Lune (Chapter update - May 23, 2006)

[Charizard04621]

wheevee. I'd attempted one fic before, but it's over now, and I'm sorry to say that I haven't been visiting the FanFic forum as much as I would like. I'm trying to improve my writing skills while I'm at it. ^_^; So, here goes, my second attempt at writing a fic.

The introductory chapters develop quite slowly, and the plot is left intentionally vague until things speed up later on. I hope that's not a bad thing.

[EDIT]: Argh, I can't figure out how to work paragraph indentations! ;_;

[b]

~ Lune ~



Chapter 1
The Sanctuary

It all began, Lune recalled, when chaos first broke out in the Sacred Kingdom. It hadn't always been this way. Life was enjoyable once. Lune shook his head sadly. His face was marked with the scars of sorrow, and his once brightly-lit eyes were dimmed with weary hopelessness.

And yet, what was an Eevee like him to do? He knew (or thought, at least) what would once more bring joy to the Sacred Kingdom, but he had neither the power nor the support to do what had to be done.

Sighing, Lune rested his head on the soft, sweet grass, allowing his long ears to droop down his neck side-by-side. With his bushy tail wrapped around his small body, he idly pawed at the white tuft of fur that grew around his neck and fell at his chest, frowning as he did so. The cold, smooth stone embedded in his forehead glowed slightly as the sun's morning rays cast warm light upon it. This Everstone would, till the end of time, prevent Lune from evolving into a more powerful form. Forever an Eevee he would remain. He yawned, peeking over the water's edge to look at his reflection. A pathetic creature stared back at him with its infinitely deep gray eyes, whose golden fur had long since lost its glorious luster. Truth was bitter.

This secret meadow was the one place he could find peace nowadays. The soothing melody of the rushing waterfall and swift stream would often help to calm his nerves. Here, in the midst of sweet, fragrant flowers, he could rest. There was no fear of discovery. Lune himself had stumbled upon this meadow by pure chance, and not without help. The only way in was hidden deep in the darkest corner of a mysterious cave. The cave itself wasn't very large, but many pokémon tended to avoid it because of its narrow, confining space and the risk of falling into unseen holes, never to be found again... Hidden and unnoticed lay the entrance to the meadow. Even from up close, it seemed like nothing special... just another crevice in a cave that was full of them. On the other side, though, was this sacred meadow, serene and welcoming. The best part? It was a secret, not to be seen even by air. Only one other pokémon knew of this sanctuary...

"Hey, Lune, plan on sitting there feeling sorry for yourself all day?" Shockwave crawled through the narrow crack in the stone, leaped through the waterfall's cascading curtain (his favorite part), and swam across the stream, coming out icy cold and thoroughly drenched: just the way he liked it. Lune had to give the Pikachu credit. That crazy yellow mouse never failed to brighten up the darkest day. Lune smiled. If Shockwave weren't here to cheer him up with his - literally - electric personality, Lune wouldn't know what he'd do.

"Seriously, though." Shockwave shook himself dry. "They're announcing the new Guardian today. You should come."

Lune blinked. He'd forgotten all about the new Guardian! Traditionally, there had to be at least two. They were chosen by the Emperor... At the thought of the Emperor, Lune grimaced. He didn't want to think about that just yet. This day, though, would be a very important one.

The Guardians held the responsibility of maintaining order in the kingdom. In times of war, they, along with the Emperor, (Oh, not the Emperor again!) would command the vast army. Of course, the choice would be crucial. Lune hoped that the Emperor - it pained him when he thought of that good-for-nothing - would at least be capable of making a decent choice. No one, in Lune's mind, deserved the Guardianship at this point. They would just have to make do. Unless...

"Hey, Kingdom to Lune! Kingdom to Lune!" Shockwave crossed his arms. "Coming?"

Lune grinned sheepishly. "Um, yeah. Sorry."

"I was afraid I'd have had to zap you," Shockwave teased. "Speaking of which, you don't appear quite alert yet. Perhaps it'd be a good idea, anyway."

"Oh, no you don't!" Lune snickered, playfully shoving the Pikachu into the stream. Shockwave emerged, spewing water and twisting his mouth into a sly grin.

"Race ya!" he called, already halfway across the stream.

"Hey! No fair!" Lune yelled, chasing after the rapidly-disappearing Pikachu, forgetting, for a moment, his pain and his sorrow.

[AquaBabe727]

Second attempt, huh? This would take some people lots of experience and editing to get a fic this good. I really enjoy it! I don't beleive i've ever read anything like it; it's just really cool. Some stories i read, i find i didn't really enjoy them, but i reply anyway because it's the nice thing to do. But this one I REALLY liked. I hope you post the next chapter soon! ^_^

[The Decapitated Mole]

Not bad. Not bad at all! Keep up the good work, I'd say!

[Charizard04621]

@Aquababe727 and o_O: Cool! Thanks! That's really encouraging. I didn't think people would actually read or reply, and certainly not this fast. ^_^;

I already had a rough draft of Chapter 2 written on paper before I posted Chapter 1, but I wanted to see if anyone was going to read, first.

So here it comes! *drumroll* (heh heh, just kidding ^_-) Chapter 2!

Chapter 2
A New Guardian

“The Emperor approaches! The Emperor approaches!” So the messenger Murkrow called, trailed by the Emperor’s procession. Several fierce Growlithe led the way, swishing their fiery tails impatiently. They bared their sharp teeth, snarling at anyone and everyone as if, at any moment, they would pounce upon their victims and rip out their throats with brute ferocity characteristic only of the canine race. It was hard to believe that these Growlithe were only puppies; If they were exposed to Fire Stones, their graceful, majestic evolution form, the Arcanine, would provide them with such power that they could now only dream of.

“Lune, bow!” Shockwave whispered in a tone of urgency. “Emperor Ryu’s coming!”

Growling, Lune cast a hateful glance toward his bane of existence. The proud, egoistic Ampharos had gained the title Emperor Ryu against the will of many. From the start, some had protested – the insightful ones who could see even then that Ryu’s coronation was a huge mistake (Shockwave had protested, and vehemently so) – but no one heeded them back then. Through time, it became evident that this poor excuse of an Emperor did not deserve to be an Emperor at all. Too late now…

“Lune,” Shockwave hissed as he tugged on the hostile Eevee’s leg, “There’s no time for this now! Bow, quickly, before they catch you!”

Glaring at the conceited Ampharos, Lune was again reminded of just how much he hated Emperor Ryu. The Emperor traveled around with a stuck-up gait, stretching out his long, black-banded neck and lifting his nose and ears so high up that he probably saw the sky whenever he opened his eyes. That is, if he opened his eyes at all. The thing about Emperor Ryu, though, was that he very seldom found it worthwhile to look upon his subjects and his kingdom. He was better than them all, and therefore, they didn’t deserve his time. To Lune’s utter annoyance, the Emperor began stroking his glossy yellow coat and playing about with the shiny red orb on his yellow-and-black striped tail. Lune gave Emperor Ryu one more second, and then he would…

“CHUUU!”

One thing about Shockwave: Being zapped by him was extremely painful when he wanted it to be.

Emperor Ryu raised an eyebrow. At his signal, the procession stopped. “What may we have here?”

At this point, Shockwave tripped Lune over, creating the illusion that Lune had made a very clumsy attempt at bowing and failed. As much as he hated to admit it, this was probably the best thing that could have happened to him at this point, even if he was forced to bow to someone that he didn’t recognize as Emperor. Lune knew he would thank the Pikachu later.

“Almighty Emperor Ryu, I sincerely apologize for this disturbance. I have a slight cold that went out of control, and I happened to sneeze on this very unfortunate Eevee.”

Yet another thing about Shockwave: He was a genius, a talented actor, a formidable battler, a fun-loving pokémon, and whatever the heck he wanted to be. He knew exactly how to get what he wanted when he wanted it. There was no mistaking that Shockwave was a prodigy.

Emperor Ryu shrugged, rapidly losing interest. “It’s just an inconsiderate Pikachu who should learn not to get colds on days like this. Move on.” The procession made its way to the center of the square, and there it stopped.

“Dearest loyal subjects,” Emperor Ryu uttered in the midst of a yawn, “I now pronounce Lady Naien as the second Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom.”

“What’s wrong, Lune?” Shockwave asked, upon noticing the look on Lune’s face.

“Oh – nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Never believed he’d actually do something, huh?” Shockwave cocked his head aside. “Me neither.”

[Oddish17]

I actually read the first chapter right after you posted it, but then I went and got something to eat and completely forgot to post. Very nice fic, I saw you posted this and expected it to be well written, and I wasn't disappointed. Very nice job. I wonder how this emperor came to such a royal position in the first place. Actually I have quite a few questions that I look forward to being answered in future chapters. Leaving the beginning vague certainly opens up your later chapters to quite a few possibilities, and I await the surprises that will hopefully unfold. Keep up the good work

Edit: Perhaps you should try to get a mod to change the title to just Lune, rather than Lune (Chapter 1). It doesn't make too much sense now that you've already posted chapter 2.

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: cool, thanks. I was hoping to introduce some element of mystery, and it looks like you caught on.

BTW, *cries* I totally forgot about the title thing... Do you know if I can just PM a mod and ask a favor?

[Damian Silverblade]

Sure thing Charizard04621. We're not cruel and heartless people (except DH13, but he's one of those cliché trainer fics writers J/K)

Just give me a second.

[Charizard04621]

Wewt! Thanks a whole bunch BBP! ^_^

Hmm, I can have Chapter 3 up maybe Wednesday or something. Chapters are coming relatively fast right now, but that's probably going to slow down soon. I'm trying to get the first few up quicker, so that when Tennis season and stuff comes, at least there'll be a few chapters to read.

[EDIT]: O...kay..., maybe not Wednesday then. ^_^; Sorry.

[Charizard04621]

Vee! Chapter 3!

Chapter 3
The General Tournament

“It’s settled, then. The tournament begins in a week.” Lord Yoruno pronounced this, as he did with all of his statements, with a certain sureness that was characteristic only of himself. No one could match his unshakable confidence, nor did any else possess the wonderfully charismatic personality that was so distinctly his. This Umbreon, Lune thought, was remarkably competent, and possessed a certain military genius that almost always involved cautious unpredictability. It was for his obviously outstanding competence that he was made Guardian in the first place. Lune sighed as he thought, first, of Lord Yoruno, midnight-black coat gleaming with a splendid sheen, standing proudly as his fluorescent, ever-changing yellow rings added to his general majesty… and then of the sharply-contrasting Emperor Ryu. If only…

“We should start, then. There’s a lot of work to do to set this up.” Lady Naien seemed to love her new responsibility. Ever since she was made Guardian, Lune noticed an increase in the Houndoom’s enthusiasm and energy. He smiled. Lady Naien had wanted this for a long time.

As Lune gazed upon Lady Naien, the inner flame, he thought, just for a moment, that he could hope again. Her fiery spirit and sense of self-pride would serve her well in the Guardianship. The fact that she was a Houndoom – and, at times, though she never showed it, lived up to her demonic legacy – would not affect in the least her kind heart and her genuine desire to make things right. Perhaps the Sacred Kingdom had a chance…

“Since you both will need to deal with setting up the tournament,” Lune started, “I will be the only Adviser left free.” With nods from the two Guardians, Lune continued. “Then I will do my best.” With that, he left the forest clearing in search of Shockwave. He had a lot of things on his mind, and he thought it better to rest briefly before he began his arduous work as an Adviser.

The job of an Adviser was a very difficult one, filled with the pressures of those receiving the help and the anguish resulting from those who were irrationally, stubbornly persistent. Those who wanted to join the frequent peacetime tournaments often sought the help of the Advisers. They brought to Advisers their plans for special battle tactics that they hoped would surprise their opponents. It was common knowledge that each pokémon had his, her, or its own unique special abilities. Whether or not the pokémon knew fully what these abilities were, and how to use them, was the Adviser’s problem.

When a pokémon came to an Adviser bringing along hopes, it was the Adviser’s job to first determine whether the goals were realistic, explain the limitations and expectations to the pokémon, and, finally, help the pokémon bring out and use his, her, or its own special ability.

“KAIIII!”

Lune started, shocked. His heart pounded wildly against his chest. “Shockwave!” he whined.

Struggling to control fits of laughter, Shockwave came out of the bushes. “Sorry, but you looked so deep in thought. I couldn’t resist. Lighten up!”

Shaking his head, Lune couldn’t help but smile. “I need to Advise several pokémon soon. The tournament is set to begin in a week!”

Shockwave looked pleased. He never refused a good match, and tournaments were always loads of fun. For once, though, his expression turned serious. “I want to be an Adviser. I know I could help pokémon a lot that way.”

Lune knew that Shockwave meant it. Shockwave was very careful, as was Lord Yoruno, not to make any false commitments. When Shockwave promised something, though, he’d keep it. Young though he was, he’d definitely do an excellent job. He was, after all, a prodigy. There was only one problem.

“I have to convince Emperor Ryu to get a new Adviser…” At that, Shockwave groaned.

[Oddish17]

Okie dokie, let me see if I've got all this straight. Hmm. Theres now two guardians for this peaceful kingdom, there's a pathetic emperor, along with some other less important characters. Then there's Lune, who's an advisor for a peaceful tournament(for sport, I presume) and his loveable, yet clear-headed friend Shockwave the Pikachu. Nice collection of characters. I can't wait to see how this unfolds ^_^

BTW, completely off topic, but what exactly is a wheevee? It reminds me of an eevee just going "Whee!" all the time. I'm terribly confused

[Syberia]

wheevee (n). A form of self-expression, usually used to denote happyness (slang). Synonyms: whee, wjee, etc.

Nice job, Karin. Very well written. And this is only your second fic?

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: Can't have all that info stuffed down your throat without someone to lighten up the situation, right? ^_^;

Basically, wheevee=whee-ee+eevee. It's very easy. People tend to get afraid of that equation.

@Syberia: Woo! definition=yez. And one more thing... I am the wheevee, the evil evil wheevee. (y)

[Charizard04621]

Whee!

Chapter 4
Heat Barrier

“Why can’t I grow wings and fly in battle? I want to grow wings and fly in my battle!” The Magcargo began to grumble.

Lune sighed. It had been like this all week. There was no end to the number of impossible requests. He had no magic. He couldn’t just grant a pokémon’s every irrational wish.

“You see, ma’am,” Lune tried once again to explain, “I don’t mean to be rude, but what you ask for is impossible.”

The Magcargo huffed, and her tail flame brightened with anger. Her usually light red body became a deep crimson. She was terribly flustered and irritated that she could not get what she wanted. “You Advisers are supposed to help. Help help. I come to ask you for help with my special ability, but no, you tell me. No, no. I’ve had it, you hear? Had it, had it!”

As the old snail rose with a sour look on her face, Lune couldn’t think of anything scarier than a frustrated Magcargo. He backed away cautiously…

It was when the sun’s rays shone upon the hardened, rocky shell that Lune noticed something.

“I’ve got it!” he cried excitedly. “I’ve figured out your special ability, and it’s awesome!”

“What what?” The Magcargo blinked. “You know how I can fly?”

“No,” Lune told her, “but don’t be disappointed. You’re capable of something far better.”

“Oh?”

Smirking, Lune examined the Magcargo’s shell like a child who’d just found a new toy. “Be right back. Don’t go anywhere!” Before the Magcargo could say anything, Lune bounded off. No sooner had he gone, though, than did he return again, carrying a container of water in his mouth.

“Don’t even think about bringing that near me. Don’t you dare, you hear?”

“Ma’am, you need not fear water at all.”

“You’re crazy! Crazy crazy. Every Magcargo knows water is bad. Bad bad! Stay away from me! Away I say!”

Putting the container down, Lune turned to the Magcargo and grinned.

“Please listen to me, ma’am. Just once is all I ask. If this doesn’t work, you are free to leave.” Unwillingly, the Magcargo gave her attention to Lune.

“Great! This is how it works. When you get angry, your body temperature soars to unusual heights. This heats the shell on your body dramatically – so much that it gains a red glow. I noticed that just now. My theory is, if you can control your body temperature and intentionally induce a rise in heat, you will receive protection from water.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Here’s how you do it. First, withdraw all parts of your body under your shell. Remember to heat it, too.”

Full of doubt, the Magcargo shook her head, then pulled herself under her shell, keeping safely hidden. Before long, the hard rock achieved a deep, red glow, and the air around it turned into a mass of sweltering, tangible heat. Lune picked up the container and dumped the water onto the waiting Magcargo, who didn’t notice. Before the water could even reach her, it evaporated into steam.

“Come on, come on! Don’t have all day, you know,” she mumbled.

“It worked!” Lune yelled, jumping excitedly.

“What what?” The Magcargo emerged, and to her surprise, realized that Lune told the truth. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” she cried, rejoicing.

“No problem. Good luck in the tournament, ma’am.”

At that, the Magcargo, realizing that she had not yet registered, left in a hurry.

“Tomorrow…” Lune smiled to himself. “I’d better get ready.”

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 5

There is Always a Way

“And now, let Round One of the tournament begin!” The announcing Farfetch’d, tiring of spending so much time in the air, landed on the Emperor’s balcony before he continued. From high up there his voice would carry better, anyway. Emperor Ryu, for once, seemed genuinely interested. He believed he was a great battler himself, so the matter was worth his attention. Next to him, on either side, stood Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien. They, too, enjoyed the thrill of tournaments, and on occasion participated in them. The Farfetch’d, having had enough rest, cleared his throat. “Starting off, Lune the Eevee versus Shadow the Gengar! I bet we can already see where this one is going.”

“Boooooring…” Emperor Ryu yawned. “The poor Eevee doesn’t stand a chance. Normal attacks don’t affect Ghost types!”

“Get ‘im, Lune!” Shockwave yelled.

On the open battlefield, the proud specter cackled. “An Eevee with an Everstone on his forehead? What, not even an Umbreon? This battle was over before it even started!”

Lune remained silent. Instead of reacting to Shadow’s taunts, he scanned the arena carefully. Several layers of sheltered bleachers reaching around in a horseshoe shape, the Emperor’s marble roofed balcony perched high above directly in the middle of the U… and not much else, except the earthen floor. This was a standard, general arena, open to any competitors. There were no extra factors that would be present in special tournaments; water, ledges, closed roofs, and the like were not added. Lune nodded. So be it.

Apparently, Shadow expected Lune to make the first move. He began with a lightning-quick charge to catch Shadow off guard, but the Gengar was even quicker. The crowd gaped in awe as Lune fell right through Shadow’s body to the other side.

“He phased out from Lune’s Quick Attack, huh?” Shockwave mumbled to himself. “So that’s how fast he is. Pretty good.”

Again, and for the third and fourth time, Lune attempted more rapid strikes, and each time Shadow dodged, the same way as before.

“I see you don’t learn from your mistakes!” the Gengar called. “Then you must suffer the consequences!” A blue glow outlined Lune’s body, and as he was raised above the ground, he found it impossible to break loose. Shadow’s will was too strong, and his crushing mental force too powerful. Lune gagged. If this kept up, his lungs would surely explode… At that moment, the Gengar stopped squeezing and threw Lune into the dirt. Ignoring the “Had enough yet?”, he got to his feet and slowly brushed the dust off of his fur.

“He has to use it…” Shockwave whispered.

Calmly, Lune raised his right forepaw in the air. As if by signal, the darkness flowed towards that one central point, summoned by its master… The deep purple orb throbbed violently as it grew, threatening, at any moment, to explode. Without a word, Lune sent the ball on its path of destruction… Normally, the ethereal energy would have erupted with searing devastation upon contact with its target. Against expectations, it passed right through the intended victim’s body, crashing instead into the ground behind him. Shadow roared with laugher. “You think I’d just ignore my biggest weakness?” he snorted. “I can phase out of anything! Just try me!”

Shadow’s image flickered, then drew out into a long blur. Eventually, Lune could spot three Gengar… two of which, he knew, were illusory. He did not have to fear the mirror images, for they themselves had no substance, but until he figured out which Shadow was real, he had three targets to choose from. He wondered… Perhaps already? He only had to try. Lune smirked. “Ready, Shadow? Here I come!” Most unexpectedly, Lune began showering the three Gengar with a dense, seemingly endless barrage of solid yellow shurikens.

“What does that Eevee think he’s doing?” Emperor Ryu shook his head. “Swift is a Normal type attack! Normal attacks don’t affect Ghost types!” he declared knowingly.

Most of the crowd seemed to share the opinion. Shockwave tsked. “Fools.”

When the stars finally stopped coming, the dust settled to reveal an utterly astonished Gengar, alone. His mirror images no longer existed.

“What? How is that possible?” Emperor Ryu rose from his throne and bent over the bars of the balcony, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

“Phasing isn’t always automatic,” Lord Yoruno answered. “It takes energy for a Ghost-type to phase out of attacks. That repetition of Quick Attack was no foolish accident. Though Shadow was fast enough to phase out of all four, which alone is already an impressive feat even for a powerful Gengar, he did not do so without expending an incredible amount of energy. Lune played on this, wearing his opponent down without Shadow realizing it. The final deciding blow, though, was the unusually powerful Shadow Ball. Lune sacrificed a great deal of energy to create it, expecting Shadow to dodge. By doing so, Shadow played right into his trap.”

Lune grinned. Shadow fell for it! Excellent. “Hey, Shadow! Dodge this! That is,” Lune added mischievously, “if you can.” Before Shadow had the time to respond, Lune lunged, sinking his sharp teeth, crackling with dark energy into the Gengar’s arm. When trying to shake Lune off didn’t work at first, Shadow instead drove his fist into the stubborn Eevee’s side, forcing him off. Lune fell and did not move.

“You’re done for!” Shadow cried, clamping the palms of his hands together. Immediately they began to spark violently with electricity. “Take this!” The tripled bolt of lightning surged through Lune’s apparently limp body with a sickening snap. When he still continued to lie on the floor without making a sound, Shadow thought he could smell victory.

“Don’t worry, little Eevee. I’ll end this quickly. “The psionic blast rushed at it target, enveloping him in what seemed to the spectators like a spherical explosion of light. Not many could survive that. Lune was one of the few.

Lune’s ears perked up, and he got to his feet. The glint in his eyes screamed that something was amiss. Up to this time, he had been waiting, patiently, until the perfect opportunity presented itself. No one had noticed the faint white glow around his body.

“Now, Shadow, receive doubled wrath!”

The entire arena erupted with blue psionic energy, coupled with a severe thunderstorm. Massive bolts of electricity burst through the blast radius with boiling rage, tearing away at the helpless victim. Amazingly enough, Shadow survived… Not much, but he was still left standing.

Lune raised his front right paw once more, summoning the darkness that would spell Shadow’s destruction.

“I… can’t phase out of that…” Shadow gasped, struggling to speak. “But you can’t escape Destiny Bond, Eevee! I shall not lose!”

“Watch me,” Lune muttered. This time, his ethereal sphere sailed upwards, towards Emperor Ryu’s balcony, directly above Shadow.

“You missed!” the Gengar cried. “You missed!”

“Oh, really?”

The resulting explosion broke off a large part of the roof. As it came crashing down, Shadow realized with horror that he could not bind his fate to lifeless, falling rubble. With a curse under his breath, he gave way under the crushing marble…

After a long moment of drawn-out silence, the Farfetch’d opened his beak to speak. Voice trembling with awe, he announced shakily, “Incredible! Lune the Eevee has defeated Shadow the Gengar! He will proceed to round two!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

[Wolfsong]

Nice. I kinda stumbled on this, but i like it. Keep up the nice work

[Kinglerlord2]

Very good! Apart from the odd spelling mistake I couldn't find much at fault with those chapters.

This is a very interesting idea you've developed and you're writing has made it easy for me to comprehend what is going on. Your characters are well developed and easy to relate to.

Great work here Charizard04621 i'll be looking forward to more of this!

[Charizard04621]

@Nala98: ty ^^; It's different from a trainer fic, because, personally, I don't think I can handle one. This one's a little easier to manage.

@Kinglerlord2: Easy to comprehend? Yay! ^_^ BTW, what spelling errors? XD

[Oddish17]

Now that I finally have more then 10 minutes of free time, I got a chance to come back and continue reading this. Of course I noticed you took a week long break, but oh well.

Lune is more powerful then I thought. Very nice job, I'll try to come and read this if I ever have any time.

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: Wow, you must be really busy. Whatever it is, good luck. Hope the situation improves. And yeah, I meant to show that Lune isn't to be underestimated.

[Charizard04621]

Ta Da! Chappy 6!

Chapter 6
A Prodigy

“Lune! Lune!” Shockwave gave Lune a thumbs-up as the Eevee stepped off of the battlefield. “Guess what? I’m next.”

“Cool. Who against?”

“And, after that amazing battle to start us off, we can only imagine what exciting surprises the others will bring!” The Farfetch’d’s voice rang clearly through the air. “The Emperor’s broken balcony roof is only temporary, and will be fixed by tomorrow. Right now, though, let’s welcome our next two combatants: Shockwave the Pikachu and Amethyst the Golem!

“No sweat, Shockwave,” Lune winked.

“Piece of cake!”

Above, Emperor Ryu grunted. “Now THAT is a horrible match-up. Everyone knows Ground types always crush Electric types. Who does these stupid match-ups?”

“They are chosen at random,” Lady Naien replied firmly. “I made the pairings.” At that, Emperor Ryu bit his lip.

The earth began to tremble, and violent tremors followed, only to be abruptly ended. The crowd gasped.

“I don’t believe it!” the Farfetch’d cried. “Shockwave the Pikachu has completely avoided the Earthquake by jumping into the air! He has even struck Amethyst the Golem mid-air with a well-placed Iron Tail!”

Lune smirked. “That’s it, Shockwave,” he muttered to himself. “Show them. Show them all. Let them know the prodigy that you are!”

Amethyst snorted, rubbing away the metallic remnants from the large chinks in her boulder-like hide. “Don’t get cocky, you little rat! I haven’t even started yet!”

“Try me.” Shockwave mustered an extremely aggravating look that would, if he so chose to allow it, drive anyone absolutely crazy. Amethyst, no match for her opponent’s wit, took the bait immediately, flying into a vicious rage. No longer would her mind easily reason; her anger would think for her instead.

“That is IT, Pikachu!” Amethyst yelled, whilst locking herself into a tight ball. “I’ll bring out my secret weapon now! You can’t get away!”

At that, Amethyst began to roll, slowly at first as she started to accelerate, but increasingly faster, until she reached frightful speeds that no Golem could ordinarily achieve. Almost nothing at this point could outrun her.

Shockwave had not been idle. While his opponent gathered momentum, he had called silently to the skies above, and even now, dark storm clouds shadowed the battlefield. With a signaling rumble of thunder, they burst open to pour forth their full torrential fury, reducing the dirt ground to waterlogged mud in moments.

“Nice try, but I’m still rolling!” Amethyst cackled. “And while I do, no amount of rain can harm me.” Though slowed a little, Amethyst did not view this as significant enough to matter. She turned and started for Shockwave. At this point, Shockwave kicked off and sprinted, moving so quickly that he could only be seen as a yellow blur in the dark storm. Still, Amethyst could keep up, and the distance between the two lessened every moment.

“Whoa!” The Farfetch’d strained to be heard over the din. “It appears as if Amethyst the Golem is catching up to her opponent, even in this heavy rain!”

Lune shook his head. “Fools.”

Just as it looked as if Shockwave was finally tiring and had no means of escape, he jumped aside, leaving his hardened, silver tail directly on Amethyst’s path… Unable to stop or swerve, the Golem rode right into Shockwave’s metallic tail, was lifted several feet into the air, and crashed directly into the hard, marble wall in front of her. When she uncurled, she could immediately feel the stinging rain lash at her face.

“The water will drown me! Don’t let me drown!” she shrieked.

As if her prayer had been answered, an invisible force drove the clouds away, leaving the warm, friendly sun and the clear blue sky.

“You!” Amethyst pointed accusingly at Shockwave. “You did this! You will pay!”

The past events of the round had taken their toll. Amethyst was on her last bit of energy, and it showed. This was it: her trump card. Whether it succeeded or failed, she had to deal with the consequences.

A sparking, orange ball of energy expanded in between Amethyst’s clasped hands, crackling with chaotic matter. She was putting every ounce of her remaining strength into it. The ball grew… and grew… and grew. Every moment it seemed more dangerously out of control. Eventually, Amethyst had no more energy with which to power it, and it was now that she launched the plasma towards Shockwave in the form of an annihilating beam. The field erupted with the blast, blinding all with an orange flash of light. When the smoke cleared, Shockwave was standing perfectly still behind a shimmering energy barrier.

“So,” Amethyst whispered, “I fail…” With that, the Golem collapsed.

[Kinglerlord2]

Nice chapter, short yet fast paced and entertaining. That is one psycho pikachu.

I didn't pick up on any errors in that chapter though it is late at night so I could have missed something.

[Charizard04621]

@Kinglerlord2: Psycho Pikachu, uh huh. ^_^ I like Shockwave. Oh, BTW, everyone, my chapters don't get any much longer than that.

[Oddish17]

The chapters are fine, as long as you keep them coming. I already have more respect for Shockwave then Ash's Pikachu. Great job, can't wait to read the coming chapters about the tournament.

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: Shockwave rules. ^_^;;; And here's Chapter 7.

Chapter 7

There are Never Guarantees in Battle

Silvery stars twinkled softly in the jet-black sky. The golden moon cast its luminous glow on the arena below. A warm, comforting silence from the subdued crowd served, in its own way, to encourage the final battlers of the day as if excited, enthusiastic spectators cheered on loudly from the sidelines. All eyes were on the two combatants.

One stood perfectly still, holding his metallic claws up and crossing them together in a defensive position. Starlight shone onto his gleaming crimson coat, revealing his slender figure, and, just barely, the gossamer wings on his back. His opponent pawed the ground impatiently. The bulldog snapped his huge jaws and pounded his fists together, threatening to crush the opposing mantis. A glint of mad fury remained always in his eyes, as if he possessed some burning killer instinct that taught him always to destroy…

Awestruck, the spectators looked on as the two stared each other down, wondering who would make the first move – Bill the Scizor, with his cool, yet slightly nervous gaze; or Thor the Granbull, with his reckless, frightful glare. Above, Emperor Ryu’s face twisted into a thoughtful frown. “Hmm… I’ve seen this Granbull in a lot of other tournaments. He’s good. He’s been champ in one of our earliest tournaments a few years ago. He knows Fire Punch. Scizor is quadruply weak to fire. He doesn’t stand a chance,” Emperor Ryu commented wisely.

As things went, the more experienced and incidentally the more aggressive of the two struck first. With amazing speed, Thor lived up to his name, smelting the red mantis with massive, sizzling bolts of lightning that blackened Bill’s delicate wings. Just as the Scizor fell to his knees, twitching in agony, a distant, steely cry drew Thor’s attention to a dim corner. Out of seemingly nowhere, a crackling orange monstrosity lanced forth, catching its victim by surprise… Thor shut his eyes tightly to endure the searing pain; It was not enough that he clamped his jaws close and clenched his fists. It was intolerable. In furious agony, the Granbull pounced on Bill, and, howling, drove his flaming fist directly into the Scizor’s chest. The impact shattered Thor’s target into pieces, revealing the real Bill some ways behind.

“Perfect Substitute…” Lune whispered. It was understood that no one should break the powerful silence.

“Quick thinking,” Shockwave agreed, “but he’s still not conserving his energy enough. Hyper Beam right off the start, not to mention how much he put into that Substitute for it to take both the Thunder and Fire Punch… He can win, though.”

“Yeah. Thor being a veteran tournament battler means nothing here save the experience. That does not guarantee him a win. Never has. Never will. Bill shows promise.”

Thor roared. “You sleazy trickster! How dare you pull a stunt like that! Don’t you know who I am?”

“Afraid not.”

At that, Thor began firing rapidly, one after the other, greenish-yellow orbs of electricity that traveled at frightful speeds.

“Wow! Look at the speed of those Zap Cannons!” the Farfetch’d cried. “Zap Cannon is supposed to move relatively slowly, but Thor won’t have it! They don’t call him Thor for nothing!”

“Zap Cannon barrage… Too fast!” Bill gasped, barely escaping the first with a starry, nearly impenetrable barrier, then narrowly avoiding the second by jumping aside.

“He’s losing confidence.” Shockwave bit his lip. “Come on, come on…”

The third of Thor’s electrical assault approached Bill rapidly. If the Scizor didn’t think fast, he would be subject to its wrath… Hoping for the best, he looked towards the sky, and his wings began to whir quickly. Just seconds before impact, Bill lifted off the ground, saving himself from the electrical orb that went skimming past his feet.

“You think you can escape through flying, Scizor? Think again!”

This time, Bill made no attempt to dodge, but instead, closed his eyes. Within moments, his gleaming red coat shone with a mystical aura - one that would keep him safe. As the highly concentrated energy struck him, he did not feel his muscles lock up like they would have under normal circumstances. He was free of the bonds of paralysis…

“Argh! Don’t get cocky just because you got a Safeguard in! I’m not through!” With a startlingly high leap, Thor managed to grab onto Bill’s leg with his right arm, then began to pound the Scizor repeatedly with his flaming red fists…

Gasping, Bill raised a claw and brought it down onto his aggressor’s head, at the same time charging his other with crackling, yellow-green energy…

“He’s seen Zap Cannon so many times, he’s had the opportunity to Mimic it. Yes! That’s it!” Shockwave cheered.

“Alright, Bill! Show that veteran that mere status alone must bow to the truly talented!” Lune yelled.

Bill regained his fighting spirit. He flew up higher... “Fall, Thor!” he cried, while slamming the energy orb into the Granbull’s face. Thor maintained a firm grip, but, as his muscles refused to cooperate, he was forced to release his hold and fall to the ground far below…

A sickening crack marked Thor’s landing, and it looked as if he was not going to get up… Slowly but surely, though, the persistent Granbull rolled over his side until he faced the ground, then pushed his body upwards with his arms and legs.

“As expected, the veteran Thor is still going!” the Farfetch’d announced. “And soon, he’ll just use Heal Bell to remove his paralysis. Too bad for Bill the Scizor!”

Bill shook his head. “Oh, no you don’t,” he muttered. “I’ve worked too hard for this. I think I have an idea…” Addressing Thor, he called, “Hey, are you really going to be wussy and Heal Bell? I wouldn’t, but I’m probably braver than you are. You can go ahead and be a coward if you want. I don’t care. My opponent is a scaredy-Granbull! Scaredy scaredy Granbull!” Bill danced tauntingly, working Thor into a rage.

“I’m no coward! I don’t need Heal Bell!” Thor roared. “I’ll get you!”

While Thor made futile attempts to reach Bill in the air, at times being overcome by twitching fits, the Scizor relaxed, waiting to regain lost stamina.

“You! Scizor! Too scared to come down?” Thor growled. Bill ignored him.

Finally, Bill’s raspy breathing evened again, and he decided to continue. “It’s now or never…” Gathering all of his remaining strength, Bill joined his claws together to house a violently sparking orb… It burned orange with its intensity, swelling as long as Bill could continue directing energy into it. At last, he began to lower himself, and Thor saw this as a chance to vent out his fury… When the Granbull tried, though, he brought himself closer to the energy beam’s searing devastation, throwing himself into the immediate blast radius. With a final cry of defeat, Thor fell and did not move.

“Totally unexpected!” the Farfetch’d cried. “We’ve seen close to a hundred battles today, but none as surprising as this one. The rookie Bill the Scizor will advance to the second round! This ends Round 1. Congratulations to all!”

[Kinglerlord2]

Whee! Another great battle chapter! Excellent description used in the chapter as well. Nice Work

[crazybone]

A rookie managing to faint a vet, two impossible to win battles with some serious type disadvantages, yet 3 for 3. x_<;; It's like you hate experienced vets or somefin. =p *hopes that at least one of the vets wil get to kill one of the lesser talented with gong-ho or something* XP

Good job with the fic (y)

[Charizard04621]

@Kinglerlord2: ty ^^; I hope I don't slack off on description, though. On my first fic, it started off very descriptive, then deteriorated. >_<;

@crazybone: No, only so-called veterans who think they're the greatest just because they've been around the longest.

[AntiAsh Superstar]

*stumbles across this coz the concept of an Eevee called Lune is not entriely unfamiliar* You love that guy, don't ya? Well, what can I say, reading that was a very nice way to kill some free time, you've got a cool writing style, and your characters are charismatic enough to keep the reader's interest (this, above all, is something I find necessary for a story, so thumbs up there!). And I for one will be sure to keep tabs on this fic. ^_^

[Charizard04621]

@AntiAsh Superstar: "You love that guy, don't ya?" Yup, sure do. ^_^; Hey, any chance I could test myself for an obsession? @_@;

[Syberia]

Go whack yourself over the head, and then see if whatever you're obsessed with is the first thing you think of when you wake up again.

Allow me to demonstrate *whacks self*
o_O that's odd...I woke up and I can't think of anything. Come to think of it, who am I?

[Charizard04621]

Originally posted by Syberia
Go whack yourself over the head, and then see if whatever you're obsessed with is the first thing you think of when you wake up again.

Allow me to demonstrate *whacks self*
o_O that's odd...I woke up and I can't think of anything. Come to think of it, who am I?

Heyyy... Good idea! =DDDDD

*whacks self*

x_X *groan* Uh, what happened? Who am I? And WHERE IS MY FURAIGON?! ;.;

Err, right. Anyway, I'm posting to say Chapters might be coming a little more slowly. I'll try to keep the pace up, though.

[Charizard04621]

wheevee. Silliness time. ^_^;

Chapter 8

Ignorance and Unrest

Voices… Lune darted off the golden pathway and into a dense bush of sweet-smelling flowers.

“This place stinks!” an Aipom commented, referring to the neatly paved, carefully decorated, peacefully organized Sacred Kingdom.

“Yeah, yeah, I bet we can make it better!” his companion, a Mankey said excitedly.

“Hey! Look, Elbuort!” The Aipom pointed at the large greeting sign ahead. Both stopped walking to examine it.

Elbuort scratched behind his ear and began to read. “Hmm… Welcome to the Sacred Kingdom. We pride ourselves in this beautiful realm. Please take heed of our rules to ensure a pleasant stay and a wonderful experience. For entertainment purposes, we host many frequent peacetime tournaments. If you wish to participate, please register at the beginning of each tournament. You may request an Adviser,”

“…who will work hard with you to bring out your true potential in battle,” Lune continued, emerging from his hiding place. “May I help you?”

“Toidi, this tournament stuff sounds fun. Don’t you think so?” Elbuort asked the Aipom excitedly.

“Yeah. Hey, you, Eevee, do you know where we can find these so-called Enticers?”

“Advisers…” Lune corrected.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Toidi waved it off impatiently. “Do you know where they are or not?”

“I happen to be one of them,” Lune replied testily. He had low tolerance levels for pokémon such as these. Unfortunately, he ran into them all the time. It was all he could do to keep himself from acting rashly. Whenever he lost his temper, despite his efforts to control himself, he always regretted it.

“First, I believe you should learn a few rules of the Sacred Kingdom. Don’t worry; we’ll do this one step at a time.”

“To hell with rules!” the Aipom yelled. “We’re not stupid. We know the rules already.”

Lune gritted his teeth. If Shockwave were here, he’d make sure Lune didn’t lose control of his temper at the wrong time. Lune just had to hope he could bear it long enough…

“All right, then,” Lune uttered with difficulty, “follow me. The forest clearing where we will have the training session is a short distance ahead.”

***

The sound of the rushing falls helped to calm Lune’s nerves. It was over… He was in the sacred meadow. He had to try to relax.

“And then, they demanded that I teach both of them to explode multiple times without causing injury to themselves!” Lune got to his feet, growling. His eyes blazed with mad fury.

“Shake it off, Lune.” Shockwave splashed cool, refreshing water onto the fuming Eevee’s face. “Hmm… What did you say their names were again?”

“Elbuort and Toidi.” Lune bared his teeth, and his mouth began to foam.

“Hey…”

“What?”

“Ever tried mirroring their names?”

Lune frowned, puzzled for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Shockwave, you rule.”

Shockwave grinned.

[Charizard04621]

wheevee! ^_^

Chapter 9

The Emperor's Wrath

The paved pathway sparkled with the rays of the afternoon sun. It was a perfectly lazy day. No one did much but relax. No preparations for the coming second round of the tournament would be made today; the traditional rushing would come tomorrow, the day before Round Two would begin. But today was meant to be lazy.

As Shockwave and Lune ambled casually down the path, heading for the heart of the Kingdom where all the fun idleness lay, a messenger Sandshrew barred their way.

“Are y-y-y-you L-Lune?” she stammered, staring at the Eevee as if he was an atomic bomb that could go off at any minute. He nodded, puzzled.

“Emperor Ryu has… has… has sent for you,” she managed. “He was v-v-v-very angry. He needed to see you about attacking v-v-v-visitors.” The Sandshrew shrank back in fear, trembling after every word she spoke.

Shockwave turned to Lune in horror. “You WHAT?”

“I had no choice.” Lune hung his head. “When I told them their demands were impossible to meet, they decided to turn on me.”

Shockwave remained silent. After a while, he began to speak, slowly. “Why didn’t you just tell me this before?” He looked hurt.

“Sorry…”

“Um, e-e-e-excuse me, but could you p-p-please hurry? Emperor Ryu doesn’t like w-w-waiting.”

“Lune…” Shockwave whispered, softly but clearly, “be careful. And this time, bow!”

***

Emperor Ryu had chosen a rather unfavorable place for a meeting. It was dark, hot, stuffy, and horribly depressing. Lune sat dejectedly in a corner, picturing various images of electrically fried Ampharos as he waited.

Lune was willing to bet that Emperor Ryu’s silence was intentional, that it was meant to make him angry, and that Emperor Ryu was bent upon wasting his valuable time. Finally, he could take it no longer, and he confronted the Ampharos, growling. “What the heck do you want from me, you… sleazy… ARGH!”

The Emperor withdrew slightly, but remained relatively calm. “Your behavior, Eevee, is unacceptable.”

“And yours isn’t, you good-for-nothing hypocrite?”

“That’s not the point right now. The point is that you attacked two visitors here.”

“Yeah? How do you know? You just take their word for it and don’t give me a chance to say anything in my defense? They didn’t even understand the rules! They turned on me! I am fully to blame and they are not?”

“Don’t you dare give me any of that nonsense about rules. You are pushing me over the edge. If I ever hear about you causing trouble again, you will be banished from the Sacred Kingdom forever! I don’t care what your excuse is. You are wrong, and you’d better damn shut up about it before it’s too late!”

Lune glared at the Emperor. Their fiery gazes met. Each was too stubborn to back down. Each wanted the last word. Shockwave’s warning rang through Lune’s mind…

This had gone far enough. Lune had foolishly let his anger control him; he needed to stop before things took a turn for the worst. Averting his gaze, Lune turned reluctantly away and forced himself to leave.

***

“Lay low,” Lord Yoruno advised.

“Shockwave…” Lune whispered, wishing the Pikachu were here, “What have I done?”

[Charizard04621]

Important Note: I'm gonna be gone for two weeks on Christmas break starting next Monday. This'll probably be the last chapter until then. Sorry ^^;

Chapter 10

A Promise is a Promise

“Ugh. I knew it. I was against his coronation from the very beginning. Then again, there certainly wasn’t much to choose from back then, either.”

“You’re not mad at me?” Lune felt relieved.

Shockwave shrugged. “At least you told me what happened this time.”

“Sorry… I won’t hide things from you again. I promise.”

“Okay.”

“Hmm, it’s almost time.” Lune got to his feet, shaking the blades of meadow grass from his fur.

“Huh?”

“I set up a practice battle with Lady Naien today. She said she would wait at Misty Lake. It’ll help keep both of us in shape. The Tournament of the Eternal Flame that she wants to join will begin soon. C’mon, Shockwave, let’s go meet her.”

***

A harsh wind rattled the flimsy skeletons of the dry bushes. Lune shivered, panting as he climbed with difficulty up the steep mountain slope. The biting frost was vicious. Cold mountain air did not get any more cruel than this. Shockwave, of course, moved along effortlessly, stopping to wait for the struggling Eevee from time to time.

Suddenly, the bleak, deserted landscape was gone. Rugged, rust-colored dirt slopes transformed into soft meadow grass. Here the ground leveled and the howling wind stopped.

The Misty Lake was named by no accident. High among the clouds, surrounded by a ring of lush, forested mountains, this vast crystalline lake was shrouded in a light, mysterious mist. It was a tranquil scene and well worth the perilous climb.

As the day came to its end, reflected across the lake were the red and golden rays of the setting sun. Lune sighed and settled down in the soft grass, smiling when Shockwave made the point of taking a dip in the icy lake water.

“You should come in too.” Shockwave smirked.

“Heck, no way. The water’s freezing!”

“I’ll drag you in!”

With that, the Pikachu got out of the lake and began to chase after Lune.

Lune broke into a run. “Not this time, Shockwave!”

***

“Looks like she isn’t coming…” Shockwave looked over at the disappointed Lune, who was gazing blankly at the stars above. “You were really looking forward to that battle, huh?”

“Yeah, but it’s not just that…” Lune dipped his paw into the lake water, watching the ripples spread. Lady Naien had promised, and Lune valued promises. Part of the reason Emperor Ryu disgusted him was the fact that the Emperor continually made empty promises that he would never keep. In Lune’s opinion, promises were not made to be broken. He knew Lady Naien understood this principle. She was just busy with other matters. He just wished that she had not promised…

Shockwave shrugged. “You can battle her some other time, you know.”

“Yeah…”

“Hmm. It’s too late to get back down now. We can spend the night up here and go back tomorrow.”

Lune nodded in agreement, then flinched. “Oh, no…”

“What is it?”

“The Tournament of Eternal Flame begins tomorrow morning. I promised Lady Naien that I would be there… I keep my promises.”

“If we get lucky, we’ll make it back by sunrise. Come on!” Shockwave darted down the slopes.

[Charizard04621]

wheevee. I'm back! I should get the next chapter up, hopefully tomorrow, at best.

[Charizard04621]

Here it is, finally. Sorry for the wait.

Chapter 11
The Tournament of Eternal Flame

The heavy stench of sulfur thickened the tangible air. The sweltering heat here was so dense that Lune could see it move. He found it difficult to breathe in this choking atmosphere. Even Shockwave displayed signs of discomfort. Yet they would endure it, for Lady Naien.

Hot, glowing coals paved the ground of this mysteriously natural arena. The smooth stones, white to begin with, gleamed red like blazing fire, somehow never smothered by the thick black ash that hung in the air. These, Lune suspected, had some sort of magical quality unknown thus far… He gazed down the gaping mouth of the dark cavern that seemed to lead down into the farthest depths of the land. The rough mountain range beyond was strange and unwelcoming; worse so than the dreary slopes that led up to the Misty Lake. Even Shockwave who enjoyed adventure would not venture there. The cavern itself was hostile. Lune had entered it once, and he had felt like he faced the wrath of an ever-raging inferno… He had barely made it out alive, and not without Shockwave’s help.

“Hmm, looks like Emperor Ryu will not be keeping track of this tournament. Lune? …Did you just hear what I said? Talk to me! I’m getting worried.” There was a slight tinge of alarm in Shockwave’s voice.

“Um…” Lune blinked, snapping back into reality. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little more tired than I thought.”

Shockwave laughed nervously. “Right. So, anyway, Lady Naien’s next. Look who she’s up against!”

An ever cool Umbreon stood calmly on the burning stones, not showing the slightest sign of pain. In fact, his face revealed no emotion of any sort. His dark, gleaming fur glistened even now in the filthy atmosphere, glorified even more by the luminescent glow of his bright yellow rings. He stood perfectly still and did not blink.

“Lord Yoruno?” Lune nearly fell over in surprise. “He doesn’t seem to care that the arena was chosen so that Fire types alone could long endure it…”

Shockwave nodded. “This should be interesting. The only question now is how good a fight Lady Naien can put up before Lord Yoruno prevails.”

Lune looked over at Lady Naien. The white skull crest on her chest glowed as her face did with determination. Her long, slender tail was lifted high in the air threateningly like a scorpion’s in an offensive stance, poised and ready to strike. Eyes blazing with fire, the Houndoom was ready to give this match everything she’d got.

“Lady Naien will try her hardest… Either way, she won’t be disappointed. I give her five minutes at most,” Lune said.

“Nah, she’ll last a little longer than that. When she does, you have to jump into the Misty Lake for however long she held out!” Such was Shockwave’s challenge, but Lune was unworried.

“All right, then, it’s a bet. But don’t count on seeing me get into those hellish icy waters anytime soon! I won’t lose. Not this time.” Lune was sure of it.

Enthusiastic spectators cheered the two combatants on, impatient for the match to begin. In the confusion, all but an attentive few failed to notice Lord Yoruno: Rings glimmering even in the haze, he began to fade, slightly at first, while his body grew ever dimmer as his faint outline shone – then, abruptly, he was gone. A cry of surprise rushed through the onlookers as they finally realized that Lord Yoruno had disappeared. Lady Naien scanned the arena uneasily. Like most, she had no clue as to Lord Yoruno’s whereabouts.

“He just jumped,” Shockwave whispered, pointing. “Now he’s making his way stealthily behind her.”

At first Lune was bewildered. He could not understand how Shockwave could have spotted the completely invisible Lord Yoruno. As he strained to see, though, he realized that several stones behind Lady Naien were weighed down, barely. Lord Yoruno had nearly gotten away with it, but even he could not conceal his step, however light. Still, Lune knew he would not have caught this if Shockwave had not shown him. Lady Naien remained oblivious to it all, and her searching eyes now displayed a frantic light. She could not find Lord Yoruno.

Suddenly, the hot white stones began to glow – in spite of themselves – the coldest blue that Lune had ever seen; he shivered, chilled by the cruel light. Willingly the gleaming stones rose, some from a circular perimeter around Lady Naien, enclosing her in a glowing prison as they flew into the sky and trapped her in a sphere; the others from below her, breaking loose of the layer of ash, coming out from under her feet and forcing her to stumble. Now, it seemed, Lord Yoruno had no more intention of hiding himself, and the Umbreon revealed his position a safe distance away. With a signaling nod, he commanded the suspended stones to strike, and all obeyed their master, flinging themselves at the horrified Houndoom within.

Lightning flashed in the sky, crashing through dark clouds of ill omen. To Lady Naien it seemed the raining of the stones lasted an eternity… But she did not know that once the vicious barrage ended, a new terror began. Water gushed forth from the clouds in torrents, stinging her no less relentlessly than the flying stones. She cried for the rain to stop, but instead of slowing, the storm worsened with renewed fury, and she gave up the mental struggle. Lord Yoruno’s will was too strong now.

Just when things couldn’t possibly have gotten any worse, the abundance of stones that had clattered to the ground rose for a second time, and it seemed that nothing would prevent another assault. Gathering her courage and strength, Lady Naien now looked to the shadows for help, and they came. In three balls around her, darkness collected swiftly, and, stripped of time, unable to wait for the throbbing orbs to reach their full potential, Lady Naien struck each one, sending them lurching forward in her panic. Three separate explosions resulted; the stones involved in the collision were annihilated in the rippling ethereal eruptions. For a fleeting moment Lord Yoruno’s psionic control seemed to falter…

Taking advantage of what she hoped was her opponent’s blunder, Lady Naien howled mournfully, calling for mercy, as she turned her head upwards to the hidden sun. This time Lord Yoruno did not fight back, and the tormenting storm clouds parted, leaving the sun to shine down upon the waterlogged land, tentatively at first, then stronger. With the sun beaming down upon her, Lady Naien felt, for the first time, that now she had a chance to launch an offensive of her own. The Houndoom’s coat dried quickly under the warm rays, and every moment she felt energy from the sunlight surge through her body increasingly faster… Lady Naien radiated with a golden glow, intense as the rays of the sun. Lune saw her body sparkle with light as she walked, painfully but determinedly towards Lord Yoruno. He gazed on calmly, making no effort to escape.

With a cry, Lady Naien unleashed her gathered power in a single stabbing pillar of light that engulfed the waiting Umbreon and shattered him to pieces. At that same instant, a crackling energy beam lanced forth from the real Lord Yoruno behind the Houndoom before she overcame her momentary confusion.

When she realized what had happened it was too late. Roaring, Lady Naien shook her head with vicious rage, driven mad by the searing agony that tore at her flesh. Her mouth foamed with thick, white froth, and though the energy had faded, she continued to twitch horribly, shivering with unwanted memory of the pain.

Lord Yoruno bolted, kicking up ash and stone as he ran ever swifter, until he became merely a black streak in the smoke-filled arena. Then he swerved and made straight for Lady Naien, lowering his head to ram her… Just barely, the Houndoom’s body, limned with a red glare, flashed suddenly – and, to everyone’s amazement, Lord Yoruno was thrown back.

Still calmly the Umbreon leapt to his feet, then approached Lady Naien, emotionless, but like a silent predator ready to deal the final blow to his hapless prey. Lady Naien, however, had one last defense. In a final burst of blazing fury, eyes flashing with one last hope, the Houndoom descended upon her opponent with a terrible rush of power, dealing blow after frenzied blow with frightening swiftness, transforming her pain and weakness into strength, and turning it into her opponent’s suffering and sorrow. For an instant it looked as if predator had been turned to prey, and prey to predator, and many thought that all had been reversed. But the past events of the taxing battle proved too much for Lady Naien to bear… Bringing his glinting tail of metallic silver crashing down upon the Houndoom’s skull, Lord Yoruno ended her assault swiftly. Long silence followed.

“Five minutes and three seconds, Lune!” Shockwave yelled. “Haha! I win!” Hearing no response from Lune, Shockwave paused, then saw that the Eevee lay on the floor asleep. His careworn face was filled with lined of worry. Shockwave wondered at Lune’s unnatural thinness and the frail softness of his fur. The Eevee had been troubled much lately, worrying about something he would not tell Shockwave about, and in the meantime neglecting to take care of himself. Shockwave sighed. He couldn't ask Lune to stop being close and reveal his feelings, but if Lune didn’t start eating soon, Shockwave would have to force him to come to his senses. Lune stirred.

“Are you staying to watch the rest?” Shockwave asked, already knowing the answer.

“I’m exhausted. I’m heading back to the Sanctuary. Tell me what happens, and I mean every single detail. I’m counting on you! Oh, and it seems I have lost the bet. I’ll fulfill the requirements after I get some sleep.” Lune winked, and was off.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 12
Silent Assassins

Cool, fresh stream water lapped gently over Lune’s face. The sound of the cascading waterfall splashing musically upon the water’s surface above was soothing; almost immediately, as if in a dream, whatever doubts or tenseness remained in Lune was magically washed away by the silvery notes. Suddenly he just felt carefree, purged of his troubles by the sparkling radiance of the crystalline water and the warm, golden sunlight above all. This dive was the best thing in a long time that Lune had taken for himself. It was just so relaxing to roam freely underwater, gazing at the glittering sandy bottom of the stream.

A shadow passed overhead. Another lurked nearby. Lune caught the gleam of cold, evil eyes. When he turned, the horror that he saw set his heart pounding wildly. That sleek, blue figure… the red jewel on her forehead… the long, slender beak… those webbed hands and feet… Then a streak of green flew across the stream and waited on the grassy riverbed. There could be no mistake. Assassins.

But here? In the Sanctuary? Was Lune safe nowhere? Lune gritted his teeth. He had to think… fast. He knew he could match a regular Golduck in swimming speed, but assassins of every breed were the swiftest, stealthiest, and most skillful of their kind.

Only one advantage presented itself to Lune in this situation… He knew this stream’s very nature. The assassin Golduck was in foreign waters. Lune paddled even harder, kicking with all his might although his muscles were sore and tired out. The water surface was still out of reach. Up ahead, though, he knew there was a powerful hidden current above. Even the assassin Golduck would have trouble with it. Lune needed to go past it, all the time swimming directly beneath it, then pull up immediately after it ended. For, though his body could probably have endured the underwater flight, his lungs could not. He was out of breath, and he could already feel his lungs threatening to explode. His strokes weakened… Lune faltered… His pursuer crept up ever closer…

But Lune would not fail. Not after all he had done. Already he felt faint, but his mind pushed him on, and his heart, despite the lack of air, thumped hard against his chest. He could see the ending of the hidden current ahead. Just a little more…

Suddenly, Lune had gotten across. Everything seemed surreal; he felt like he was floating in a dream… But his body kept paddling, and steadily he rose, up, up, up, until he breached the water’s surface.

Then, in a shock, reality rushed back to Lune as he sputtered and choked, gulping in huge mouthfuls of air thankfully. He gave a cry of joy, for his pursuer had pulled up too soon and now she fought against the swift current. Still, Lune hadn’t much time… He paddled to the shore and dragged himself out.

Out of nowhere, Lune felt a sharp blow to the back of his head. He stumbled and fell. A wave of fear washed over him; suddenly he was afraid.

A sleek, deadly mantis stood over Lune, brandishing his cold, cruel scythes. Lune felt a trickle of blood crawl down his neck. Colors began to swirl together into a chaotic mass, and images blurred. The assassin Scyther snickered; a menacing gleam flashed through his eyes. His body was emerald green; his bared teeth were a pearly white; his wings fluttered in the wind, but they were no less cruel than the rest of him, for the topmost ones grew upon two sharp, long spines that pointed outward in opposite directions from each other. He opened his mouth and began to speak. Lune, wavering between light and darkness, had to struggle to understand.

“Fool! You should never have betrayed Emperor Ryu. Do you know what we’re going to do to you now?” The assassin Scyther paused to gloat upon the fear in his victim’s glazed eyes. When he saw that the Eevee was not going to respond further, he cackled. “Don’t despair; the blow I dealt you is nothing compared to what you will suffer next.” The Golduck pulled beside him, smirking devilishly.

“Now,” the Scyther continued, “we must say goodbye. You’ll pay for resisting Emperor Ryu!”

“Have you figured out your sorry fate yet?” the Golduck taunted. Lune did not answer. In fact, he could not; he had no strength left. He had lost touch with reality.

“We are going to disappear you,” the Scyther whispered in a sinister tone, with relish. “Just think: no one will ever know. They will wonder where you have gone. They might begin to panic. Emperor Ryu will reassure them. Then, in a regretful tone, he will inform them that you were found drowned in a treacherous river. He will say that you had been swimming too deep and were swept up by a current. He will tell them it threw you down a waterfall. He will say that you fell to the rocks below; with your injured head, you could not swim. He will present your limp body. They will believe him. They will mourn you for a while, and then slowly you will be forgotten. No one will know the truth.”

Lune listened, horrified but helpless. The glinting blade fell upon him… Everything went blur.

[Charizard04621]

If there're errors, please point them out and I'll fix them later... Right now my stomach is killing me for reasons unknown, and I'm going to put myself in bed before it gets worse.

[EDIT]: Mmh, I forgot to fix several paragraphs as well as add words in italics. X_x

Chapter 13

Awakened Fear

“Right. I’m going to check on Lune now. He still needs to jump into the Misty Lake. Bye!” Shockwave prepared to leave, but Lady Naien stopped him.

“No, wait,” she said.

“Err… For what? It’s getting late. I really should be going.”

“I can’t tell you yet, but it won’t be long. Just hold on; it’s important,” she pleaded. Lady Naien hurried off.

Shockwave turned his head skywards. The sun had already begun to settle behind the foreboding Mountains of Doom – now a dark shade of gray in the shadows – and it blazed a deep red, like a ball of fire sinking through the sky. For a moment, the sky looked like an inferno, burning with intense red, orange, and gold. The vibrant flame reached across the land, now and then casting tongues of color down on hills; or caves; or stones; or grass. Then the fiery intensity lessened, and the colors in the sky became softer, like pastels. A gentle lavender seeped into the reds and golds. Here and there several white stars began to emerge and sparkle as the sky became an ocean of darkening blue. Shockwave sighed. It was getting late – very late. And to tell the truth, pangs of worry gnawed at him constantly. He felt unusually ill at ease, and he desperately wanted to leave quickly to find Lune. The Eevee was probably fine, but still…

Hesitantly Shockwave lingered, until the urge that steadily grew inside him became too strong to ignore. Something felt horribly wrong, and he did not want to wait any longer. Just then, though, he heard two Donphan trumpeting, announcing the arrival of the Emperor.

Emperor Ryu made his way to a high platform set a little aside from the marble bleachers, then cleared his throat. All who remained there fell silent. Shockwave’s heart skipped a beat, for he had just spotted Lady Naien behind Emperor Ryu in the shadows. What was that Ampharos planning to do? And was it just Shockwave’s imagination, or did Emperor Ryu actually look stern and worried?

“Ahem.” The Ampharos raised his arms in the air. “Dearest loyal subjects, there is nothing I will ever regret saying more than the words I am about to utter. First of all, a certain Eevee-” Emperor Ryu cut himself short. To Lady Naien, he whispered: “What was his name? He had an Everstone on his forehead.”

“Lune,” she replied gravely.

“Ah yes. As I was saying,” he continued, turning to the crowd, “Lune the Eevee…” Emperor Ryu’s voice trailed off.

At this, Shockwave gagged. His leaden heart sank. “I knew there was something wrong. Lune, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Shockwave bit his lip to choke back a tear of frustration.

“Well, about Lune the Eevee, if he is out there, I would like to apologize to him.”

Shockwave’s ears perked up. “What the heck? What are you up to, Ryu?” he muttered.

“I would like to apologize to him for treating him so harshly. I must admit that my behavior was unacceptable, and that I was under a lot of pressure at the time he confronted me. That brings me to my second and more important issue.” Emperor Ryu took a deep breath, as if what he was going to say required all the strength he could muster. “I am resigning as emperor, and I am leaving the Sacred Kingdom in the hands of Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien.”

Shockwave stared up at the Ampharos in disbelief. Could Emperor Ryu really have said that? And why? By now, the uneasy feeling inside was choking him. “Lune, please be all right…” he said, making for the Sanctuary with all haste.

[100FangCroconaw]

I just finished reading. Nice work! And there aren't any mistakes that I can see.

[Charizard04621]

@100FangCroconaw: Wow, you read all that in one sitting? O_o; You must read fast.

By the way, I'll edit this post or something when I get the next chapter up. I have it written; just need to type it.