Red Streak

Prologue

Anasazi Forest, Johto

    My morning run wasn't the best. The diameter of the rather circular Anasazi
was
3 miles, and it usually took me ten minutes to complete, but today it was
thirteen. This
made for a bad day. I would have to do leg training into Gurbah, the Absence
of
Shadows. Then it was wind sprints until the sun fell into Torbah, Shadow
Realm. I
groaned at the thought of my legs burning as they always did when I ran or
worked hard.
It annoyed me. I headed over to the stream and spied Gurrey resting on the
stream bank. I
tried to seem cool and I strolled up to get a drink.
    I sat customarily in the cross-legged position and leaned forward. My
armored
lips touched the azure water and sucked gently. I always wondered how after
all 17 years
of my life the streams in the Anasazi always seemed to retain their silky
appearance and
smooth, clean taste. I always liked getting a drink from our many streams.
    "So, you going to work on you time, eh, Kellon?" said Gurrey. I started and
got
water up my nostril. I coughed, spluttered, and finally sneezed before
answering.
    "Who told you?..." I trailed off when I realized that asking a superior
about how
he got information was disrespectful in the Amon' Rah colony. I stopped and
regained
myself. I chose my next words carefully lest I be punished for disrespecting
a
commanding officer. "Where did you see me?" I asked again.
    "I've been watching you for quite some time, Kellon. You seem special in
the
Elites. I watched for you at Normot's Point, but you were 2 minutes late. I
was surprised;
it's not like you to let yourself down, Kellon."  I was surprised. Gurrey
had answered the
question hidden in my words, and I was grateful, but the answer made me
wonder. How
was I special? I thought. Does this mean anything? Is this bad? Oh no! Will
I be kicked
off the Elites?! This could be bad!!
    "No, don't worry. This doesn't mean anything. I just think that you are at
the top
of your game, Kellon. You have superior stats to the other Scizor and
Scyther in the
Elites. That's why you're special. And by the way, try to run with your arms
pumping
straighter next time," Gurrey said. He got up and walked silently off. I sat
cross-legged
and open-mouthed in awe. How did he do that? Well, it might have been
obvious. I
mean, who wouldn't freak out if the Commander of Elites told you that you
were special?
_>_>_>_>_>_>_>_>_>_>_>_>_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_<_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_

  I leaped from one branch to the next, one tree to another. It was an
exercise. I
would start at the bottom, jump to the lower branch of a tree and work my
way up,
randomly changing trees when I felt the need for a challenge. It was
rigorous: especially
if you were going to do it for an hour straight, on top of a Kona's (day's)
training. But my
legs needed it. I couldn't be three minutes late on my morning run again.
That might get
me kicked out of the Elites, special or not.
    My heart thudded in my red chest. My hour would be almost done, it would be
Torbah soon. Legs pumping, arms working. And the way, try to run with your
arms
pumping straighter next time, Gurrey's words echoed in my head. They were
straight as I
could make them, and I had noticed some improvement. I hopped to another
oak, and
then jumped off into space.
I let myself fall. I liked that feeling, wind rushing against your body and
the
weightless feeling. My legs were not only strong, they were tough. They
could easily
stand a fifty-foot fall like this. I didn't even have to use my wings the
slightest bit, I just
had to make sure I landed on my feet. The ground came closer and closer- I
landed with
a hearty thud on the leaf-ridden ground in a kneeling position. I got up
slowly and walked
back in the direction of the Elite Barracks as the sun sank it's last
stretch and Torbah
covered everything.


Chapter 2

Dinner was a meager plate of berries in the barracks. I didn't like the
thought of
eating a fellow Pokemon, and decided to become a vegetarian. I wasn't the
only one:
some people chose to be vegan for dietary or fitness needs, like Gurrey, who
always
insisted that he needed to lose a few pounds. And then there were just
random people
who just went with the flow, like Hugof and Laynin. They sat with me most of
the time
that I was actually at the barracks, only for meetings and meals, and then I
was a lone
wolf again, training and resting and thinking and sleeping. Poor Hugof: he
was an Elite,
but only by the blackmail his dad had enforced with the Amon' Rah leader,
Ferril. He
was rather short, and not even a Scizor, which was even worse. There are few
Scythers in
the Elites, but they're here for good reason, and if they can give a Scizor
much pain, then
they deserve a place in the barracks.
Laynin was a lone wolf, like me, before he joined the Amon' Rah tribe. He
was
found when a few Pidgeotto scouts spotted him struggling to get into the
Anasazi. A few
Elites were sent, just in case, and they brought him in. They cured him of
his wounds, but
scars were left. They brought Laynin before the Elder Council, who granted
him a
temporary stay for two weeks. He was to stay in the Elite barracks for lack
of better
shelter. But then another Scizor tribe, the Jornin, tried to take the
Anasazi Forest from the
Amon' Rah, and Laynin, still a Scyther, was accidentally taken as a soldier,
and fought
alongside the real Elites. He did well, and earned respect. He was brought
before the
Elder Council, who questioned him, wanting to find out about his past. He
was actually
from the Jornin tribe. He abandoned it after being abused by their tribe. He
had no idea of
their plans to attack, and was therefore granted a permanent stay. Gurrey
noticed him
during battle, and decided to make him a real Elite. He chose to become an
Amon' Rah
fighter, and became a Scizor. He's become somewhat popular, and has chosen
to follow
me around when I'm not training.
My berries were finished. I got up, took my wooden plate, and took it to the
kitchens to be cleaned. Hugof and Laynin were still eating. I was heading to
my bunk to
sleep; my bones probably couldn't stand another minute of exercise. I felt a
claw tap on
my shoulder. I spun around.
"Gurrey! What- Hello. Is there a problem?" I said. Man, I was having trouble
keeping my rank today. I had better be careful.
"No, no problem. Everything's fine. I just got word from Ferril- he wants
you in
the Elder Council immediately," Gurrey replied nonchalantly. Gurrey, being
the Elite
Commander, was often called to meetings with Amon' Rah's leader, Ferril, and
the Elder
Council. This, however, was new to me. I had never been to the Elder Council
before (I
had never thought myself that important) and I had never met Ferril in
person. I gulped.
"No, no, there's no problem!" Gurrey said with a chuckle. "He just wants to
talk to you,
that's all. You'd better hurry up, he wants you there in five minutes."
    "FIVE?!?" I blew up. Five minutes was all I had for fifteen. And if I was
late,
then I would be in serious trouble. I sprinted off and out of the barracks.
Once I had made
sure that no one saw me, I Agilit-ied off into the darkness of Torbah. No
Scizor or
Scyther was allowed to use attack moves inside the Anasazi, with the
exception of battle.
    I used Agility off trees to gain altitude. The higher you got in the
Anasazi, the less
trees there were, and the faster you could get somewhere. Not to mention the
cover if you
were using an attack move, like me.
    I spotted the Elder Council dome and quickly used Agility down a pair of
pine
trees. Their needles shook alternately as I bounced lightly off them.
Suddenly I shot off
one tree and zoomed towards Elder Council. I spread my wings as far as I
could get them,
and braked my hardest. The wind of my momentum caught my wings and I slammed
to a
halt. I dropped the last ten feet unaided and landed in a kneeling position.
I got up and
shook the enveloping soreness off my body. I stood tall, inhaled the sweet,
cool Torbah
air, and stepped inside the Elder Council.
    There was no door to the main hallway. This was a sign that anybody could
come
inside, and that all in the Amon' Rah tribe were equal. Of course, no one
just came in
there for nothing. It was a very strict place inside. Everything was
spotless: the wooden
floor planks had nary a speck of dirt. The walls and portraits hadn't seen
dust in several
years, it looked like. And it smelled nice inside, as if someone was burning
some pine
needles and tree sap- the result was somewhat smoky, but it smelled great.
And, looking
up, there wasn't any sign of smoke, so they must be burning it near the
ventilation
system. The Pokemon who designed this place must've really been thinking, I
thought.
I strolled down the hallway, and noticed my heavy breathing echoing off the
walls. I took deep breaths to calm my burning lungs down, and it worked a
little bit, but I
gave it up. I had an excuse- I had five minutes to get here from the Elite
barracks. No
excuses, I thought to myself. I cursed under my breath. I wished Gurrey had
told me
earlier. This was going to make for a bad first impression.
I spied a door inscribed with the words, 'Elder Council'. I took a deep
breath,
stood tall, calmed my beating heart (or tried to) and stepped forward into
the organic
light.

Chapter 3

I stepped forward, looking all around in wonder. I was in a circular room
with-
"Ahem. Sorry, sirs, and ma'am," I said, nodding to a female Scyther, "to
keep you
waiting." I looked at all the Scizor and Scyther surrounding me. Most of
them were old
males, excepting the female. In addition, all the Elders were Scyther
except- a Scizor in
the center of the Elders caught my eye. I could rather tell he was old: he
was sitting in a
polished oak chair, and didn't have his eyes open. Unlike some of the old
Scythers
present, who had bags of skin drooping almost everywhere, you couldn't ell
how a
Scizor's inner skin was drooping, and metal can't droop. But there was just
something
about his posture that told me he was old... He must be Ferril, Amon' Rah's
leader, I
thought. He stirred and spoke,
"You are not late, young Elite. You are three minutes early. But next time,
don't
use Agility to get here. Gurrey wanted you to get here fast and lied. You
had ample
enough time to walk, had you known." I started. He was almost like Gurrey in
the fact
that he could tell what was on your mind. In fact, Ferril didn't have his
eyes open. It was
startling and almost creepy.
"Well, I wish I'd known, too. Elder, can I ask a question?" I asked.
"You already have. Don't ask questions, it's not time. Come forward, young
Elite," spoke Ferril. On top of my nervousness, I was beginning to get
creeped out. I
noticed the shadows playing tag on the ground, and looked up. A glass
chandelier was
hanging there, with candles perfectly trimmed, all lighted. That made me
wonder. Scyther
or Scizor couldn't start fires, so how did they melt the sands needed to
make glass? I
mentally kicked myself and focused.
The other Elders were leering at me. I thought that this was just between
Ferril
and I so why did they have to be here? Too many questions, just listen, I
told myself.
"You are here, before the Elder Council, to be talked about. Gurrey has told
me
about your exceptional skills, and he would like to make something out of
it." That
statement got my brain running again, my head buzzing with questions. Why
would
Gurrey do this? Am I that special? Wait, what if-
"He recommended that you be a Second, Kellon. A Second..." Ferril paused.
"Do
you know what that means?" He asked. I shook my head, but deep in the
recesses of my
mind, I knew. I don't know why I shook my head. Maybe I'd get more answers
this way,
I thought. "I'll tell you. You command half of the Elites. You, Kellon. You
command
them in battle, in training. You have the same rights and responsibilities
as Gurrey, but
he's more important. So you take orders from him, and he takes them from
me." This got
a few chuckles from the other Elders. I tried to force a laugh, but it died
in my tight
throat.
"Sir, I refuse." I said abruptly. I was surprised at myself; it didn't even
sound like
me talking, like the words just came out of my mouth themselves.
"What?" said the colony leader stupidly in surprise.
"I said, sir-" I almost choked on my words, "that I refuse to be a Second."
The
Council buzzed with sudden chatter.
"Heh, I don't think you can do that, Kellon. Gurrey suggested, the Council
passed. You have already been recorded and an Elite Second. There's no
turning back,
Kellon. You've got no say in this. This is all, you may leave," was the cold
reply.
"I don't? Why?" I aid before I could stop myself. The Council grew louder.
Ferril
glared.
"Are you talking back to me, Kellon? Are you challenging superiority, or a
direct
order? Because if you are, Elite, the Swordzor help you!" Ferril raged. I
shrank back.
"Sorry sir, it won't happen again," I said quickly.
"It had better not!" Ferril raged again. I noticed how quiet it had become.
The
Council had shut their mouths. I said nothing more, turned quickly and
hurried to the
door. Just before I slammed it shut, the Council started up again.
I slammed the door shut, and leaned against it. I sighed with relief. That
wasn't
maddening, it was scary. I was scared that making Ferril mad would not only
get me
booted out of the Elites, but it would get me thrown out of the colony!
"He give you a tough time?" asked a familiar voice. I looked up.
"Whatttt- Gurrey! You startled me!" I panted. "Yeah, he yelled at me. But
actually-" I paused, thinking back, "That's all he really did..." I mentally
reprimanded
myself for thinking so nonchalantly of what happened. That was horrible and
you better
damn well know it, I chided myself.
"Eh, he does that to all people who come in there. It sorta keeps them in
line,"
replied Gurrey. I couldn't believe it- that Scizor was grinning. Like, from
ear to ear. "He
did that to me, you know, yelled at me. But deep down, when you really know
him, he's
a loveable old coot, believe it or not."
"I don't. I don't believe. Nor do I believe that you're smiling! Why? That
was
probably the single most scary moment of my life!!" I shouted. I wasn't
angry with
Gurrey, I was just frustrated about Ferril, and how he had placed this
horrid burden of
responsibility in my life. I turned to leave. I heard a metallic clank, and
whirled around.
Gurrey was trying to stifle laughter by clamping his lips shut with his
claw. I can't
imagine it hurt much; A Scizor's body is covered in all metal. But no matter
how hard he
clamped, I heard the short rumbles in his chest. I sighed. "Fine. Go ahead,
laugh at me.
Screw you," This time, I didn't care about respecting authority. If I was
going to be a
Second, there were going to be some changes, starting with authority. Ferril
said that
Gurrey is more important than I am, but I knew that it wasn't by much. And
there could
stand to be some joking around. I turned and left, nursing my bruised pride.
Gurrey,
despite my best efforts, guffawed like a panicked chicken. I didn't even
need to turn
around to know that he'd doubled over.

--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__--__
--

I was heading back to my old bunk, but I thought better of it. Didn't
Second's
share a room with the Elite Commander? That would make sense. I turned on my
heel
and walked the other way. I knew that Gurrey's room was near the briefing
room. I
walked around the circular interior of the barracks until I was peering into
the large,
domed briefing room.
Everything was the same. I don't know why I looked in there.  It's as if I
expected
the chairs to be moved, or someone to be in there. I leaned out of the domed
room. I
continued to walk down the hallway, looking through the door-less entryways
for
something that looked remotely like a bedroom. My pace quickened; I just
scanned the
rooms now. If there was a special bedroom for the Elite Commander, it would
stand out.
I passed one room and did a double take. I stopped my hasty skittering and
backtracked. I stepped into the visibly larger room and peered around.
There, unlike the
other bunks in the barracks, was a window. A small, crude, almost square
thing- I doubt
Gurrey even cared about a window- but it got the job done. There was a
not-bad view, as
far as I could see, and a small, cool breeze ruffled through the trees and
washed my
thoughts away.
I stood there for a while, just letting the breeze lap at my face, and then
answered
to the weary call of my aching bones. It was then that I noticed that the
room was larger,
but the ceiling wasn't higher. My tall frame stooped just slightly, as I was
used to, and
walked over to the second bed. A deep, two-foot deep groove was padded with
Pidgeotto
feathers. A hatch you used to cover the groove was made of tightly woven
reeds. This
effectively kept the light out and let air in. It was seven feet long, an
easy fit for a Scizor
or Scyther, even the abnormally tall ones.
I opened the thatch cover and hopped down into the feathers. Some rose up
with
the momentum of my landing, and floated back down. I reached up and closed
the cover.
I lay down and finally slept over my days work.