Chapter 6- Destination: Dynastia
~An unwritten rule followed by pokémon
trainers all over the world states that one must never underestimate their
opponents, because no matter how strong you believe you are, there always exist
those capable of defeating you. That rule applies especially to me, and I have
not once forgotten it since I became a
-Ash
Ketchum
(
“WHERE IS HE?!” A voice shouted following the
loud noise of the doors being slammed open, “THAT BLUE HAIRED PSYCHO! I KNOW
HE’S IN HERE SOMEWHERE!” everyone was confused, at most a bit startled by the
sudden loud noise and yelling… however one among them seemed particularly
shaken…
“GAH…!” Aquamarine’s eyes opened wide when he
heard the voice. “M… Misty? Since you’re my friend now… will you do me a favour
and hide me?” he asked, trembling
“W-what?” Misty stared at him, “Why?”
“JUST DO IT!” Aquamarine shouted. The door to the
room was opening, Aquamarine began to panic, “There’s no time!” he exclaimed,
and saw the pool, “GUH!”
“Uh…” everyone sweatdropped as Aquamarine dove
into the water, out of sight. “Huh?!” They all turned around and saw what was
scaring Aquamarine so much…
“Hm!” the owner of the voice stood there, a
teenage girl of around the 14 or 15. Her eyes were dark blue and her long hair
ran down to her shoulders. She wore a sleeveless, Chinese design shirt that
hugged her figure, and black short pants that ended at her thighs. At first
glance, she looked pretty thin, but actually she was in very good shape. It was
easy to see she was an adventurer.
“AH!” Brock exclaimed (hearts appearing over his
eyes, his hands clasped) “PRETTY GIRL!” he yelled, and ran over to her…
WHAM!
“GAK!” Brock fell when the girl swung something
through the air and slammed him to the ground. On closer inspection… it
appeared to be a wrecked bike
“Uh… hi…” Misty finally spoke, “Welcome to
Cerulean Gym (I think)… my name is Misty and I’m the Gym Leader. Can I help
you?” said Misty, “What is your name?”
“Hmm!” She crossed her arms, letting the wrecked
bike sit on an unconscious Brock, “My name is Keisei, and I’m looking for
someone” she said, looking left and right, “AQUAMARINE!” She shouted, “I know
you’re in here! And when I find you, you’re gonna pay for what you did to my
bike!”
“Uh…” Everybody sweatdropped. Why did this
scenario seem familiar?
(Meanwhile, in the pool…)
“(Urgh…! How did she find me?!)”
Aquamarine though as he sat beneath the water, not letting a single breath of
air to escape for fear of creating bubbles and exposing his location, “(I was
sure I lost her! She followed me all the way to this country!?)” he
growled, “(No matter! I’ll just hide here until she leaves. I’ll stay here
for days if I have to! Wouldn’t be the first time…)” he kept thinking to
himself, when something caught his eye… “Huh? Kraken? Ogopogo? What are you
doing here?” he asked, turning around. Sitting there in the water in front of
him were a Tentacruel and a Gyarados. Even though he was underwater, his voice
could be clearly heard. It was because of the way he was speaking, if he spoke
in that dialect above the surface of the water, the only thing that would be
heard would be shrill screeching noises. “Hey… don’t tell me you two were
floating around here the whole time of the battle!”
“Gruh?” The two pokémon blinked, confused
“Don’t play dumb! You two were supposed to be
protecting Misty’s sisters! And what happened to your armours? Don’t tell me
you lost them again!” he said, annoyed. What Aquamarine didn’t know was that
these two pokémon weren’t his Tentacruel and Gyarados, they were ones that
belonged to the gym. “Oh well… the battle’s over anyways, might as well come
back. Return…” he raised two pokéballs, and red beams shot from them… “HEY!” he
exclaimed, when the two pokémon lost interest in the strange human and swam
away, also missing the beams, “I said return! Come back here! I ORDER you to
get back into your pokéballs!”
“…” the two pokémon were trying to ignore him
“Do as I say! Return! RETURN!” he shouted, but
they continued to ignore him… “GRRR… GET BACK HERE YOU TWO STUPID POKÉMON!” at
those words, they stopped… “What?” he asked, crossing his arms as they turned
back to him. Seeing their expressions, his annoyed expression changed to a
nervous one… “Uh… come on guys, let’s not be hasty… I’m your friend! You don’t
want to hurt me… right?” he then saw, swimming past them was an armoured
Gyarados and Tentacruel… those ones were his Kraken and Ogopogo… but these
ones? “eep”
SMACK!!!
“AAAAAUGH!!!” Aquamarine screamed when he got
slammed by Tentacruel and Gyarado’s tentacle and tail, and was sent flying out
of the water. “OW!” he exclaimed as he hit the ground with a thud. “Grr… it’s
just a case of mistaken identity… they didn’t have to take it so hard… AH!” his
eyes suddenly opened wide when he saw the girl Keisei standing behind him
“Well-well-well… look at what’s jumped right out
of the water…” she growled, cracking her knuckles…
“K-Keisei!” Aquamarine exclaimed, getting back up
and backing off quickly, “F-fancy meeting you again… what brings you all the
way out here?”
“You know what I’m here for…” she clenched her
fists, shifted her feet and moved into a fighting stance. “You’re coming with
me!”
“So you wanna fight me?” Aquamarine asked in a
tough, cooler tone… betrayed by the fact that his legs were trembling and he
was standing twenty feet away from her, and kept glancing at the door, as if he
wanted to make a break for it…
“What’s wrong with Aquamarine?” wondered Ash.
This girl here was making him act very strange… usually people who challenged
Aquamarine would get crushed into dust, but this person… was he actually scared
of her?! “(That stance though…)” Ash thought, looking thoughtfully at
Keisei, the way she stood ready to fight, “(That’s not something you learn
in just a day…) WA!” Ash’s train of thoughts were suddenly interrupted, he
yelped as Aquamarine suddenly grabbed him and pulled him in front
“You think I’m running because I’m afraid of
you!?” Aquamarine asked, holding Ash up by the back of the shirt. “This one
here, he’s my apprentice! He’ll take you on!”
“SAY WHAT!?” Ash exclaimed at that apprentice
remark
“HA-HA-HA!” Everyone turned when they heard
“SHUT UP! IT’S YOUR FAULT TO BEGIN WITH!”
Aquamarine shouted, having thrown Ash at
“Oro…” Ash groaned, his eyes all swirly… “Urgh!”
he shook it off and turned to
“Quit stalling! I’m sick of chasing you around!
You won’t run away again!” Keisei shouted and took a fighting stance… she
looked really serious this time…
“Sorry, but I’m not in the mood for this right
now!” Aquamarine grabbed Ash by the back of the shirt again, and pulled up a
black ball… “HAAAA!!!” he threw it down…
BOOM!
“A smoke bomb!?” Everyone gasped, coughing as the
whole arena was covered with a thick layer of smoke. The smoke soon cleared,
and Aquamarine and Ash were gone
“He ran away again!” Keisei growled, clenching
her fists and running out of the room, “You can’t run forever Aquamarine! I’LL
CATCH YOU SOONER OR LATER!”
“Uh…” everyone sweatdropped, “What just
happened?”
(Meanwhile)
“Whew… that was close…” Aquamarine sighed as he
slumped down against the wall. He and Ash were in some building that was ruined
during the battle. Along with snatching Ash when he threw that smoke bomb, he
had also recalled his pokémon
“So Aquamarine, are you finally gonna tell me
what’s going on now?” Ash crossed his arms and asked in an annoyed tone, “Just
who is that girl?”
“She’s no girl… she’s a monster!!!” Aquamarine
growled, “And it’s because of Oak that I have her following me!” he then
sighed, “I suppose you want me to go into another flashback right now?” he
asked, and Ash nodded, “Fine… it’s like this…”
(Flashback)
“QUIT HIDING OAK!!!” Aquamarine roared as he was
literally destroying everything around him, trees, rocks, mountains, the entire
scenery looked like it had been devastated by a bomb. “COME BACK HERE AND LET
ME KILL YOU!!!”
“Gah…!”
“FOUND YOU!” Aquamarine spoke through clenched
teeth, looking down at
“WAAAAGH!!!”
(Meanwhile)
“♪When you walk away, you don’t hear me say, pleaaaase oh baby, don’t
go! Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feeeel tonight… it’s hard
to let go… HOLD ME, whatever lies beyond this morrrning is a little later on,
regardless of warnings the future doesn’t scare me at aaaaall~…♪”
Keisei hummed to herself as she sat there, polishing a brand new bike. It was
the very latest model, twice as manoeuvrable as the Acro Bike, four times
faster than the Mach Bike, and ten times the cost the two combined. This model
was by far the best, one that would not be topped for at least twenty years…
“Whew!” she sighed, standing up and looking satisfied at her now sparkling
transport…
“STAND STILL!!!” a voice shouted, “TERROR OF THE
DEEP!!!”
CRASH!!!
“What!?” Keisei exclaimed, stepping back when she
heard the explosion. Quickly she grabbed her bag, containing her weapons and
pokéballs… she could sense trouble coming her way…!
“AAAAHHHH!”
“RHAAA!!!” Suddenly all the trees were ripped out
from their roots and sent flying everywhere, Aquamarine emerged brandishing his
trident… “TERROR OF THE DEEP!” The destructive beam flew through the air.
“AH…” Keisei’s jaw dropped, seeing the crater
where her bike once proudly stood, and the bike itself… was completely
destroyed…
“LOOK-WHAT-YOU-DID-TO-MY-BIKE-YOU-JERK!!!!”
Keisei shouted, lifting him up by the shirt so his feet didn’t touch the
ground, and was shaking him hard
“WHOA-WHOA-WHOA-HEY!!! HANG-ON-FOR-A-SEC!!! I
WASN’T AIMING FOR THE BIKE!!! I WAS JUST TRYING TO KILL HIM!!” Aquamarine
shouted… when the girl suddenly dropped him… “eep…”
“You are dead…” Keisei growled as she started
cracking her knuckles…
(End of Flashback)
“And the events that followed… it’s just too
horrible to describe!” Aquamarine cried, tears were in his eyes, “Just over
breaking a stupid (yet obscenely expensive) bike, she’s following me to the end
of the earth!”
“I feel your pain man…” Ash sighed. He for one
could definitely relate
“It wasn’t until later that she figured out just
WHO I was, and then things just got worse! Take a look…” he handed Ash what
looked like a wanted poster… The poster had a picture of Aquamarine’s face
plastered on it. “My most recent bounty”
“Wanted: Aquamarine… Super Fiend and accomplice
of Sky Render yadda-yadda-yadda… double S-rank… blah-blah … and the reward…
GAH!” Ash’s eyes opened wide when he saw the reward… “F… FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS…!?”
he exclaimed, staring at the amount of money written on the poster… and then
glanced back at Aquamarine, and then back at the bounty… then back at
Aquamarine…
“Hey, don’t get any ideas!” Aquamarine snatched
the poster out of Ash’s hand and growled, stopping any thoughts Ash might’ve
had about getting greedy…
“So… she’s after you not just for the bike, but
for the ridiculously high bounty? Seems logical… plenty of people would sell
their souls for that much money!” Ash crossed his arms, “But if she’s just a bounty
hunter, then what’s the problem? You beat up entire armies! You’re obviously
WAY stronger than her, right?”
“Two things Ash… first of all, while she is aware
of my bounty, she isn’t the least bit interested in that. Another thing is, I
know I’m stronger than her… but it’s just… she’s a GIRL!” Aquamarine shouted.
“That’s it? Because you can’t fight a girl?”
asked Ash, “Uh, have you ever heard of something called equa-” before he could
finish, Aquamarine cut him off
“Have YOU ever fought a girl before?” Asked
Aquamarine, and Ash immediately shut up. It was true… the most Ash ever did
against girls was a pokémon battle, but with all the fighting involving
weapons… among the hundreds of opponents he had faced, whether punks, rockets,
Super Fiends or servants of the cult… they were all male. “Doesn’t matter how
much we talk of gender-equality, when it comes down to it, we just can’t bring
ourselves to actually HIT them!” the two of them sighed…
“But what was that you said about her not being
interested in the money?” Ash blinked, “Also, when you say that the bike is
only one of the reasons… does that mean there’s something more going on between
you?” Ash started to remember a similar situation of his own… “Let’s see… if
experience teaches me anything… the girl’s bike getting destroyed, she starts
following you… sticks to you like glue and eventually forgets about the bike
because her real reason is… Oh I get it! NIIIICE!” a large sly grin crossed
Ash’s face and he nudged Aquamarine. “I knew you had it in you! And she’s
pretty cute too (aside from the temper issue)! Heh! I see what’s going on!
She’s only PRETENDING to want her bike back, but is following you… unable to
express her feelings and masks it with the spontaneous outburst and savage
beatings, while in reality Keisei pursues you because she really l-” Ash’s
speech was cut off when Aquamarine’s trident was inches from his face.
“Finish that sentence and DIE!” Aquamarine
snarled
“Uh… heh-heh… sorry, I seem to have been
mistaken…” Ash sweatdropped and smiled nervously, hoping not to incur the wrath
this guy was famous for. He had just gotten the guy off his case… he REALLY
didn’t want to start it all over again…
“You know… no matter how many times I think of
it, I really don’t know just what she wants from me. I can’t say for sure, but
since she found out who I am, she seems to be trying to get me to accompany
her… through any means possible (dragging my bloody corpse around is something
I wouldn’t put past her)” he shook his head, “I mean, she started really
pursuing me when she found out who I was… saying that she needed strong allies,
which is something I don’t get. What could she possibly need strong help for?
She’s already incredibly strong…”
“Really? I mean, when I saw the stance I sort of sensed
she knew what she was doing… but is she really that good?”
“Keisei… don’t mistake her for the normal people
you’d find on this country. She comes from the same land the rest of the fiends
do, and that place is full of fighters. Even there he is exceptional, both a
trainer and fighter of the highest calibre, even possessing some special powers
that put her on par with the other Super Fiends.”
“Well if she’s so tough, why not let her join?”
Asked Ash, “We’re fighting the cult with really small numbers, and strong
allies are a good thing! Right?”
“It’s precisely because of that cult that I’m not
going to let her in!” Said Aquamarine. “Ash… do you know how many Super Fiends
there are? You see… when you first started fighting us, we had eight people.
Right now we’re down to just six… but the Fiends once held a lot more than
that. We used to have nearly fifty people, all skilled fighters with great
strength and some possessing special powers… all following Sky as we continued
an ongoing fight the cult. Right now… all of them are dead, and the Super
Fiends that you know are all that remain. More than that… we’ve lost our leader”
He sighed and looked down, gripping his knuckles, “I’ve lost too many friends
to the cult… and I don’t want any more sacrifices. I don’t want Keisei to have
any involvements with me, because I don’t want to be responsible for dragging
yet another person into this war. I don’t care if she keeps chasing me, I’ll
keep running.”
Ash said nothing… hearing Aquamarine say that, it
really got him into thinking… “(He’s really got a lot on his mind…)” Ash
thought to himself. Taking over the role of leader… it’s really changed
Aquamarine. Now all the responsibilities fell on him. “(Not just him… but
soon… I’ll also have that responsibility…)” Ash looked down at himself.
These months of resting, he had all but forgotten the war against the Cult… and
now he would soon be rejoining his group. More and more people have joined the
group ‘Dire Hunters’… and with this many fighting, it also means more lives
were on the line. Ash wasn’t naïve… he knew they were fully intending on making
him the leader again… and when that happens, he too will have to shoulder the
responsibility…
The two of them remained silent for several
minutes, neither of them spoke. It was then when Ash got back up, “I guess we
should head back to the gym now”
“Go ahead, but I’m staying here. She’s probably
still waiting for me to come back” Aquamarine crossed his arms and leaned back
against the wall. As Ash walked away, Aquamarine spoke up, “And Ash? Don’t
recruit her into your ‘Dire Hunters’ group.” He said, and Ash stared at him, “I
know you. You did think of it, even for just an instant, but let me tell you
this… If you drag her into this mess, I won’t forgive you”
***
(
Somewhere in the
Since the day it was built, no one has ever
breached this fortress, though occasionally chaos may break loose within the walls
when a Kaiser Beast breaks loose, going on a rampage and attacking Cultists.
Right now, there was chaos in the fortress, but it was not the work of any
rogue Kaiser Beast…
“RHAAA!!!” Gold Kaiser roared as he swung his
arm, striking an unfortunate cultist who was standing near enough, sending him
flying and hitting the ground.
“MY LORD! PLEASE RESTRAIN YOURSE-ARRGH!!” a hardy
cultist who made the mistake of going near him took the full brunt of Gold
Kaiser’s fist and was also sent crashing back. He writhed there, his face
broken, it was a miracle he was alive…
All around the great hall, cultists were
desperately scrambling to get away from him, as many of them lay there,
suffering from horrible injuries and even a number of Kaiser Beasts among those
clinging to life, as Gold Kaiser continued to take out all his rage and
frustration on everyone around him.
[♪Baten Kaitos: House of Cards♪]
“My, my… Prince Gold… such behaviour is unfitting
for one of your standing…” Silver Kaiser smirked as he watched the scene of
chaos… rather enjoying the show “Are you really that upset over the outcome of
the battle?”
“Hmph…” Gold Kaiser scowled as began to stop
thrashing the cultists around him. He crossed his arms and turned to his
counterpart, “You seem rather calm, despite our failure. From what I heard, you
were defeated by a mere Chosen One”
“All blatant lies, I assure you.” Silver Kaiser
shrugged casually, “True, I was surprised by his power… but there was no real
damage. Had I wanted to continue, I would have slaughtered them all” he said,
placing his hand over his chest. Gold Kaiser nodded, he knew he was telling the
truth. Despite taking damage from that Chosen One’s attack, Silver Kaiser’s
body remained intact and could easily continue fighting. “Your opponent the
other hand wasn’t even a fully qualified Chosen One, nor did he possess any
outstanding powers… what happened?”
“Grr…” Gold Kaiser clenched his teeth,
remembering his fight with Ash. He had him hopelessly outmatched, there was no
way for that boy to have won… until he used that strange ability of his… what
was it called? “Judgement Ball…” he could remember attack that boy used, and
its devastating effects… “(If that ball had touched me… then I certainly
would have suffered the same fate…)” he growled… coming face-to-face with a
power capable of destroying him… it was something he was not prepared for… “(Even
if just for a moment, I actually felt threatened…)”
“Hmm…” seeing how there was nothing to talk
about, Silver Kaiser simply left. “There is no reason for me to stay here. Prepare
my transport, I shall return to my own temple” he said coolly and some cultists
went running to carry out his orders, while numerous Kaiser Priests began their
work, their mechanical hands had literally opened up and from inside were all
these mechanical tools, used to repair the damaged bodies of the cultists…
“Inquisitor” Gold Kaiser spoke coldly, his call
seemed directed to no one in particular
“How may I serve you, my Lord?” out of the
hundreds of cultists in the room, there was one Inquisitor-ranked cultist
happened to be here and came running at the call, dropping to one knee and
bowing to the prince.
“Begin mass-production and distribution of
weapons, and order the construction of one hundred Kaiser Beasts.” He said, “I
want to see an army mobilized quickly”
“Y-yes my lord…” The Inquisitor lowered his head,
“B-but sir… if I may ask… why?” he wondered. Kaiser Beasts were among the
Cult’s strongest weapons, only to be used in large battles and invasions, and
usually in small numbers. Even in a large-scale battle, only a few Kaiser
Beasts would be used, and ten alone have the power to match an entire army… but
one hundred?! What could possibly need that many?!
“We shall prepare for war. As soon as this army
is ready, our forces will lay siege on this country.” Gold Kaiser answered
“B-but sir…!” The Inquisitor exclaimed, “S-such
an attack on the open… it is not time yet! We have not received the word from
our great Tyrant…!”
“Do as you are told, and command the troops to
mobilize… lest I need do it myself and kill you in the process…” Gold Kaiser
said bitterly, and the Inquisitor shrunk in fear. It was a well-known fact
among the Gold Legion for Inquisitors to watch themselves around Gold Kaiser as
he was notorious for using them to make ‘examples’. In fact, almost of the
inquisitor-ranked cultists that had died were the result of displeasing Gold
Kaiser.
“A… at once, my lord…!” the cultist did as he was
told and ran off, both amazed and grateful at the miracle that he was still
alive
“Hmm…” Gold Kaiser crossed his arms began walking
from this room. The Tyrant had always insisted that the existence of the cult
remain secret and they refrain from attacking in the open until they gain more
power… “We have played the waiting game for too long… That old fool… always
telling that we are the strongest, yet making us hide like vermin… we already
possess more than enough military power in this temple alone to overrun the
continent!” Gold Kaiser evidently did not share the Tyrant’s point of view.
Hiding was an act of weakness… among the most despicable actions in the eyes of
Cult. “I shall prove you wrong, Tyrant… as my forces shall lay waste to this
country. With every city destroyed, anyone who opposes slaughtered… you will
not question my judgement ever again. As soon as my army is mobilized, one
night will be all it takes… and before the people of this country realize
what’s happening, Kanto will be destroyed…”
***
(
“Hmm…” Ash sighed as he passed through the
entrance of the gym and walked through the hallways. He kept thinking about
those words Aquamarine said at the end, about him not wanting Keisei to be part
of this… “Aquamarine’s got a lot on his mind…” Ash said to himself. With Sky
Render gone, the task had fallen upon Aquamarine to be the new leader… but
despite the fact that he was easily strong enough for the position, he just
didn’t have the confidence, “It’s because he’s so loyal to Sky… he feels that
position should only belong to that man…” Ash sighed. It was true, being the
leader meant that you’re responsible for everything, and Aquamarine probably
felt that if something bad should happen… such as the death of either his
comrades or even someone like Keisei, it would be his fault.
“Then again… it’s sensible for him to think like
that… this is a time of war after all…” Ash sighed… thinking of Aquamarine
handling his responsibility with so much concern, it really made him wonder
whether he himself has been taking the whole situation too lightly. During the
past two months he stayed at Pallet, he’s always been relaxing and spending
time with Misty… he really had gotten lazy. He had fought at most three or four
pokémon battles and rarely trained. But everyone else… during that whole time,
the level of battle had grown significantly, and who knew what hardships and
horrors they all faced? “I lost to Gold Kaiser because let myself go soft…” he
said, clutching his fist, “I won’t make that mistake again… for everyone’s
sake. I’ll end that Cult and their twisted ambitions, and I won’t let any of by
friends be sacrificed in the process.” He pushed open the door to the main
stadium, “Hey guys, I’m back” he spoke up
“Ash!” a lot of them exclaimed, running over to
him, asking him questions; Was he all right? Where did he go? What happened?
Those sorts of things
“Nah, don’t worry, I’m fine” Ash replied calmly,
keeping them from being concerned. He then looked around, “Where’d Keisei go?”
“That girl? She left to go find Aquamarine”
replied A.J. “Girls… I don’t get them. All this fuss over a bike… you break one
and they chase you to the end of the world…”
“Oh really?” hearing this, Brock suddenly had an
interesting idea…
“Well, there’s nothing left for us to do here. We
lost the battle, but we succeeded in driving the Kaisers away and saving this
City. The people are working hard to rebuild it, and it’s a good idea we move
on, before we start attracting attention.” Said
“I agree” said Richie, “A lot of people saw us
with Aquamarine, and because everyone thinks Sky Render’s the one responsible
for the attack… just being associated with someone who knows him can mean
trouble for us”
“Hmm…” Ash sighed, crossing his arms, “I guess we
really should move on… but the question is, what’s coming up next? Where are we
supposed to go now?”
“I believe I can answer that question” a familiar
voice spoke…
“Huh? AH!” Ash exclaimed as he turned around, and
saw him standing right there… “EBI!” he exclaimed, jumping back in surprise,
“When did…!”
“Shut up!” Ebi immediately cut him off
“Oh sorry… It’s just the way you pop up… it’s
kind of weird…” said Ash
“Really? You think it’s weird?” asked Ebi,
crossing his arms, “So we’re a group of kids waging war on a secret
organization of religious cyborgs from the medieval era… and you say the way I
make my entrances is weird. Yeah, perfectly logical”
“Jeez Ebi, did you come all the way here to
advise me or insult me?” asked Ash… but then realized something, “DAMMIT EBI!
THIS BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER FREAKY PRE-RECORDED BRAIN MESSAGE!” he shouted
“Calm down Ash! Everyone can see me!” Ebi
exclaimed before Ash tore this hat apart. “I may not be here in the flesh, but
this is not a pre-recorded or inside your head. I constructed this cap with a
holographic projector (they’re easier to make, plus messing with your head was
only funny once). I’m appearing here in the form of a hologram” he explained,
“About the battle… tell me everything that happened.”
Several minutes passed as Ash and the group
recounted everything that happened in the battle of
“WHAT!?” Ebi gasped, unable to believe what he
heard, “The attack was led by both Gold AND Silver Kaiser you say!?”
“If all they wanted was to take the City, the two
wouldn’t have needed to come, but this invasion was bait to lure Chosen Ones to
be used in the sacrifice.” Explained Ash, “Though we all made it out alive,
it’s difficult to say who really won…” Ash looked down and remembered his fight
with that man… nothing he did could even hurt that man remotely. Gold Kaiser…
his strength was beyond anything he had ever seen… not even the Kaiser Tyrant
could even match him… “They said they were the messiahs… the Chosen Ones of the
Cult…”
“With their strength, they may just as well be.”
Nodded Ebi
“I don’t get it. I’ve been fighting the Cult for
a long time, and I know that the Super Fiends have been fighting them even longer.
We’ve run into the Kaiser Knights plenty of times, and have been told how
they’re the original founders of the cult, not to mention the strongest ones of
all… but Gold and Silver Kaiser, they’re in a completely different level…” said
Ash… “Just where did these two come from?”
“In all honesty, even I don’t know anything about
them.” Ebi shook his head and shrugged, “Nothing about the Kaiser Cult itself
has ever been recorded in history, and even now as we’re fighting them, we have
very little knowledge about them.” Ebi sighed. “The Cult has gotten stronger
than we could have possibly foreseen… up to the point where even Chosen Ones
can’t stand up to them.”
“This can’t go on” said Ash. “We’re just a small
group of kids, scattered and trying to fight an enemy that stays invisible till
it’s too late! We can’t keep fighting like this! We all have to work together…
more than that, we have to come up with a plan to stop them!” he gripped his
knuckles tight, “Sky Render…! We need him! He’s a Chosen One, and far stronger
than me! He’s the strongest ally we could hope for!”
“Sky Render…” everyone sighed. That man possessed
unbelievable power, even more than Aquamarine. The strongest Chosen One in this
generation, his support could easily shift the tides of war… but they all knew
there was a problem. No one knows where he is. Ever since he vanished those
months ago, there have been no confirmed sightings of him, and almost any
information flying around about him would be false. “We don’t even know where
to begin looking. There’s no reliable sources, especially after the attack on
Cerulean, everyone believes he’s in Kanto” said Ebi, looking down
“No… I know where he went” said Ash… remembering
the last time he saw him…
-Sky Render didn’t answer, but a tear formed
in his eye. Sky Render dropped his sword, and it faded away. He looked up at
Ash, and smiled… “You really are a special guy… are you?” He sighed, and began
to walk off. “Right now… I have to go… on a journey…” he stopped, and spoke,
“To Wa'xen Mountain… my home. I shall remain there… to recollect my memories,
and discover the past I have forgotten… if you ever need me, I will be waiting
there” He turned around, “If I do find out about my past, I might tell you the
story” he smiled, “Farewell!”-
“Wa’Xen Mountain… wherever that is, THAT’S where
we’ll find him!” said Ash
“Did you say Wa’xen…!?” Ebi exclaimed, throwing
his arms into the air, his glasses nearly flew off from the shock. Everyone
stared at him strangely. “Ahem… excuse me” he cooled off and straightened
himself up in a dignified manner. “Wa’xen is infamous, and simply getting there
is already a challenge in itself… but that doesn’t even compare to the true
danger of the mountain… adventurers avoid it, because no one has ever
returned…”
“Ebi, since when has stuff like that mattered to
me?” Ash crossed his arms, “Do you know the location or not?”
“We all know where it is, you’d have to be blind
to miss it” said the group standing around Ash and Misty, “One of the biggest
mountains in the world, but you won’t find it in anywhere this country”
“Wa’xen is in a distant land to the east… the
land where I am currently standing” Ebi snapped his fingers, and the image of
him disappeared, replaced by a large map, “The place you seek is found in the
great continent Dynastia.”
“Dynastia?” asked Ash… he’s never heard of that
place before
“Dynastia is a super continent, and by far the
biggest landmass in this world… many thousands of times the size of Kanto. It
is also often referred to as the Ageless Continent… because of the way time
there seems to flow differently from the rest of the world” Ebi explained, “In
Dynastia, there are thousands of cities, all living under their own form of
government, unique cultures and in a different time period. For example, you
can find some modern cities just like this one in Dynastia, but the next town
over could very well be guarded by fortified castle walls, ruled by a king, and
the people all living in a medieval period, with that level of technology.
Don’t be surprised if the next one over is a futuristic, technologically
advanced civilization, or one that resembles that of the ancient greeks. Feudal
Japanese towns, gothic cities, European renaissance… any civilization of any
period you can imagine, it’ll exist somewhere on that continent.” Said Ebi,
straightening his glasses, “Countries like the one we live in are all run by
the World Government, but that has no power there, and the pokémon league is
nonexistent. While there is communication between the civilizations and they
are on generally good terms with each other, but they do not share
technologies… they keep their knowledge to preserve their cultures and advance
at their own pace.”
“Wa…!” Ash’s eyes widened. A place like this…
sounded like an adventurer’s dream!
“However, there is a catch… the reason why the
continent is mostly unexplored. While laws exist in that land, it only applies
to within the walls and area surrounding each city. Outside though… in the vast
spaces separating each civilization, there are no rules whatsoever, anything
goes. Barbarian tribes, hoards of bandits, armies of raiders… those are just a
few of the dangers you’ll find there” he continued, “It’s not uncommon for
people to carry weapons, and especially to find people who are good at it. It
is after all, the land where Sky Render, as well as the rest of the Super
Fiends (excluding Aquamarine) comes from, and most likely this Keisei as well”
“Walking around Dynastia’s no picnic either, you
rarely ever find trainers from our country out there. The battle level is
completely different, everyone carries weapons and any trainers there will
automatically go for the Rupture Battle” said AJ
“During the past months, we’ve all been working
there, venturing across that continent. It’s rough business, and we had to
quickly learn to fight in order to survive. But all those bandit hoards and
stuff walking around are just the small fries, because down there, armies of
the Cult walk out in the open, not bothering to hide themselves. They go for
all out wars and full on invasions. More than once we just barely made it out
alive” said Richie
“So it’s clear then… where we have to go!” said
Ash, “The battle of
“YEAH!” Everyone’s fist shot into the air.
“I will be waiting. Ebi out!” Said Ebi, and the
hologram vanished
“Everyone, get your things, we’ll leave as soon
as we can!” Said Ash… but then looked around, “Hey… wait a second, where’s
Brock?”
“We interrupt your regular broadcast to bring you
an urgent bulletin!” everyone turned to the TV, the news was on, “Following a
recent attack and hostage crisis in Cerulean City by an unknown terrorist army,
once again Cerulean finds itself under attack!” said the newscaster
“What!?” Everyone gasped, “Did the Kaisers come
back!?”
“An unidentified individual is wreaking havoc and
rampaging through the city, apparently destroying the bicycle of every female
in sight. He is presumed armed and dangerous” the newscaster spoke, “The
suspect is described as a teenage man with spiky brown hair, tanned skin and…
am I hearing this right? No… eyes?”
“AH…” Everyone’s jaw dropped and eyes opened
wide. No…! Surely it couldn’t be…!
“We now bring you live on scene with Asian
Reporter Trisha Takenawa!”
“For the last time! My name is PATRICIA!” Asian
reporter Patrici Tokugawa said angrily as the camera focused on her. “AHEM…!
I’m standing here at the centre of
“Hey there beautiful… that’s a real nice bike
over there… is it yours?”
“W-what…? N… no, it isn’t… (CRASH!) EEEEEK! GET
AWAY FROM ME YOU FREAK!”
“Awww… don’t be like that… hey look! It’s Officer
Jenny! So Jenny… I assume you have received my message of LOVE? (SMACK!)
AAAAAGH!!!” his screams echoed over the sound of an intense beating, “POLICE
BRUTALITY! POLICE BRU-*CLICK*” the TV suddenly turned off.
“…” Ash stood there, clutching the remote, as
everyone was speechless. “Okay, change of plans…” said Ash, everyone standing
there like they had just seen the scariest movie ever. “We move onto Dynastia,
AFTER we break him out of jail”
***
(Location-???) [♪Baten Kaitos- Awakening
Disaster♪]
“KILL ALL!” Shouted Red Kaiser, “DESTROY!” the
Kaiser Knight screamed as he whirled his sword as he ran through the town.
“KILL!” those words he shouted again and again. Red Kaiser roared as he lunged
forward and grabbed a man by the head, crushing his skull with his bare hand.
“NO LEAVE ANY ALIVE!!!” He was like a fierce demon, attacking wildly, and
cutting down anyone who came close enough. Even a number of his own men lay
slain by him, caught by his berserk killing frenzy… he made no distinction
between friend or foe. The ground was littered with corpses and soaked with
blood. The rebels had fought fiercely against the army of cultists, and despite
the vast difference in numbers, the army was successfully repelled. However…
the rebels stood no chance against the fury of the Kaiser Knights. The Kaisers
continued to pillage the town, killing everyone in sight, even those who were
not fighters. There was no one left…
“The cleansing is over…” said Blue Kaiser,
sheathing his rapier. “This village is guilty of housing the rebel faction that
had so persistently defied us… but now justice is served. The village is
destroyed, and the rebels are no more”
“And their leader? What of him?” asked White
Kaiser
“Hmph, I expect he is already dead, just like the
rest of his followers” scoffed Green Kaiser. They had fought fiercely… the
fighter guild as ‘Super Fiend’… a group of nearly fifty expert fighters hailing
from across the lands, all of them following a man known as the Sky Render.
“Ungh…!” the knights all turned their heads as
they heard a sound. There, crawling on the ground was a young blue haired boy
no older than twelve, crawling injured on the ground, not far from him lay a
heavily wounded pokémon, a Totodile. “C… can’t give up… not now…!” he said,
trying to stand up, using a cracked spear for support… the shaft broke and he
fell to the ground. “No…!” he closed his eyes in despair… “Ah…!” his expression
suddenly changed, as an older youth with spiky hair and a katana by his side
ran towards him.
“What did they do to you…?!” the older boy spoke,
getting down on his knees and held the younger boy, who still clutched his
weapon, “Are… are you all right…!?”
“I… I’m so sorry…! We failed… we couldn’t stop
them!” the young began to cry, “They… they’re all gone… all of them! The Super
Fiends… they’ve all been wiped out!”
“No…!” The teenager’s eyes opened wide, “This
can’t be…! They didn’t all die…!”
“I don’t know…!” tears continued to flow from the
boy, “Creel… Elken… Rondas… Harmel! All dead…!” he was trembling… “Farsight…
Bonsai… Cleft… they couldn’t do anything against HIM…!” Aquamarine trembled,
unsure if those ones even survived. Even the stronger core members of the
fiends stood no chance against Red Kaiser, who had lead the attack and
single-handedly wiped out the fiends. “They’re just too strong… they’re
monsters…!”
“That’s enough Aquamarine… it’s all right…” the
youth said gently, setting him on the ground. “We will mourn lost, but not now…
not while the enemy stands before us…” He turned his glare to the knights in
front of him, “The source of this evil…” the young man stood up and drew his
sword.
“He’s the last one” said White Kaiser, seeing
this boy intended to fight them… a young man, no older than fourteen. The Super
Fiends fought fiercely, they were all battle hardened warriors and rogues, but
this one here looked so fragile compared to them. In the face of these
formidable Kaiser Knights, this youth looked like nothing. “Shall I have the
honour?” he asked, raising his scimitar.
“Go ahead” The others smirked. White Kaiser
charged forwards, ready to finish off the last survivor… the boy clutched his
katana…
CLASH!!!!
“AAAAH!!!” White Kaiser’s scream followed the
sound of two swords clashing. The boy was still standing; White Kaiser however,
was not.
“AH…!” the other knights gasped. The swing from
that boy’s sword not only deflected White Kaiser’s attack, but had completely
overpowered him and sent him flying! “Impossible…” said Blue Kaiser “How can a
human have so much strength…?”
“No… look at that!!!” White Kaiser gasped,
getting up. Everyone gasped as they saw, a golden glow surrounding the boy’s
sword… “That light… The Power of one!!!” he said in disbelief, “He’s a Chosen
One!”
“Murderers… all of you… you killed them all…” the
boy’s voice was cold with bitter hatred, “You attack my home… you slaughtered
my companions… you monsters!”
“Knave…! Speak your name!” Shouted Green Kaiser,
as he gripped his broadsword…
“My name…?” The boy held up his Katana and struck
a fighter stance “You know my name… the name that has long defied your cult” He
said quietly, “I AM THE SKY RENDER!!!” he screamed as he charged forwards to
the murderous Kaisers…
***
(Location- Wa’Xen Mountain)
“AH!” Sky Render exclaimed as he woke up, his
hand shot to the side and he gripped his sword. He breathed heavily and was
sweating excessively, as he looked left and right “Just a dream…” he said as he
calmed down and sighed, “Or at least… I wish I could say that it was just a dream…”
he said sadly. Those weren’t dreams, he wasn’t even lucky enough for them to be
nightmares. They were memories… of the darkest day of his life. “Hmmm…” he
looked up at the sky, it was still dark, and dawn was approaching, “Even if
dawn arrives… I won’t see the sun. It never shines here… it never has… since
that day…” he sighed, gazing at the black clouds hanging over the mountain top.
“When these grounds became cursed…”
Closing his eyes once more, he leaned his head
back as he began to reminisce the past once again. That day he had lost
everyone… the day the Kaisers lay siege to his village… to reflect on that day,
almost five years ago…
***
(Wa’Xen Village, Five Years Ago) [♪Final
Fantasy X- Confrontation♪]
“RAAAAGH!!!!” young Sky screamed, as he deflected
the swords of the Kaiser Knights. He had sustained a number of wounds, fighting
three of them at once, but he remained strong, he was not about to give up…
“WRETCHED HUMAN!” Green Kaiser roared as he
charged at Sky, swinging his broadsword sword down upon him
“Grrr!” Sky raised his sword over his head,
blocking the downward swing from Green Kaiser but left his body open, and Green
Kaiser didn’t miss that chance, slamming him hard with his fist, causing him to
reel back with one or two cracked ribs.
“I have you now!” White Kaiser lunged with his
scimitar, intending skewer the boy
“HMM!” Using the strength of his legs, Sky sprung
upward, evading the attack completely, as White Kaiser’s sword stabbed into the
ground. “SKY DIVING STRIKE!” Sky shouted, diving down sword first, and striking
his blade right through the white knight’s back. “Hmph…” Sky stepped off White
Kaiser, pulling out his sword
“Grrr…” White Kaiser slowly got up, panting. His
body was unable to feel pain, but his movements were obviously hindered by the
wound. “I shall not lose… TO A SAVAGE LIKE YOU!!!!” he howled, attacking Sky…
“HAAA!!!” Sky darted forward, right past White
Kaiser. Before White Kaiser could react, Sky had already sheathed his sword.
White Kaiser’s eyes were open wide, his scimitar fell from his hand… and the
top half of his body fell to the ground, his legs were still standing. Sky had
sliced him in half.
“AH…” White Kaiser was still alive… but he
couldn’t believe he had just been defeated… by a human… by a child… but more
than that, he couldn’t believe this boy’s level of skill “H… how… is it
possible…?” his head sank down, in defeat…
“HOW DARE YOU!!!” Blue Kaiser shouted, outraged
by White Kaiser’s humiliation at the hands of this boy. He darted forward,
lunging his body, trying to stab Sky
“HM! HAAA!!!” tilting his body to the side, he
evaded a stab from Blue Kaiser’s rapier, and the Kaiser was completely open,
“HA!!!”
“UGH!” Blue Kaiser’s eyes opened wide as Sky
slashed him across the chest and cutting deep into him. Blue Kaiser gasped
stumbling back, even with his mechanical body, the wound was critical, and it
was becoming harder to move. “D-damn…!” He cursed as he collapsed to the ground,
his body stopped functioning.
“You demon!!!” Green Kaiser suddenly attacked
Sky, brandishing a broadsword in one hand, a shield in the other…
-CHING-
“Ah?” Green Kaiser’s mind didn’t even have time
to register what happened. All of the sudden, he couldn’t even feel his hand
gripping his sword. Looking to his right, he gasped, his arm wasn’t even
attached to his own body! “Y… you…!” he threw his shield aside and bent over to
grab the blade with his other hand, but suddenly fell. Looking back, he could
see his legs had also been cut from his body as well!
“I cut through your bodies, but you did not die…”
said Sky, staring at the three defeated opponents. “What are you?!”
“We are Kaisers” Sky heard a voice speak up. He
turned around and saw the last one. A Chinese warrior, wearing a red cape that bore
the symbol of a sword bound by chains and surrounded by a ring of fire. “You
can try, but we do not die easily like humans do” he spoke with a smug look on
his face. Drawing his sword, he approached Sky, “You are Chosen One… but so
young. To match Kaiser Knights, you are strong” a wicked smile crossed his
face....
CLASH!!!
“Ah…!” Sky gasped, barely deflecting Red Kaiser's
sword with his own
“But I am stronger” Said Red Kaiser
“We’ll see about that…!” said Sky as he swung his
sword, and Red Kaiser jumped back. Sky growled “(this man… he’s not like the
others… I didn’t even see him draw his sword!)” this man not like the others…
he was far stronger than the rest!
“Power of One no help you now!” Shouted Red
Kaiser, as they swung their swords at one another, “You may be Chosen One, but
not strong enough!” he shouted, looking at Sky’s sword mockingly. The light only
surround weapon… this boy is nothing but a level I! And Red Kaiser’s strength
was increasing, he was getting faster. “HAIYAAA!!” Sky gasped when Red Kaiser
swung his sword harder than before. Sky managed to block it, but was thrown off
balance. “I kill many Chosen Ones before…” and expression of insanity spread
across Red Kaiser’s face. He had grown unstable, it was the spirit of the
battle that had taken over him, “I KILL!!!! KAISER SWORD!!!!”
“HAAA!!!” Sky shouted, striking his sword upward
with every bit of strength…
CLASH!!!
“Hmmm!!” Red Kaiser slid back, keeping a firm
grip on his sword
“urgh…!” Sky growled, hunching over. His arms
were sore from deflecting Red Kaiser’s killing blow… it felt like his arms were
about to fall off…
The fighting continued, growing increasingly
violent. Sky was struggling to continue… this man was by far the strongest
opponent he had ever faced, and the only thing he could rely on to even compete
with this berserker was his skills.
“Heh-heh-heh…!” Red Kaiser laughed. He seemed
like he was in pure ecstasy, like he had never enjoyed anything as much as this
battle… “Now… I finish it… I kill…”
“It ends here… Kaiser… I will avenge… all those
who died by your hands…” Sky Render spoke, his breathing was laboured, his
voice was ragged…
"Hmm…" The two swordsmen took a
fighting stance. The wind blew in the background, and rain fell from the
heavens… “HAAAAAAA!” they both charged…
“KAISER SWORD!!!”
“RISING RENDER!!!”
CLASH!!!!
***
(Present) [♪Baten Kaitos- Speaking with
the Stars♪]
“Ugh…” Sky Render closed his eyes and rubbed his
head. The memories still fresh in his mind… even after these years, the pain
from the wounds he had sustained, the fury he felt from that battle… he could
still feel that pain
-FLASH- Red Kaiser and Sky were fighting… neither
was getting closer to winning…
Those weren’t the only things that didn’t fade.
The land had been tainted by the Kaiser’s evil… even to this day, the ground
was stained black and nothing would grow, while the black clouds of the burning
village still blocked the sun…
-FLASH- rain fell from the dark sky, lightning crashed.
The village, which had stood for generation after generation was burning… it
was the end…
The Super Fiends had been decimated. Almost all
of them died in battle that day… but the true horrors of that day had only just
begun…
-FLASH- Sky stood there, heavily wounded… but he
had won… he had just barely defeated Red Kaiser… but suddenly, another figure
emerged… the Kaiser Tyrant…!
Young Sky was no match for the Kaiser Tyrant,
especially after being already exhausted and wounded by Red Kaiser, he did not
stand a chance.
-FLASH- The Kaiser Tyrant held Sky by his neck…
he was going to kill him… when suddenly, someone came running in this
direction…
“Era…!” Sky Render said out loud… “No… this isn’t
right…!” something was wrong… her face and body, it was just as if someone had
cut it out from a picture, leaving only a blank silhouette… and the words she
spoke, were faded to such an extent he couldn’t hear anything… “No…!”
-FLASH- the surroundings have changed, he had
escaped from the mountain. The golden glow of the power of one shone all over
his body, he had ascended to Level II… but he was not victorious… he collapsed
to his knees, and in his arms, he was holding someone… the blank silhouette… it
was speaking, but the voices were too faint… suddenly the silent murmurings
stopped, as did the movement… young Sky tried to shake the silhouette, but
there was no response… he was trembling… tears fell from his eyes, as he stood
up and screamed.
“ERA!!!!!” Sky Render suddenly screamed out,
clutching his skull. “No… I failed to protect you…!” he spoke, his teeth
clenched and his eyes shut tight. “I wanted to be with you forever…” he
trembled, “And I promised something to you… that very moment… what was it…?!
WHY CAN’T I HEAR IT?!!!!” He stood up and screamed.
The damage the Kaiser Tyrant had done to him in
their previous battle was far worse than anything he could have done
physically. The losses he suffered now could rob just about anyone’s wills to
live. All memories he had of her… her looks, her voice, the moments they had
shared, the things they had said, the promises they had made to each other…
were all gone… The young boy who had courageously stood up to the Kaiser Cult
was cursed to suffer. They were just memories, but to have lost them, the pain
was just too much…
It was not long after, he began wandering again
with what was left of the fiends. There was once over fifty people in the Super
Fiends… now only a few remained. The plant-expert martial artist Bonsai and
earth-powered brawler Cleft… The ice ninja AntiArctic and thunder soldier G.I.
Jolt who were both accompanied by their respective groups, AntiArctic by his
clan’s ninjas and Jolt by the best soldiers of his former unit… none of those
people survived, only the two leaders remained. The psychic twins Tranquil and
Sommeil had performed a forbidden spell in that battle, joining at the soul and
fusing into a single warrior of incredible power, calling himself the Twin
Dreamer. Aquamarine was still just a kid learning to fight, ways off from being
considered an actual warrior.
As time passed, they eventually found the
sleeping Champion of Darkness, the ancient warrior once known as Black Kaiser.
The Cult, knowing that Sky Render and a few of his men survived, sought to
eliminate the remaining fiends, and the slander began. They began making their
names known to everyone, and spreading word of how they brought destruction and
death to all who crossed them. It wasn’t long until Sky Render became a name
feared and cursed by all. Now with the world as their enemy, they scattered
into teams of two… the Earth team, Bonsai and Cleft… the Storm team, AntiArctic
and G.I. Jolt, and the Nightmare team, Twin Dreamer and Goth. The young
Aquamarine continued to accompany Sky. Sky Render had many enemies… and by travelling
with him, Aquamarine had to fight a lot, and grow fast.
Though he had lost much, Sky could still find the
strength he needed, by looking into his past and remembering the words ‘she’
told him… but now… he had nothing. No memories of Era… he felt he had lost his
purpose… his reason for living. He continued to sit atop the mountain, and try
over and over again to search his memories, to find his purpose, and to
remember her face… Hell on earth, that’s what it is. This is the life of Sky
Render.
As Sky Render sits atop the village of
his birth… the cursed ruins of Wa’Xen Village, to this day he continues to
reflect on his past… to remember the face of the one who once gave him
strength. Far away, back in Kanto, Ash and his friends finally depart from
►TO BE CONTINUED