In the farthest reaches of the pokemon world lies a place known as the Realm of the Ancients, a place unreachable by all but the most venerable and divine, ruled by the alpha pokemon, Arceus, whom many believe to be a god of sorts. It has been watching over all the world's creatures big and small for hundreds of thousands of years, and has seen evil in all forms. But something different has caught it's attention, a strange power that could threaten to destroy their way of pokemon seem to be turning aggressive, attacking anything that crosses them. One might even call them savage. These pokemon, for whatever reason, lose all concept of emotion and logic, and will even go so far as to attack, and even kill humans. Arceus has called upon several others for help with the situation. Darkrai and Cresselia were asked to find out more about the savage pokemon, while Xerneas and Giratina were to help Arceus look for a special hero that could make a difference. However, search as they might, they were unable to find a pokemon that suited their needs. That's when Arceus decided to look elsewhere…
Darkrai and Cresselia had just returned from their investigation. "Welcome back," Arceus greeted, "Have you learned anything?"
"Yes, but not much, I'm afraid." Darkrai answered. "Cresselia and I have spoken with some of the pokemon who survived encounters with these things, and it appears to spread like a virus. Those who survive the attacks are turned, but so far it only seems to affect those of the dark and ghost type."
"And what of the humans?"
"There's no report of any surviving an attack, nor are there any corrupted."
The alpha said nothing for a moment, taking some time to process the information. "Thank you Darkrai. Cresselia. Let me know if you learn anything new." The two gave a respectful bow and disappeared shortly after. Arceus stared into a glowing orb as he continued his search, until a human appeared. He had short brown hair and dark eyes, and thin chin scruff. He was average in height, at least five feet and ten inches, and had an average build, not very big, but neither was he skin and bones. There was something peculiar about him. Arceus was actually quite curious, and began to watch more closely…
----------
The human was a local of the Hoenn region, originally from Lilycove, and was young, but forced into an early retirement due to an injury. His name is Atemis, or as some call him, Atty, and he now owns a cabin in the forest areas near Fortree, hoping to reconnect with nature. Though he use to be a trainer, his true passion was helping pokemon in need. He had even started making his own medicine, which proved just as effective as any store bought potion, perhaps even more so. The wild pokemon loved visiting his garden, some even came to him when they were sick or injured, and he was always happy to treat them. Atty adored pokemon, especially the ones he owned. In truth, he preferred their company over that of other humans. Aside from family and store clerks, he had not had any real human contact in over a year at the very least. The light of the morning sun shined brightly through his bedroom window and hit him in the face. He awoke from his sleep to find a wolf like creature sleeping at the foot of his bed, who woke up around the same time. She had a white underbelly that extended to her muzzle and eyes in a mask like marking. The ears were pointed and dark brown at the tip, pink on the inside, and her eyes were blue. The nose was brown, and she had large tufts of brown fur extending from the sides of her head, three on each side. There was a bushy, white mane covering the neck, and four dark brown rocks poking out of the mane, creating a shape similar to a stylized sun. The lower half of her legs were white, and she had three dark brown claws on each paw and a long, fluffy white tail. This pokemon is his lycanroc, and her loyalty to him was as great as one might expect from a canine companion. She watched him as he sat up, smiling and wagging her tail lazily as he gave her a loving pat on the head.
"Good morning, Luna. Ready for another day?" The wolf pokemon replied with a happy bark and hopped off the bed. He rolled out from the blankets and gave a yawn as he reached over the side, trying to grasp something that wasn't there, apparently. "Not again. It must've fallen over." His hand was greeted by a wet nose. As he looked over, he saw his lycanroc looking up at him and holding a stick like object in her mouth. He smiled, taking it from her and giving her another pat on the head. Luna smiled back at him. He extended the cane and attempted to step out of bed only to lose his balance, but was quickly caught by his pokemon when she ran to his side and allowed him to catch himself over her. "Thanks Luna. Don't know what I'd do without you." When he finally managed to get to his feet, he started making his way into the restroom and turned on the sink, splashing some water on his face. He looked himself over in the mirror for a moment, and gave a depressing sigh, then a groan when he felt a sharp pain in his right leg, in the upper thigh, clasping it tightly. A pitiful whine caught his ear. He looked down to find his lycanroc at his feet, giving him a look of concern and droopy ears. "Don't worry about me. It's just the usual morning stiffness." Luna's expression remained the same. But despite this, he managed to crack a weak smile at her. "Of course, you're always gonna worry about me. I'd do the same if it were you, or any of the girls for that matter." He gave the wolf pokemon a gentle rub on the cheek. She couldn't help but close her eyes and lean into her master's touch. "You're a good girl, Luna. You always have been." He looked back into the mirror and grabbed a brush as he started trying to get the knots out of his hair. "Why don't you go see what the others are up to? I'll be down in a minute and make us all some breakfast." She managed to perk up a little a gave a happy bark as she darted out and left him alone. He chuckled at her sudden change of mood, continuing on with freshening up. Once he had done his usual routine and got dressed, he headed downstairs, ready to start the day.
----------
Today was a day like any other. Atty was preparing breakfast, and he always served his pokemon first before himself. Six silver dishes were being prepared, each with the name of one of his team. He laid the first one down for his lycanroc, Luna, who was sitting and waiting eagerly at his feet. Another pokemon walked in a moment later. She was cat like, with slender legs and dainty paws. Her fur was velvety and lilac. The ears were large and she had purple eyes with white pupils. Tufts of fur are located near the eyes, and a small red gem was embedded in the forehead. Her tail was thin and forked at the end.
This was his espeon, whom he adopted a few years back after a pokemon rescue center had taken her from her previous trainer, who was cruel and abusive. She stretched out and wagged her tail slowly in the air as she looked up at her trainer. A dish was placed in front of her with name 'Jewel' engraved on the side. She purred as she was petted and started eating.
Atty walked into the living room. It had a nice atmosphere. Dark oak flooring, a white rug with red floral print and a coffee table laying atop, and a matching white loveseat and recliner. Sitting against the wall was a China cabinet with several contest ribbons and trophies, as well as a few pictures of him when he was younger and a tiny, snowy white fox like pokemon in his arms. Laying on the couch was a much larger fox. Her coat was pale blue, flowing, and curled, and the tips of each of her nine tails was white, as were the bottom half of her long, slender legs, three toed paws, and the tips of the fluffy crest on her head. She had a small mane around her neck, pointed ears, and dark blue eyes.
A ninetales form the Alola region, which was much different from the fox pokemon of the other areas that were usually golden with red eyes. This ninetales is his best friend and his first pokemon, a gift received by his grandparents on his tenth birthday after returning from their vacation in Alola. The two have become inseparable ever since, and their friendship is symbolized by the black collar with the pink heart shaped pendant she wears around her neck. She is also a big contest star, a pokemon who is truly excelling in beauty, but not stuck up about it. She hopped off the couch as a dish was laid down for her, the name 'Valentine' engraved. She was given a gentle pat on the head as she started chowing down, and her master moved on to another room.
----------
He couldn't find any of his other pokemon inside, so Atemis decided to look elsewhere, and he had a pretty good idea where to look. He went out back to a large dirt field that served as a sort of training field. He designed this not just for his own pokemon, but for any wild ones that wished to train and hone their skills. The obstacles, which included things like rubber tires, walls, and tubes, used for tunnels, was meant to help improve one's endurance and agility. Nearby was a line of target dummies, made out of material similar to punching bags and tackle dummies, was for move practice. Pokemon could get some practice with their attacks, especially when they learned something new. There was also a small battleground for anyone who wanted to battle, which was currently occupied by a couple of pokemon he recognized.
The first was lion like pokemon whose face, hind legs, and torso were all blue, as well as the back of its front legs, while most of the body was covered in shaggy, black fur, which was longer around the shoulders and the base of the tail, forming a mane on her head. The eyes were yellow with red sclera, the muzzle rather blunt, and round ears that were yellow on the inside. There were three yellow half rings on the back of each foreleg, and her long, thin tail is tipped with a yellow four-pointed star. One of the most distinct features was the scar that ran over the lion's nose.
This luxray is one of his strongest in terms of raw power, but she is also very egotistical, and often makes herself out to be a lot tougher than she really is. She was the first pokemon he ever captured. As a shinx, she has proven herself time and time again, but as she continued to grow, so did her ego, and her temper. She's obedient only to her master, but even then acts out on her own accord on occasion.
Her opponent, who was lying on the ground, covered in scratches and dirt mixed with blood, was a mammalian type pokemon with a body that was a mixture of black and dark blue, and was covered in white fur. There was a ruff around the neck and chest, and a tuft on the top of her head adorned with a bluish-black oval. She had a feline like face with red, almond shaped eyes, a tail like a scythe, and a crescent shaped horn on the side of her head with a large crack that was almost all the way across, from tip to base. The pokemon has broad feet with three claws on each, with spikes protruding from the heels of the hind legs and elbows of the front ones. She wears a collar similar to the ninetales known as Valentine, but this one has a peculiar orb that glows a mixture of white and bluish-black, just like the pokemon wearing it.
An absol who had a history of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her kind always seem to appear whenever disaster strikes, but what many fail to realize is that they show up as a warning, not as a catalyst for destruction. Rather than listen to reason, a bunch of townsmen formed a mob that was bent on hunting down any absol in the area, using houndour and growlithe to pick up their scents. This particular absol was chased towards the edge of a drop. With no other options, she jumped off the edge and tumbled all the way down, with nothing to grab on to. She lost consciousness upon hitting the bottom, waking up in a pokemon center about a day later, and learned that she was carried there by Atemis, who happened to be in the area. She was very leery of humans after what happened, but couldn't help but feel trust, and a kinship with him. When she was fit to be on her own, she followed the trainer and was soon recruited on his team.
Unfortunately, her horn was damaged during the fall, which as any veteran trainer would know, is the most sensitive part of an absol's body. The damage was irreversible, and has disabled her ability to sense natural disaster. Because of this, she has a lot of self esteem issues, always doubting herself and feeling like a burden, even more so given the fact that she has never been able to successfully mega evolve with the absolite around her neck, despite her powerful bond with her master, which only discouraged her even more.
She is often bullied by the luxray for her apparent weakness, and it was no surprise to him to find them having an exhibition, though he wasn't exactly thrilled about it. He stepped in often to separate them whenever the luxray got out of hand, which is just what he did when he saw the lion pokemon step down on the absol's neck while she was down, pressing a paw on the side of her head and planting her into the dirt. There were words exchanged, but since he was human, the most he got out of it was 'lux' and 'ray', though he understood her well enough to know what she was doing. Kicking someone when they were down and adding insult to injury were the things he hated the most about her, and he quickly intervened.
"That's enough, Tess!" She seemed a little surprised to seem him out so early, and quickly stepped off the poor absol's head before matters were made any worse. She stepped aside as he approached and kneeled by the injured pokemon. "Are you okay, Abby?" She responded with a very weak 'ab'. He leered at the lioness for a moment, then helped the absol to her feet. "You're such a mess. Go on inside. I'll take care of you in a minute." She limped slowly to the house, trying very hard not to fall over. He then glared at the luxray, who seemed as if she was proud of herself. He laid the bowl on the ground that had 'Tess' engraved into it. "I've got a lot of things to do today, but you and I are gonna have a serious talk when I'm done." She scoffed and rolled her eyes as he walked away.
----------
There was only one left, and he knew exactly where to find her. Atty went to the garden where he was sure she'd be. There were lots of flowers in bloom, and basking amongst them was a creature with a tan body and brown paws. She had several green sprouts growing all over with the longest one on her head, in front of four tan tufts of fur. The ears and tail had a leaf like appearance, and the eyes and small nose were brown. This was Atty's leafeon, and is the youngest of his team, referred to as the 'little sister'. She is known to be extremely shy and prefers to keep to herself most of the time, and finds the most comfort in the garden, which her trainer made just for this purpose.
As an eevee, she was the prime target for a pokemon hunter who sought her as extremely valuable due to the rare encounter of the female variant. The little vee ran for her life from an ursaring the poacher sent after her. Eventually she was drawn out of the forest and into an open field, bumping into Atty. She hid behind him when the ursaring caught up. Atty confronted the hunter, who didn't back down and ordered his pokemon to use a hyper beam. Atty, who refused to step aside, shielded the eevee from the attack and was blasted off his feet and into a rock formation, shattering his leg on impact. Before any further damage could be done, the hunter and his ursaring were struck by a thunder wave that came from an officer's magneton. The poacher was arrested and had his pokemon confiscated, and Atty was rushed to the nearest hospital. The little vee accompanied him, perhaps feeling responsible for his injury. Atty was forced to wear a cast and stayed in the hospital for a month or so before he was seen fit to move on again. The eevee felt inclined to stay with him, and so was adopted.
But as Atty continued his journey, the condition of his leg gradually grew worse, and soon became unbearable. When he checked himself into another hospital, he discovered a nerve in his leg had been severed, and at that point was beyond repair. It became impossible for him to travel long distances, which led to his early retirement. Perhaps the leafeon stuck with him out of guilt, or maybe pity. But regardless, Atty enjoyed her company, and is especially fond of her. Her shy and quiet nature gives her a special place in his heart.
"Come on out, June. I made it with pecha berries. You're favorite, right?" The grass pokemon stood up and stretched, hopping out of the garden happily with a greeted 'leaf'. A silver dish was laid down for her, with the name 'Juniper' engraved. He gave her a pat on the head as she dug in to her favorite meal.
----------
Although he had a lot more to do, he remembered his absol needed his attention. He went back into the house with the remaining dish with the name 'Abigail' and left it on the kitchen counter. He found her lying on the floor in his room. He knew this was the only place she really felt safe, as the others don't usually come in here unless he's in the room. He gave her a gentle brush along the back of her neck. Abby jumped a little in surprised, but relaxed once she knew who it was. "Do you still have the strength to move, Abby?" She nodded and stood up, with some difficulty however. He helped her into the restroom and into the tub as he started the water and removed her collar, making sure it was just the right temperature so as not to cause any more discomfort. Abby sat comfortably in the warm water as her master started to soak her fur and got the dirt off, and some of the blood from the beating she had sustained. He used a special brand of soap that seemed to magically wash all of her worries away, leaving a pleasant fragrance. Cheri? Pecha? Or perhaps a mixture? She couldn't really tell.
Once Atty was sure she was cleaned up enough, he helped Abby out of the tub. Normally she would have shook herself dry like a dog, but alas, she lacked the strength to do so. But her trainer was more than happy to dry her off himself with one of his own towels. Once she was dried off, he escorted her back to his bedroom, leaving her alone momentarily to grab her dish, but not before putting in a special medicine in her food. It was made of a special blend of herbs and berries, and luckily it didn't smell or taste bad, unlike some store brands. He brought it back to her, and laid it in front of the absol.
"I added a little something extra to help you get your strength back. Enjoy." He gave the absol an affectionate pat on the head. She purred happily and began to slowly dig in.
----------
When his pokemon were all tended to, he went back to the kitchen to serve himself. Once he had filled up, he began his daily routine, including a few household chores. It was almost noon when he finished, and he prepared lunch for everyone. Afterwards, he decided to get some air. There wasn't much for him to do outside other than enjoy the peace and quiet, and watch some of the wild pokemon go about their business. He looked at one of the berry trees, and saw what appeared to be a rattata struggling get a berry from a tree. It gave pout and a little sob. He found himself heading over to the tree and picking a berry for the little pokemon. The rattata cheered happily as it took the berry and started gorging itself.
Little did he know that his actions were being monitored the whole time, by a power beyond his own comprehension. In the Realm of the Ancients, Arceus was still watching, but was soon interrupted when the renegade pokemon, Giratina, approached from behind to observe as well, and was a little shocked. "Arceus, why are you watching this human? There are plenty of eligible pokemon to choose from. This is our problem, not the humans."
"It concerns all of us brother, especially the humans," the alpha responded calmly, "And besides, pokemon are the ones being affected by the virus. Sure it may only be specific types now, but who's to say it won't start affecting the other types as well, and possibly even to humans?" Giratina scoffed and grumbled for a moment, and took note of Atty's apparent injury as he limped.
"Well, even if I were to consider it, you could at least choose someone who isn't broken."
"I could, but what I'm looking for is more than just physical ability and raw power. What I seek is heart and compassion." The ghost-dragon hybrid leered at Arceus, questioning his motives.
"But heart is not enough to protect us from the evil that surrounds us."
"Oh Giratina. My dear, close minded brother. I know you dislike the humans so, but this is a desperate time for all of us. So please, have a little faith, would you?" The great dragon groaned and huffed, feeling a loss for words.
"Do what you want. But if things go sour, it'll be on your conscience."
"I'll keep that in mind." He stared at the orb, pondering for moment, eventually coming to a conclusion. "Darkrai!" he called out. The dark pokemon appeared before him as if from nowhere.
"What is it, Arceus? I was in the middle of something, as per your orders."
"I know, but I need you to put your investigation on hold for a bit. There's something I need you to do…"
