wow!
A new take i have to admit, and some of the first human vs pokemon battle scenes ive seen described so well!
I like your use of these gems, and how different pokemon of varying strengths need a differnt amount.
Your description of the pokemon themselves is good, however you are doing little to describe the surrounding environment, so work on that for your next chapter and it will be much better.
Good lead up to your plot points so far, i'll be keeping an eye on this one in the future!

 

[pikachu200]

I like human vs pokemon battles! Its dfferent and I like different

 

[SerenadeSP]

wow!
A new take i have to admit, and some of the first human vs pokemon battle scenes ive seen described so well!
I like your use of these gems, and how different pokemon of varying strengths need a differnt amount.
Your description of the pokemon themselves is good, however you are doing little to describe the surrounding environment, so work on that for your next chapter and it will be much better.
Good lead up to your plot points so far, i'll be keeping an eye on this one in the future!

I agree with you on the environment description part. So far we've really only seen the desert and the arena so I've been stumped as to what to describe. But I'll try to describe the environment better in future chapters. Thanks for the input. =D

I like human vs pokemon battles! Its dfferent and I like different

That's what I was aiming for. I figured, why should this guy stand in the arena doing nothing while three giant creatures battle to the death? So I added him to the fight.

Chapter Three should be up in the near future, hopefully before Saturday.

 

[SerenadeSP]

Chapter Three​

*-*-*-*
[Tauros]

Section: Pokémon Archives
Archive No.: 79
Classification: The Wild Bull Pokémon
Status: (Wild) Rare, (Plato Arena) Common
Found: Plato Arena, Central Heru Desert
Type: Normal
Slots Required: 2
Synopsis: Wild Tauros are rarely seen because they live deep inside the Heru Desert. Every so often, when small herds of them gather near the western side, they are captured and trained for battle in Plato Arena to fight against its challengers. Tauros are very prideful and aggressive Pokémon – once angered, they enter a blind rage and will surpass its physical limits to cause destruction.

*-*-*-*​

The audience sat at the edge of their seats with dreadful looks on their faces. The Rhyhorn appeared to be falling faster as time went by, further adding to their distress. Osiris tightened his grip on the chair’s armrest.

Neuth lowered his head. Although he could not physically feel the rhino’s weight, the pressure caused by his panic greatly exhausted his strength. Planting his knees firmly on the ground, he thrust his arm up whipping the beam. The light surrounding Rhyhorn began to shine brighter until it became dark-red. Moments later it’s body to shrink.

Just inches away from crashing, the light separated back into three beams retracting into the gems they were created from. Geb opened his eyes letting out a laugh from relief.

Every person in the stadium stood up to applaud the remarkable skill displayed. Osiris relaxed his arms hanging them over the side of his chair. That was extremely close. Why did I even doubt him? He’s Teneroc’s Champion. He glanced at Isis to see her grinning proudly. Soon a smile of his own appeared on his face and then he turned to see how his father had reacted. King Plato wasn’t showing any sign of gratitude and immediately Osiris realized why.

The fight wasn’t done yet.

The crowd had almost forgotten about the bull Pokémon, which bellowed as it attempted to run the duo over. Being the first to react, Feraligator pushed its master out of the Tauros’s path, knocking the man over but saving his life in the process. Geb bounced back up positioning his feet into a stable stance then gave a stern stare to Feraligator. It nodded as if from approval.

Tauros turned around facing its opponents once again. Geb stared directly into its eyes, challenging it and in return the bull sneered foully. The tamer promptly dashed forward shouting in order to intimidate his foe. Startled, the bull instinctively charged.

The crowd watched in wonder. What’s he doing? He can’t take it head on. Osiris felt something tugging at his pant leg. “Huh?” Curious, he looked downward at his feet, noticing his Shinx.

“Inx! Shinx-inx!” The cub shouted scrunching its face.

“Alright, come on.” The prince said lifting his Pokémon onto his lap. “That better?”

The Pokémon answered by nuzzling against his chest followed by a relaxed “Inx”.

Pest, Osiris thought. He brought his attention back to the arena assuming he would miss more action if he attended to his Loyal Shinx’s needs.

Now the two were about ten feet apart from each other. Geb continued to stare the bull as he ran. The determination in his eyes, although no one could see it from a distance, was fierce.

Abruptly the tamer dove sprawling as he dropped to the floor. He shielded his eyes with his gauntlet, using the metal sleeve as protection. The Tauros sneered, almost out of joy. Geb felt air push on his head as its hoof lowered.

A burst of water consumed the bull, knocking it away from Geb. The tamer peered over his arm to watch, the blast pushed it all the way to the other wall where it crashed violently. When the water subsided, Geb stood up slowly rubbing the dirt off his face.

In the other corner Tauros weakly walked away from the arena wall. Its eyes strained and its feet stomped with every step. The bull’s horns started to glow an ominous pink, soon the rest of its head became this color as well. It darted forward taking aim at Geb. The champion tamer turned to Feraligator to congratulate it for a job well done. But before he could open his mouth to speak the reptile jumped thrusting him to the side.

Surprised at what was happening in front of him, Neuth laid on the ground watching. Feraligator braced itself for impact but the force from the bull’s attack was too powerful. With his Pokémon in-between its horns, Tauros drove it flying into the side of the arena.

Feraligator felt its back collide into the bricks, creating an indentation in the stone structure. Rubble rained down over its shoulders. Even after it hit the wall, the bull continued to drive.

“Gaaattooorr!” it shouted painfully. It swung its arms and legs helplessly trying to free itself.

Geb got to his knees, like the audience, he too was amazed to see his Loyal Pokémon struggle. “Feraligator use Superpower!”

The Water-type stopped flailing, grasping onto the Tauros’s horns. It flexed its muscles striving to rip them away. The veins in its arms popped out as the two brawled – neither were willing to give in. After a few moments the pink glow on the bull’s horns faded allowing Feraligator to lift it into the air. Then, in a single motion, Feraligator threw the Tauros across the arena back into the wall where it originally crashed.

Dust flew out from the bricks. Feraligator held its stomach collapsing onto one knee. Geb ran over to his partner checking its wounds. Feraligator had two deep cuts just under its ribs. Blood covered the remaining scratches, slowing dripping rhythmically onto the floor. The strain from its Superpower-attack caused fatigue – there was no way it would be able to take another hit.

“It’s alright my friend,” Geb whispered as he slowly backed away, “We’ve won this fight. Just rest now.”

Feraligator nodded weakly. Now all Geb had to do was tame or kill the Tauros and the battle would be over. He turned to the Tauros mentally preparing for what he had to do. But something was wrong. The crowd was quiet. Dead quiet. Usually a performance like Feraligator’s would throw them into a frenzy. The silence disturbed him.

He noticed a thin layer of dust blanketed the other half of the stadium. Geb assumed they were waiting to see if the Tauros had truly fallen, but then he realized that wasn’t the reason at all. Looking closely through the veil of smoke, the Tauros could be seen standing grazing its hooves along the ground.

It was still standing. Not only that – it showed no signs of pain or fatigue. The bull appeared to have fully recovered from its injuries. Looking to those around him, Osiris saw that everyone – including Geb – shared his consternation.

The Tauros’s stare was menacing. It tossed its head randomly letting out a demonic roar that made half the crowd shriek. Is it even aware of its surroundings anymore? He looked down at his Shinx who sat seemingly indifferent of the events in front of it, then to his father who was… smiling. Why was his father smiling?

Neuth held up his arms ready for the bull to strike. This time, instead of attacking him directly, it bolted to his right. Without any time for Geb to react, the Tauros whipped its tails at his side. Like before, it didn’t hurt him but the force pushed him back. He felt his foot skid along the dirt until he toppled over. He rolled off his back rapidly using his momentum to stand up again.

Keeping himself steady Geb thrust his arms up again. To his surprise the Tauros continued to rush forward until it rammed into the wall. It must be so blinded by anger that it doesn’t feel the pain inflicted on it. He lowered his arms raising his eyebrows simultaneously. That’s it!

The Tauros rose up from the ground, thrusting its head to flick the dirt off. Neuth began stomping on the ground with one foot while he waved his arms. “Over here ya stupid pile of bull!” In response it gave an unnatural howl, revealing its agitation to everyone except itself, then launched for the tamer. As it ran its head shone with a silvery glow, similar to its tails earlier in the fight. Instead of bracing for the attack Geb sidestepped out of the way. However, the force of the air current it created passing by caused Geb to spin uncontrollably.

Geb kicked his leg out hoping to stop himself before the bull could U-turn. After a few seconds he did so, leaving a ring of sand flowing around him as a result. He regained his balance immediately turning to his opponent. After the sand flew over his eyes multiple Tauros appeared before him instead of just one.

The panic-stricken tamer looked back to his partner wishing that by some miracle it would come to his aid. Against the wall, there were multiple Feraligtor as well. It was then, he realized, that there weren’t any more Pokémon added to his battle at all. His vision was doubled. He shook his head trying to stop his affliction but it was no use.

The crowd gazed in awe, the silver-headed Tauros was charging at him again while Geb stood paralyzed by his diplopia. Although they saw his disadvantage they were unaware of how it afflicted him. As the real bull drew near Geb could see three translucent Tauros all blending into each other. They came at all angles – no matter where he jumped he was at risk of getting hit.
Geb watched the bull(s) before him trying to think of way to get around this illusion. He closed his eyes feeling the vibrations from Tauros’s stampede under. The vibrations! Geb shifted his focus to the shockwaves under his feet. Yes, he could tell that Tauros was indeed coming from the left side of him. When the vibrations started to become more intense, he promptly jumped to his right, feeling the gust of wind brush past him as the bull went by.

He opened his eyes with a sigh, still suffering from diplopia but at least now images weren’t as shaky. The crash that was obviously caused by Tauros boomed throughout the stadium, followed by a loud sneer from the Normal Pokemon, and then, of course, the vibrations that indicated another attack. This time the vibrations weren’t as intense. The Tauros almost reached its limits.

Closing his eyes again he faced the bull, preparing to jump one last time. When it came near he dove to the side successfully avoiding the hit. The final Bam! was heard, but this time no sneer. He smiled as he floated through the air.

But this time he never touched the ground. The hole!

Several shrieks echoed from every section of the arena. Osiris jumped up from his seat (nearly dropping Shinx in the process) but a powerful grip on his arm pulled him back down. He turned to his father who simply shook his head. Osiris didn’t understand. Nor did he care. He briskly looked to the hole to see what became of the Champion.

Neuth had grasped onto the side of earth just inches from falling to his death. His four fingers ached trying to pull himself up. Refusing to look down, he aggressively pushed his head towards the sky. This didn’t help at all – either way he was staring into a void where he would begin his next life.

Commotion from the audience was beginning to get out of hand. Osiris noticed that when citizens looked in their direction even the most distressed of people became calm. He looked back to his father immediately understanding why. King Plato hadn’t shown any sign of worry. Perhaps this is what his father wanted? For him to stay calm?

As his energy drained, Geb’s grip began to slip. Once his index and middle finger became his only life line he began to lose hope.

Suddenly a bulky blue arm clutched onto his own. Feraligator had overcome its agony to save his tamer. The reptile pulled Neuth back to ground level, where he emitted nervous laughter. They were both still alive. They both had won. Well, not yet.

Geb rose from the floor weakly. Feraligator nodded and the two carried each other over to the now unconscious Tauros. It laid motionlessly on the ground covered with scratches and bruised, resting its head on the pile of bricks next to the wall. Geb paused examining it while Feraligator continued to walk forward.

The crowd began to chant “Kill it! Kill it!” as Feraligator hovered over the beast. The Water-type raised its arm, readying to impale it. Just as it swooped it down to strike, it felt a gentle touch on its shoulder. It was Geb.

“Now Feraligator,” he said soothingly, “haven’t I taught you anything over the years?”

Feraligator took a step back placing its arm to its side. Geb raised his own arm pointing his fingers at the Tauros. Two gems began to shine from his right gauntlet as a pink energy beam shot out from his fingertips. The crowd became dead silent, not even a breath escaped anyone’s lips. Light encompassed the bull – soon causing it to become a pink outline of its body. After a few seconds the energy turned back into a beam which receded back from its source.

Uproars from excitement shook the stadium. Geb smiled to himself then to Feraligator who answered by warping its arm around his neck. The two led each other to the gates their former opponents originally appeared from as the noised faded.

For the first time since the opening ceremony, King Plato spoke: “Well done, Geb. Not only have you tamed not just one but both of your opponents, you did with skill and grace that no other could. Thank for your performance, Champion of Western Teneroc!” His words were preceded by clapping from every resident of the city.

The arena began to clear out. Surprising the entire structure was emptied in roughly ten minutes. Osiris saw Isis leave with her Pokémon cradled in her arms. He went to follow her to discuss the match but his father blocked his path.

“Osiris, I need you to understand something,” he said coldly.

Osiris was confused. Was he going to explain why he held him back?

The king looked out to the hole which centered the field. “When Geb just inches away from death you rose from your seat… Why did you do that?” His voice was fierce, yet steady.

“Uh…” Osiris began unsure how to answer, “I dunno, I kinda just did it on impulse – ”

“Exactly!” The king snapped slamming the butt of his jaded staff on the ground. “You acted on impulse! Which is something not fit for a king to do!”

Osiris was startled. He looked to his Shinx who was sleeping comfortably on his seat. The stupid thing always did this when people were yelling.

The king continued: “If you want to rule over this land someday you need to learn to have control over yourself! Until then you’re not fit to rule over a farm!” He finished. King Plato lowered his head for a moment, then returned it back to its original position. “Osiris, go for a walk. I need to attend to some matters in my quarters.”

Feeling he was in no position to disobey, Osiris recalled Shinx into its slot then headed for the doorway leading to the exit. He could tell his father wanted to say more. What could be troubling him?

*-*-*-*​

Geb walked through the halls of the royal castle. He was still sore but at least now he could walk without limping. Closely following one of the guards, he made his way through the building passing several artifacts, fancy furniture, and banners that bared the royal family’s seal on them.

Once they reached a wide set of golden double doors, the guard opened the one to the right and gestured for Geb to enter. He nodded, walking through. He heard a thump then looked around the room. Like the rest of the castle the room was full of artifacts and furniture, only these were far nicer. At the end of the room was a desk which had another banner that read “Plato” and draped over until it almost touched the polished floor.

King Plato stood behind the desk looking out a large window. “Hello Geb.”

Neuth took a step forward, disturbed by the king’s lack of words. “Heya Osiris. What’cha call me for today? Do you want me to schedule the next battl –” A wave of the king’s hand cut him off.

“Things are worse than we initially thought. I’m afraid we have a serious issue on our hands.”

 

[SerenadeSP]

Chapter Four​

*-*-*-*
[Arena City]
Section: Location Archives
Archive No.: 89
Population: 200,000
Noteable Buildings/Landmarks: Plato Arena, Royale Palace, Fountain Squares, Shopping Plazas (A through D)
Noteable Residents: King Osiris Plato II (Western half), Prince Osiris Plato III, Geb Neuth (Champion of Teneroc), Various Shopkeepers
Access to: Pureflow River, Heru Desert
Neighboring Towns: Brittleville (south), Abyssal Shrines (north-east), Tanen Town (north)
Abundant Pokémon: Ratatta, Ponyta, Various rodent and Normal-type Pokémon
Synopsis: Arena City is the largest and most populated city in all of western Teneroc. It is best known as the location where the Royale family, currently the Platos, lives. The current champion of Teneroc, Geb Neuth, also lives with his daughter on the southern part of the city. The most famous landmark in the region, Plato Arena, is located at the city’s center and is surrounded by many residential areas and shopping plazas. The southern and northern parts of the city also contain the Fountain Squares, which divides the western and eastern parts in half. The fountains’ creator(s) are unknown. Legend has it that these fountains contain water from the Lost Oasis and are considered sacred by the people of Teneroc because of this. The square itself is always full of people at all hours of the day and entertainers preform for citizens when a match is not taking place in the arena. Because of the squares’ importance to social life and worship, damaging their fountains is punishable by death.
*-*-*-*​

Geb circled the desk until he reached the king’s side. His words were intense but curious, “What do you mean ‘the issue is worse’?”

The king refused to look him in the eye, instead he tightened his jaw to force the words out. “The attacks on Teneroc’s citizens are becoming more frequent with each passing day. And with them lives are being taken.”

Geb put his hand on the king’s shoulder reassuringly, “So I’ve heard, but our region’s security has been increased tenfold to stop these attacks. That’s why you’ve put me in charge of it.”

The king was firm. “When was the last time you’ve heard from the head shopkeeper of Southern Arena City?”

Geb’s grip on the king’s shoulder weakened while he thought. Before he could come up with an answer, the king intervened.

“Dead.”

Geb pulled his hand away, turned his back so that it was facing the king’s. He stumbled in an effort to contain his sudden burst of shame. As he used the desk to catch his balance, he felt anger pouring from his heart into his stomach as they became a single unit. His veins popped – all the adrenaline he felt in the arena remerged in an instant.

“That can’t be…”

The king rested a reassuring hand onto Geb’s shoulder, who lifted his own hand off the desk. His face was strained.

“The attacks on Teneroc’s citizens are getting worse as time goes by.” The king moved away from him, returning to his position beside the window. “And as they become more frequent they move closer and closer to Arena City. I’ve already called in our most trusted allies to help us. We need to stay low until we’re prepared. ”

Absorbing these words, Geb glanced over the items on the table. Soon his eyes fell upon an artifact with the royal family’s seal engraved into its side. Abruptly, he spun around to face the king.

“You don’t think…”

The king nodded without turning away. “Yes, I do,” He said grimly. He faced the champion, but again was unable to look him in the eye, so he stared at his feet. “They’ve found us, Geb.”

*-*-*-*​

Countless citizens roamed around the city’s plaza, talking amongst themselves in small groups while they shopped. Children played together with their wooden toys on the square’s stone tiles, being careful not to trip anyone who was passing by. Others gathered near the fountain, some scooping up water from its basin to drink, the rest sat on its edge watching the water dance as they brushed their fingers across its surface.

A green dinosaur-like Pokémon watched its reflection in the water, making faces and laughing at itself with each new one. Its master, a blonde teenage girl, laughed as well, smiling at her Pokémon’s silliness. It flapped its leaf against the jade pendant that hung around her neck, connected by a golden chain. She placed her hand in the water, cupping it so it would collect some, then splashed the leaf that was atop the Pokémon’s head.

“Chikorita, it’s time for your bath.”

The Pokémon plopped onto the girl’s lap, allowing its body to spread across her thighs. The girl proceeded to rub its leaf until it sparkled in the sunlight.

“There, all done!”

“Chika Ka!” it replied eagerly. A second later its leaf perked up, and Chikorita jumped out of its master’s lap, taking a few steps until it came up to someone’s gem-encrusted boots. He lifted Chikorita up, then cradled it in his arms.

“No Osiris, I won’t marry you,” the girl said, continuing to dip her fingertips into the fountain.

“Ha. Ha,” he said sarcastically, taking a seat next to her. When he saw that she didn’t seem to notice, he decided to make small talk. “So what’d you think of your father’s match, Isis? Taming those two Pokémon was incredible.”

Isis, noticing that the last sentence was slightly forced, took her hand away from the water. She touched her Chikorita’s head, who started to fall asleep in Osiris’s arms.

“It was impressive. Probably one of his best catches yet,” she said, seemly indifferent to her father’s battle. “When Rhyhorn fell from the sky, I nearly jumped from my seat. I thought he was going to be crushed. But of course, he wasn’t.”

Osiris began to speak but a yawn from Chikorita made him lose his trait of thought. So he improvised.

“I’m glad your father decided not to kill those two. They’re too strong to be used as food.”

Isis laughed, which startled Osiris. “Yeah, ‘cause rocks are bad for your cholesterol.”

He felt his face turn flame red – how could he forget that Rhyhorn aren’t edible? Well, it wasn’t the worst thing he could say. At least she had a good sense of humor.

“I meant –”

“I know what you meant, Osiris. I’m just kidding.” Isis rose, taking Chikorita from Osiris, being careful not to wake it. “I have to go buy some berries now. Want to go with me?”

He hesitated for a second, then replied, “Sure,” before reluctantly following her through the city’s crowd. Osiris had always hated crowds because it would take him and his father an hour to get to their destination while it would take a normal person a couple of minutes. But thankfully, since he was only a prince, no one bothered them as they traveled to the store.

*-*-*-*​

Under a shopping tent, customers roamed around the labyrinth of tables blanketed with berries, carefully collecting them into their wicker baskets one by one. Osiris paced aimlessly along each table, avoiding other people as they passed him. Meanwhile Isis stood with Chikorita on her shoulder, gathering red berries from the table in front of her.

“Do you think that’s enough Cheri Berries, Chikorita?” Isis asked, sneaking a berry into her Loyal Pokémon’s mouth.

“Ka! Chika!” it answered eagerly, waving its leaf against Isis’s hair.

“That’s good. Father should be happy when we make him his favorite Cheri Berry Pie.” She pressed her basket against her stomach to prevent any excess berries from falling out and headed for the clerk’s table to find that Osiris was already there waiting for her. He sighed as if he had been standing there for hours.

“Are you all set?” The clerk asked, opening a box that contained the region’s currency, and looked to a piece of paper on the table beside it. “Let’s see… that’ll be fourteen gems.”

Osiris immediately dug into his tunic’s pockets. Had he brought any money with him? Not in that pocket. He pulled out his hand and searched in another. Nothing. He reached for the final pocket and felt a smooth, metallic coin. He pulled it out, only to realize that Isis had already finished paying the salesman.

“Thank you ma’am. Have a nice day!”

The clerk waved the two off as they walked out from under his store’s tent, returning to sunlit city. Osiris ran to Isis’s side.

“You know I was gonna to pay for that, right?”

“Why? It’s my family’s berries, why shouldn’t we pay for it?”

Osiris lowered his gaze. She had a point. Technically Geb had bought those berries, not her.

“Thanks for the offer though,” she said in an attempt to be cheerful. It didn’t help. He had already made an idiot out of himself three times today – how would he be able to rule over a kingdom if couldn’t handle his personal life?

The two continued to walk in silence for several blocks until an alert Chikorita perked its head up. It gently bit onto Isis’s hair, tugging it to gain her attention.

“What is it Chikorita?” She asked, stopping to remove her golden threads from its mouth. Osiris stopped a few steps ahead, noting this disturbance in their journey. Chikorita looked around cautiously, as if it were expecting an attacker to appear from the shadows.

“It must’ve heard something, but knowing this city it was probably just a kid –” He stopped, noticing a flyer at his feet. He picked it up, reading its contents:

*-*-*-*
“Locust Bandit” Strikes!

Dead body remains found in Arena City.
It has yet to be identified.
A piece of a Bug Pokémon’s claw was found at the scene.
Although it is uncertain, it is believed that this person was killed by a tamer’s Pokémon.
An investigation currently is progress.
*-*-*-*​

Osiris brought the parchment closer, thinking back to his last conversation with his father. Could this have been what was bothering him?

“Eeeeekkk!”

Osiris dropped the flyer the second Isis’s shout rang in his eardrums. It fluttered through the air, before landing beside her. Both Isis and her Chikorita were on the ground, with an orangey-red chimp Pokémon on top of her back. It snatched the berry-filled basket, jumped a few feet ahead, then made mocking gestures at Osiris.

“Hey! Give those back!” Osiris shouted aggressively at the chimp.

“Char! Chim-char!” It laughed, turning to flee the scene. Then the Chimchar quickly hopped down the alleyway, skillfully dodging the legs of citizens as it ran.

“Why you! Get back here you filthy little monkey!”

Osiris sprinted through the crowd, charging through people without concern. As Isis watched him go, she lifted up her Chikorita once she had recovered.

“Are you alright?”

The Grass-type nodded. Isis held it close, until she noticed the flyer that Osiris had dropped. She picked it up to read with Chikorita glancing at it as well. Then Isis got to her feet and followed Osiris (and the berry theif) down the stone path.

*-*-*-*​

Once Heru approached the city, he hopped off Ponyta and recalled it back to its slot. There was no point in riding it through the crowd when it would be easier to walk on foot. He stepped onto the hot stone, which was far cooler than the sand behind him, and spoke with his Spearow as he entered the city.

“We have to find Geb Neuth’s house so we can give him this scroll.”

The Spearow chirped happily, although Heru wasn’t exactly sure why. He assumed it was because they were finally out of the desert, but then again it could be because Spearow also followed his dream of escaping the Archives. That would make sense – he had read that Pokémon tend to take after their masters.

As he made his way towards the crowded streets, he fumbled with the scroll in his hand. He wondered why it was so important that it had to be hand-delivered. The fact that the great tamer Geb Neuth had requested this made it even more puzzling. Perhaps it was a secret archive that he had never read before? This thought was casted aside with some doubt, as Heru knew every scroll by heart. But still, it probably wouldn’t hurt just to take a look...

The action was interrupted as Heru collided with a robed man, forcing Spearow to take flight. The Pokémon screeched irritably at the man, who waved it away with his right hand.

“Stop that you lousy bird.”

Heru defended his Loyal Pokemon, holding his gauntlet to his chest. Spearow took this chance to reclaim its spot on Heru’s shoulder.“Who do you think you are attacking my Spearow?”

The robed man’s face could not be seen under his hood, as his eyes were covered by a layer of shadows. His mouth, however, was clearly visible and Heru saw the man’s pointed gray beard scrunch up as he began to shout.

“Who do you think you are!?” He retorted, bringing his hand back to his side. “Kids these days, they know nothing about etiquette.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who is trying to swat my Spearow like a bug!”

“Yes, but as you can see from my bare arm, I’m not seeking a fight.”

This confused Heru. He lowered the gauntlet then asked, “What do you mean?”

“Geez, I guess you really don’t know anything about etiquette.” The man sighed, then explained. “If a man does not wield a weapon in his right hand, he is peaceful and means no harm. However, if a man does wield a weapon in his right hand, he is malicious and is seeking a fight.

“To tamers, their weapons are their Armor Pieces. As you can see I am not a tamer,” he lifted his right arm parallel to his body, allowing his sleeve to fall to reveal his tanned skin. “You on the other hand are a tamer. Since you wield a gauntlet, you are malicious and are threatening to my safety.”

Heru, realizing the error of his ways, quickly apologized. “I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to threaten you.” He hung his head for a second to acknowledge his mistake.

“It’s alright boy,” he said, allowing Heru to look up, “I can tell you’re new from your attitude. Most new tamers flash their Armor Pieces any chance they get.” He paused. “Where’d you get that gauntlet anyway? It looks pretty old.”

Self-consciously, but not by his own will, Heru hid his gauntlet behind his back. Spearow also appeared to share his subtle uneasiness. He watched his shadow grow longer until it fell onto the robed man’s, fusing into one giant being. The sky started to blend in with the sand taking on traits of red that was lined with clouds. Heru wasn’t sure how to respond, but felt rude not doing so. When he didn’t answer, the old man decided to change the topic.

“Where are you heading? You seemed to be in a hurry.”

Heru took a moment to let the question soak in. “I’m making a deliver to someone in this city. Do you happen to know where Geb Neuth lives?”

The robed man grinned, the pointed beard scrunching up once again. “Of course. He’s the most well-known man in Teneroc. He lives in the southern part of the city directly across from the arena.” He nodded his head indicating the direction. “It should be right around the corner.”

“Thank you sir.” He smiled politely before turning his back to the man. With that he resumed his quest.

“Nice speaking with you… Heru.”

Heru walked a few more steps forward until the words finally reached him. He briskly turned around, eyes searching. But there was nothing to find – the man had vanished with desert winds.