Beginning of "First Task Arc" (Mini Arc)
A primordial void swallowed me in its wake, bringing forth a sense of weightlessness as I was overtaken by nothingness. Despite the constant shadows, I could still see my cold breath as my breathing ran ragged.
"Is this the same place?" I thought, recalling my last dream. Is it here? What was it calling me for? I needed answers.
"What are you? Show yourself!" I shouted mentally, despite knowing how futile it was. Like last time, I couldn't speak, only think.
Then a large, ominous, purplish shadow fell over me, and those chilling red eyes gazed at me once more. To my surprise, its eyes shone with a slightly kinder look.
"Hello once more, my Chosen One," the being said. "I leave this message for when you start to realize who you are. If you wish to follow this unorthodox path, I have warnings for you."
The shadows suddenly parted, giving me a clear view of the being. My eyes widened when I stood face-to-face with the entity that had such a powerful presence that I knew it was more powerful than anything I'd ever seen before.
It was in a different form, but it was definitely the same Pokemon that saved me before.
"Fate is against you, as well as everything else under the control of the Original One. I am its opposite, but like you, I am an outcast. My brethren scorn me, and my creator banished me to a realm filled with eternal darkness," it said with such sorrow that I couldn't help but feel bad for it.
"I chose you like I chose your ancestor, but..." it said softly, looking down with a look full of shame, "...he was my greatest mistake. He was my first Chosen One. I regret ever falling for his lies. But alas, that mistake remains a stain in history."
"What I'm trying to say is that... my Chosen Ones end up being led astray by my influence. And for millennia I have been searching for one who can withstand my influence and not go awry. My Chosen Ones are your ancestors. They had good intentions, but my presence corrupted them."
"But I believe that you can handle being my Chosen One. We who live in the shadows will always be outcast, but through the shadows, we can seek the light. The universe needs you, we are the only thing standing between it and destruction."
The being looked at me with such pride that it warmed my heart. I realized that it wasn't as terrifying as I thought, it instead looked... regal and even little bit guilty. It was as if it wanted to turn a new leaf and fix every bad thing that it had ever caused.
It wanted to redeem itself.
"In all my existence, I have hated humans. But the Original One's Chosen One showed me kindness. And for as long as my Chosen Ones remain outcasts, I won't stop until one of them is acknowledged as a hero, and not a villain."
The being flinched, as if pained. It was silent for a moment, before continuing to speak.
"The Original One has fallen. And now I'm the only thing standing in our enemy's path. The only way we can win is if you find the fragments and return them to the Original One. Doing so will replenish its power. We are in the middle of a war beyond any war ever fought before. I will hold our enemy off, but I can't win alone. You must prevail, or all is lost."
"But I must warn you, this path will be difficult. Fate will be against you. Everything will be against you. Even God will be against you. It doesn't trust me, and it trusts you even less. You are forsaken, but that only means that your fate is an uncertain one. It means that your fate isn't set in stone. You must fight fate and carve your own path. Don't fear the shadows, for they are your friend."
The being closed its eyes. "Even if you are forsaken, just know that you can use that to your advantage. Fight back, take any opposing force and harness its power. You will not be alone. I can't guarantee your survival, but I will do anything in my power to help you."
It opened its eyes and looked at me with that tender expression I've come to know. It was so familiar... I've seen it before.
"I am deeply sorry, child, for thrusting this cursed fate upon you. Being one of my Chosen Ones is a difficult, grueling role. But you must accept it with honor, because I believe you are the one who can restore that honor."
"Your ancestors couldn't handle my influence, but I know you can. My first Chosen One, the one who almost destroyed the world prior due to his desire to rebuild it, made a contract with me, and through him, the contract also applies to you. The contract extended beyond his death and into the following generations of his family. Because of me you have a connection to spiritual and ghostly forces. And through me you have an ancient power that attracts Pokemon to you. Use these gifts. But use them carefully, because misuse of the latter power will cause your Pokemon to go berserk... and quelling them won't be easy."
"Rise, you Shadowed Soul, and fight fate with your own power. Shape it by your own hands. After my first Chosen One was defeated by the Chosen One of the Original One, I promised to him that one day, his descendent would restore his family's honor. You will be the one who cleanses the taint that runs into your family."
"Your fate and the fate of the universe is in your hands. Now rise, and we will speak again when you collect your first plate."
***
Rotom decided to set an alarm once again.
"Your life means nothing, you serve zero purpose, you should kill yourself now."
My eyes blinked open and I sighed. "Thanks, LowTierGod."
"You serve zero purpose, Vali," Rotom said with a smug tone.
"That's actually supposed to be motivating, Rotom," I said and promptly shut it off.
I looked at the screen and looked blankly on the background. Rotom definitely set it.
"Wow, I really want to play Pokemon Mommy Issues, oh wait, I already am. Ha-ha, so funny, fucking hilarious. Comedy fucking gold, Rotom," I said sarcastically.
"You don't have to be such a dick about it—" Rotom turned itself back on again.
"You're not funny," I said simply.
"But—"
"You aren't funny."
Rotom winced.
"You literally have the humor of a Reddit user—and that isn't a good thing."
"Fine," Rotom sniffled and shut itself up.
I didn't understand Rotom. Did it just want to be funny? Is that why it keeps fucking with me. Was being an absolute clown so important to it?
I was kind of tempted to install Bonzi Buddy to see how it reacts.
"Vee..." Eevee yawned and woke up, looking at me with curious brown eyes.
"Nothing, just Rotom being a prick," I said gently. "I'm going to get ready. I'll leave my Poke Balls here, so make sure to wake up Kirlia and Hatenna. And keep an eye on the egg."
"Vee, Eevee!" Eevee said in mock respect, like she was talking to a war veteran or something. She even saluted.
"You've gotten so sarcastic lately," I mused with a slight smile.
As I walked out the door, I saw Eevee tap Kirlia and Hatenna's Poke Balls. She then proceeded to slap them awake with her tail.
God, I loved that Eevee.
***
I walked across the hallway to the bathroom. Sinnoh was usually pretty warm during the Summer, so I would dress lightly. I put aside a gray shirt, black jeans, and black shoes to wear for the trip.
In my hand was my gray scarf. Looking at it brought me pain, but for some reason I insisted on wearing it. It was a gift from my mother. I didn't know why I kept wearing it.
On the way to the bathroom, I passed Chloe's room.
I heard soft moans coming from it.
I didn't flinch. Instead, I kept on walking. Nope, I was going to pretend like I never heard that and move on with my day.
"Yeah, fuck that," I muttered as I opened the bathroom door and walked inside.
I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair and put it into a ponytail, and then dressed myself.
I heard a soft knock on the door.
"Val, are you done?" Trinity said from behind the door.
"Yeah, I'm coming out," I said and opened the door, stepping out.
"We'll go as soon as I'm ready," she stated, almost as an order.
"Good morning to you too, boss," I said sardonically.
I felt her glare as I walked away.
I walked back into my room and my Pokemon were... still sleeping.
Holding back a smirk, I tickled Eevee.
"Veeee!" she laughed and writhed around, trying to escape my tickles.
"You had one job," I said.
"Eeveee!" she said apologetically.
After a minute I let her go, and she gasped like a person devoid of air.
"Now, use your tail to tickle their noses."
Eevee's eyes flashed with a mischievous gleam. She heeded my order and ticked Kirlia's nose.
She sneezed and woke up, glaring at Eevee. "Lia!" she said in an annoyed manner.
Eevee and I laughed. Like Trainer like Pokemon, I guess.
She did the same thing to Hatenna, who damn near set the bed on fire.
"Yeah, let's not surprise Hatenna in her sleep anymore," I winced.
"Vee..." Eevee agreed solemnly.
Hatenna glared at us. Kirlia followed her lead.
I smirked knowingly and rubbed both of them on the head. The two softened and begrudgingly forgave me. I knew their weakness. No matter what mischief I pulled, I knew how to make them happy again.
***
Professor Cerise dropped us off at the airport.
We were waiting for our plane to start boarding, when I realized something was wrong.
"Why the hell is every girl in the vicinity glaring at me?" I said in a deadpan.
Sure enough, literally every girl was glaring at me like I did something wrong. Was I seriously that ugly? Damn bitches.
"You're really unpopular with girls," Trinity noted.
"Not really a bad thing," I shrugged. "Doesn't really matter."
"Don't you want a girlfriend?" Trinity asked with one eyebrow raised.
"Nope, that whole romance thing sounds like a pain. I would have to emotionally connect with another human being."
She sighed. "Damn, you're hopeless."
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu shook his head.
Man, why is everyone judging me?
About half an hour later, we got on the plane to Sinnoh. I was getting nervous, because I really didn't want to go back there.
What I was really nervous about was how Sinnohnians would think about me returning. It would either be me being hated by everybody (which isn't a surprise) or annoying ass paparazzi. Cynthia's son returning to Sinnoh would be a big deal, so I wanted to make sure to stay hidden.
Then I realized I didn't bring my jacket. Welp, there goes blending in.
But what was really nagging me was the dream I had last night. The Original One has fallen... my gifts... and me being a Chosen One of some fallen demonic deity.
I had a feeling that my life was going to get a whole lot complicated...
Why is my luck so shit?
I looked at Trinity, who was tapping at her phone. She already knew about my previous dream, so I figured I should tell her this one. She was the only one I trusted, after all.
I tapped her shoulder, and she turned her head toward me. "Yeah?"
As quietly as possible, I told her about the dream I had.
Her eyes narrowed as she listened. "That doesn't sound good, not at all. If you're dream is true... then you have to listen to it."
"You seem awfully confident that it's important," I raised one eyebrow.
She nodded. "If it's anything like my dreams..." she flinched.
"You've had dreams like those?"
"Don't worry about it—" I cut her off.
"You haven't told me yours?" I demanded. "I've been getting nervous about my dreams, and here you are, holding yours in."
"It's just that..."
"You can trust me, you know," I said gently. "I'm always honest with you."
Her signature glare appeared on her face again. "No, you're not."
I raised my hands in false surrender. "What I mean to say is that you can be honest with me."
Trinity looked away, but I saw the faintest trace of a smile on her face. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," I said, looking out the window. "So, will you tell me?"
"No," she said quietly. "Not now."
"I understand."
I knew how it felt. Those dreams were unnerving. But I had feeling that Trinity wasn't being called by the same entity that's been calling me.
***
We got off the plane and I was already feeling nervous. I received some wide-eyed looks from the people who were picking up the passengers.
"They recognized me," I grumbled.
Trinity looked around nervously. "You weren't joking about people recognizing you on sight."
Before I knew it, I was surrounded.
"Vali is back! Cynthia's son came home!"
"I've heard that he became a Pokemon Trainer! If he's anything like Cynthia, he's going to bring the Sinnoh region another win!"
"Isn't he fifteen now? He's grown a lot!"
I nervously smiled as I tried to make my way through the crowd, but I was getting blocked each time I tried.
Even news anchors were rushing into the scene.
"Welcome back to Sinnoh Now from Jubilife TV!" one said. "We are at the Hearthome City Airport and look who's here!"
The camera was pointed at me, who sighed.
"Vali Shirona, Cynthia's son, is back in Sinnoh! After five years of awaiting his return he is finally back! We have an exclusive interview with him now!"
The microphone was put in front him. I decided that they wouldn't leave me alone, so I indulged them with their interview.
"How do you feel about being home, Vali? You've been missed a lot."
"Well," I began, putting on my friendly face. "I'm glad to be back home. I would be lying if I say that I haven't been homesick for these past couple of years. I've grown a lot as a Trainer. This is my partner, Eevee, by the way."
"Vee!" Eevee said cheerfully at the camera.
The entire crowd let out a collective "Aww."
"Wow, an Eevee! You don't see one of those every day. But the question is: What is it going to evolve into?"
The news anchor noticed Trinity. A mischievous gleam filled her eyes. "And who could Vali's female companion be?" her eyes widened as she recognized Trinity. "Could it be? Cynthia's son is traveling with Lorelei's daughter? Are these two part of a love scandal? Could they be star-crossed lovers that are dating in secret?"
***
Somewhere in Kanto...
A woman watched Sinnoh Now with a neutral gaze. She had fiery red hair, red eyes, and wore glasses. She was clad with a black skirt that cut at the sides of her thighs, a red shirt that showed a fair amount of her cleavage, and a navy-blue jacket that was left unzipped.
It was Lorelei of the Kanto Elite Four, and Trinity's mother.
"So this is the boy Trinity has been traveling with this whole time? Cynthia's son..." she mused as she watched the two of them struggle to escape paparazzi.
"The same boy who betrayed Gabriel..." Lorelei said in a steely tone. "What was Trinity thinking?"
She flashed a cold smirk.
"I think it's time I teach this child a lesson. He should know that by messing with my family he will have to face the cold."
***
Vali's POV
After a grueling thirty minutes, we finally managed to escape the paparazzi. We had to continue insisting that Trinity and I weren't dating.
To most people two people of the opposite sex traveling together means that they're dating.
Is this what Ass feels? Nah, he's too stupid.
Hearthome was grand and beautiful, with big buildings and a lot of people. Stone walkways connected everything. Vegetation grew all around it, giving the place a fresh breath of life.
I saw couples walking hand-to-hand and... young mothers playing with their kids.
Damn normies and their happy relationships.
"Where is Hearthome Forest anyway?" I wondered as I looked around. Then I froze. "Nevermind, I found it."
Trinity looked where I was looking and winced.
Behind the Hearthome Gym was a massive expanse of trees that emanated with a strange, ominous aura that stretched wildly around it. I felt a tug in my gut, like a sensation that begged me to go there.
"So, Hearthome Forest really does exist," I muttered. "But what could create that?"
"I guess we'll find out," Trinity said, not looking too happy about that prospect.
"Pi..." Pikachu looked at the forest nervously.
"Well, no time to waste," I said calmly and began to walk toward the forest.
"Really? That's it?" Trinity asked as she followed me. "You're not at all nervous?"
"I just faced paparazzi and people wondering if I'm single or not," I said casually, "so this isn't so different.
"Only you would find ghost-hunting normal," Trinity grumbled.
***
We were about to enter the forest when a voice stopped us.
"Don't go in there, it's dangerous!"
I looked around and my eyes narrowed. Standing right in front of was a woman with purple hair fashioned into four different buns who wore a rich purple dress.
"Oh, hey Fantina," I greeted calmly.
Fantina's eyes widened when she noticed me. "So, you're back?" she grinned. "Nice to see you again, Vali. How long has it been?"
"A good amount of years, I think."
"Huh," she inspected me and then brought her hands up in a dramatic manner. "You should become a Coordinator! You would be popular with the girls if you just let your hair down."
"Nah," I rolled my eyes. "Being a Coordinator sounds lame as hell. It would make me feel like an idiot."
"Just think about it," she insisted, putting one finger up. "You'll be a hit with that cute Eevee of yours! A shame it can't evolve into a Ghost-type."
"Eevee?" Eevee tilted her head at Fantina.
"You said something about the forest being dangerous," Trinity chimed in. "Why is that?"
Fantina looked at Trinity as if she had just noticed her for the first time. "Oh! Aren't you the daughter of that one Elite Four member in Kanto?"
"Um, yes," Trinity said awkwardly. "I'm Trinity Kanna, and this is Pikachu."
Fantina had a gleam in her eyes. "Oh, a Pikachu! Last time I saw a Pikachu was when Ash challenged me." She studied Trinity and her eyes began to sparkle. She grabbed Trinity's hand with both of hers. "How about you become a Coordinator as well? You're super pretty! A beautiful girl like you would make it far!"
Trinity cautiously backed away. "No, really, it's fine," she said, but Fantina wasn't listening.
She sprung into a strange happy dance and chanted, "I found two Trainers with the potential to be great Coordinators!"
Trinity looked at me with a frown. "Is she always like this."
"Yeah," I grumbled, "just wait until she calms down."
Fantina has a... eccentric and flamboyant personality. She has always treated me well, so I never really minded. It wasn't until then when I realized how annoying it was. The reason why she wanted us to be Coordinator was because she was a renowned Coordinator herself.
"Fantina," I said. "Tell us why the forest is so dangerous."
Fantina seemed to snap back to reality when I asked her that. Her face suddenly looked serious. "Well... as the Gym Leader, I must protect the people of my city. One day it just suddenly appeared, and Ghost-types suddenly started attacking the locals. I went into the forest to find out what had created it. But the forest is like a labyrinth, and it feels like a whole other dimension on the inside. Nothing in there is normal. I was lost in there, and I had to fight to get back. That's why I have forbidden anyone from going in there. I want to stop whatever's going on, but fixing all the problems in the city is taking all I have."
"So it's this bad, huh?" I muttered.
Fantina raised an eyebrow. "Why were you two trying to go in there, anyway?"
"We have a research task," Trinity explained. "Professor Cerise sent us."
She looked disappointed. "You two are researchers? How boring!"
"Not as lame as being a Coordinator," I grumbled. "But anyway, we really need to get in the forest."
Fantina looked like she was about to say something she was going to regret. "Fine, but be careful, okay? I'm sure Cynthia wouldn't like it if her son got himself killed and I was the one who let him go."
"I'm sure she wouldn't even notice," I said bitterly. "But thanks for the warning."
Without another word, I turned back and walked into the forest.
"Be careful, Vali!" I heard Fantina call out. "I wouldn't want to speak to your ghost! That would make for a terrible performance!"
The last thing I heard before the world faded away was Trinity saying her farewells to Fantina.
***
Trinity seemed to materialize next to me.
"Whoa, Fantina was right, this is like a whole different dimension," Trinity said in awe.
The sky had turned an eerie purple. The trees had strangely-shaped shadows that clung onto them. And the trees themselves looked distorted, making it seem like they glitched out of existence. If you looked at it at a certain angle it looked like you were watching it in 240p.
I looked behind me and said, "Well, looks like we aren't going the way we came from."
"What do you mean?" Trinity asked as she turned around. "Bruh."
Behind us a wall of branches blocked our path. It hadn't been there before...
Five seconds in and it's already gone to shit. Figures.
"Guess we just have to get going," I said, to which Trinity hesitantly agreed.
We had walked five minutes and, suddenly, I felt a prickle on my neck. A strange sensation guided me and I looked to my right. A strange, impenetrable darkness seemed to expand from between a thicket. But the strangest thing was the faint purple wisps of light that radiated from the darkness.
I tapped Trinity on the shoulder. "Do you see that?"
She looked at where I was indicating. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"
"The purple light."
"What purple light?"
"What do you mean—" I suddenly realized what the light was. I pushed Trinity out the way just in time for a Shadow Ball to hit the spot she was at just a second ago.
From the darkness came a Gastly, Shuppet, and Misdreavus. Each of them fired Shadow Balls at us.
"Kirlia, Disarming Voice!" I let her out.
"Lia," Kirlia let out a pink wave of energy, destroying the Shadow Balls.
"Now, Psychic!"
Kirlia threw the Gastly to a wall, which was knocked unconscious on impact.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Trinity ordered.
Pikachu jumped off her shoulder and slashed at Shuppet with his metallic tail, knocking it out in one hit.
Misdreavus was much smarter. It floated above us and shot another Shadow Ball.
"Eevee, Mimic! Then Shadow Ball!"
Eevee jumped on my head for a boost and then jumped upward, shooting her own Shadow Ball that collided with Misdreavus's, causing an explosion.
"Use Quick Attack to get in close, and then Shadow Ball again."
Eevee's figure blurred, and suddenly, she was next to Misdreavus. Its eyes widened and tried to float away, but Eevee was too swift.
"Vee!" she fired a Shadow Ball, hitting Misdreavus point-blank, knocking it out.
Eevee landed in front me, looking around cautiously. Pikachu was also on high alert, his tail flicked from side-to-side.
"That wasn't so bad—" I started to say, but the same feeling suddenly appeared again. Acting on instinct, I rolled to the side, barely avoiding a Shadow Claw that would have cleaved me in three had I not dodged. The tree behind me was chopped in three pieces, but instead of collapsing, it grew back.
I looked at the source of the Shadow Claw.
"Haunt!" it made a sound that almost sounded like a laugh.
Its hands began to glow a ghostly purple, the light being shaped into claws. It swung one at me, intent on tearing me to shreds.
Trinity thought quickly. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
Pikachu ran in front of me and parried the claw his tail, but Haunter just used its other claw, slashing Pikachu and sending him backward.
But he provided the distraction we needed.
"Kirlia, Psychic!"
"Kirlia!" Kirlia launched a powerful wave of psychic energy, which bashed Haunter backward and made it groan in pain.
Haunter glared at us and began to glow with sinister red and black aura. It released it, sending a shockwave of malice at us. It used Dark Pulse.
Before we could react, Eevee and Kirlia was hit, knocking them to the ground.
Haunter was about to fire another Shadow Ball, but Pikachu jumped at it and cut the attack in two with Iron Tail. Then he hacked at Haunter, who simply snickered and disappeared, as if the shadows had swallowed it whole.
Suddenly, it appeared in front of Kirlia and launched another Shadow Ball.
"Eevee, Shadow Ball!"
Eevee's Shadow Ball hit Haunter's, erupting with another explosion on impact. Instead of using my previous strategy, I switched things up a little.
"Kirlia, Teleport and Psychic!" I said.
Kirlia suddenly disappeared. The smoke cleared, and I saw Haunter about to attack with a Shadow Claw, but before it could, Kirlia reappeared behind it and nailed it with another super-effective Psychic.
"Haunter!" Haunter cried out in pain, disappearing back into the shadows.
"Damn it, it's really getting annoying," I grumbled.
"It's trying to wear us down," Trinity said. "But it's almost down. We just need one more good attack."
A strange feeling blossomed inside of me and without consciously meaning to, I turned around and, sure enough, Haunter appeared right where I thought it would. I figured that if I could sense when I was about to be attacked by Ghost-types, I could sense when those Ghost-types would reemerge from the shadows.
That shadowy Pokemon that appeared my dreams... it said something to me.
"Because of me you have a connection to spiritual and ghostly forces."
That's what it was telling me. I could sense things like that. I had a connection to Ghost-types and other ghostly forces.
That meant that I could abuse it.
"Eevee, Shadow Ball!"
Eevee jumped over me and launched a purplish sphere of ghostly energy at Haunter, who just barely dodged it. The Shadow Ball hit a tree, but instead of exploding, the tree warped and absorbed it.
"Uh oh," I said. "Watch out!"
I turned around, and suddenly, a Shadow Ball appeared out of nowhere—the same one Eevee launched.
"Damn it! Errant attacks get sent back!" I realized. "Dodge it!"
Eevee and Kirlia separated and the Shadow Ball struck in the middle of them.
"Val, watch out!" Trinity yelled.
Haunter appeared in front of me, its hands raised. It was about to slash me with its Shadow Claw...
Then I did the stupidest thing I could have done: I rolled into it like I was a Dark Souls protagonist. I held my breath as I phased through Haunter since it was mostly made out of poisonous gas. Haunter's claws slashed through empty air. It turned back at me with a confused look, as if it hadn't expected me to dodge by passing through it.
I was pretty sure no one but me would be stupid enough to do that, but it worked, so I wasn't complaining.
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!"
"Pika... CHUUU!" Pikachu fired arcs of electricity at Haunter, who simply phased back into the shadows and dodged it. The Thunder Shock was then absorbed by a tree.
Haunted then appeared above Pikachu, glowing with a black and red aura, signifying that it was about to use Dark Pulse again.
Trinity seemed to have an idea. "Pikachu, jump up."
Pikachu leapt above the Haunter as it released Dark Pulse, circumventing it completely.
Then Pikachu's Thunder Shock reappeared and flew at Pikachu.
"Absorb it with Iron Tail."
Pikachu's metallic tail conducted the electricity. His tail began to crackle with sparks.
"Now!" Trinity yelled.
Pikachu brought his tail upward, casting his shadow on Haunter, who looked up with wide eyes. Before Haunter could slip back into the shadows, Pikachu struck it with his electrified Iron Tail, finally knocking it out.
"I'm catching it!" Trinity said and pulled out a Poke Ball. She threw it...
Then a branch pierced through it and broke it in half. We dove to the side as we heard a snapping sound. Suddenly, a multitude of branches cracked at us like whips, stabbing at the place we were just standing on.
"Hatenna, come out and use Mystical Fire! Eevee, Mimic Pikachu and use Iron Tail! Kirlia use Psychic!" I ordered quickly.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Kirlia, come out and use Confusion! Feebas, come out too and freeze the branches with Ice Beam!" Trinity ordered.
Eevee and Pikachu's Iron Tail slashed through the branches, Hatenna burned though them, both Kirlia batted them away with Psychic and Confusion, and Feebas froze them with Ice Beam.
But despite all the moves we threw at them, the branches kept regenerating and coming back at us. We ordered our Pokemon to attack again, but once again, they kept coming back.
I ducked as a branch flew at my head, but it still managed to cut me on the shoulder, drawing blood. I winced, but other than that, it didn't bother me much.
Trinity and I were fighting our way toward each other, but were stopped by a sudden mass of wood that flew toward us. Acting on instinct, we dove in opposite directions, watching as the branches began to interconnect and tie into knots. The branches suddenly formed a wall between us.
The good news: we were alive. The bad news: we were separated.
Ten minutes in and it's all gone to shit.
"Great," I muttered. "Now we're separated."
My Pokemon looked around nervously. Eevee tried sniffing the wall, but she backed up as soon as she did. Kirlia and Hatenna closed their eyes, as if trying to sense the others, but they looked at me and shook their head.
I walked up to the wall and shouted, "Trin! Do you hear me?!"
No answer.
I tried pounded on the wall of wood, but was forced to sidestep when five branches jabbed at me.
Yeah, I'm not doing that again.
I looked for another way around the wall, but gave up five minutes later. The wall seemed to split the forest in half. It was if it was strictly targeting the two us, trying to separate us specifically.
In other words, things got a whole lot complicated.
Why was my luck so fucking bad?
Fate really was against me, huh?
"There's no other way," I said to my Pokemon, "we have to continue onward."
They nodded nervously and began to follow me. Ghostly phenomena never bothered me. I'd always been friends with Ghost-types. It wasn't until then when I realized that I truly had a connection with them. I guess it runs in the family. After all, my mom is the only person in the world with a Spiritomb.
***
Fantina was right, the forest was a labyrinth; every time I made a turn, the place I came from would always disappear. Time was also weird here. It was night time, but when we came in, it was only noon. It made sense, though, as Ghost-types thrive in the shadows.
I also realized that I wasn't really lost. Navigating through this place came naturally to me. Faint wisps of purple light seemed to guide me to the right path. I didn't know how Fantina even survived going through this forest, anyone but me would get lost in here.
Damn it, I was really worried about Trinity.
Something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Next to my feet sat the melted remains of a person, probably some dumbass who wandered into the forest. Their skeleton was still intact, but the skin was completely melted.
"Probably the work of the Gastly line," I noted, suddenly on high alert.
A Shadow Ball was launched at me, but I didn't even turn around. I could sense that it was there.
"Kirlia, Psychic, reflect it back."
With a wave of her hand, Kirlia launched the Shadow Ball back at the attacker, knocking it out with one hit. I turned and saw that it was another Gastly.
"That confirms it," I said. "The Ghost-types are attacking humans on sight, which is rare for them to do. Professor Cerise said that a lot of people have been catching them lately, so they're really pissed off. But that doesn't sound quite right. There has to be another reason."
We continued making our way through the forest. Ghost-types attacked us on the way. Pokemon such as Duskull, Yamask, and Drifloon sneaked up on us, but we were able to take them out pretty easily. They were nothing but fodder. The good thing was that my Pokemon were improving their teamwork as we went.
I was walking through a clearing when I heard a girl.
"Damn it, Lopunny, Ice Punch!"
I peeked from the side to see a girl with navy blue hair, fair skin, and dark blue eyes. She wore a white beanie on her head, some sort of black tank top with a white blouse underneath, and a pink skirt.
In front of her was a large brown rabbit-like Pokemon with white tufts of fur on each wrist like pom poms. It was fighting a group of Ghost-types. Its fists were engulfed in frost as it punched at them, but the tricky Ghost-types simply floated upward and avoided them.
I silently pulled out my Rotom Phone and scanned it manually.
"Lopunny, the Rabbit Pokemon. A Normal-type. An extremely cautious Pokémon. It cloaks its body with its fluffy ear fur when it senses danger."
"That's pretty strong," I said, beginning to walk away.
I could help her, but why should I? I didn't know her. She could die for all I cared. I just needed to focus on getting through this forest.
If only it was that easy.
One of the Ghost-types, a Shuppet, noticed me and fired a Shadow Ball.
"Damn it, I have to show myself," I cursed. "Eevee, Quick Attack and Shadow Ball."
Eevee blurred through the Shadow Ball, being immune to it, and then jumped in front of the girl and fired her own Shadow Ball, knocking the Shuppet out.
The other Pokemon took this as a threat and began to attack Eevee. A Misdreavus shot a Psybeam at Eevee, while a Drifloon used Air Cutter.
"Hatenna, use your own Psybeam. And Kirlia, use Psychic to send them back."
Hatenna's Psybeam completely overpowered Misdreavus's, and Kirlia's Psychic deflected the Air Cutter back at Drifloon. Both went down.
The forest went silent once again.
Hesitantly, I revealed myself. My Pokemon ran back to me. The girl looked at me with surprise and walked up to me.
"What are you doing in this forest?" she asked.
"What are you doing in this forest?" I shot back.
"No need to worry," she said. "I'm Dawn."
My eyes widened slightly as I recognized her. "Oh, you're one of Ass's—I mean Ash's—traveling companions. Aren't you part of his harem that he's too dense to know about?"
Dawn's face flushed slightly. "H-Harem, what do you mean by that?"
I shook my head, "Nevermind." I looked at Eevee, who was playing with Lopunny while Hatenna and Kirlia looked at me worriedly. "Well, now that you're saved, I got to go."
"You're going alone?" Dawn asked, regaining her composure.
"Don't forget you're also here alone," I said. 'Why are you here anyway?"
"Well..." Dawn trailed off as her eyes twitched with pain. "My partner, Piplup... he got taken by the Ghost-types. I asked Fantina for help, but she was too busy solving the problems caused by Ghost-types."
"Taken by Ghost-types?" I mused. "Why?"
"Well, my Piplup is kind of feisty. He kinda... picked a fight with one of them," she explained.
I rolled my eyes. "Figures. Well, good luck, I guess," I said indifferently and began to walk away.
"Wait! We could help each other. If we work together, we can escape from here," Dawn said.
I regarded her coldly. "Why should we work together? If your Lopunny can't even defeat a couple of weak ass Ghost-types then you'll just hold me back. Besides, that's your problem, I don't have time for that. I have something I have to do."
Dawn glared at me. "Well, if you're going to be a dick about it then why save me at all?"
Lopunny came to her defense, glaring at me.
"Because we were attacked," I said. "So I had no choice."
"Who even are you, anyway? You didn't even tell me your name."
"I'm Vali," I said simply. I began to walk as Dawn's eyes widened in recognition.
"No way, you're Cynthia's..."
Then a familiar sensation prickled on my neck. My instincts acted for me, and before I knew it, I pushed Dawn out of the way and crossed my arms as the branches that attacked her focused on me instead. I knew that I would probably get impaled and die, but my body didn't care.
It was Dawn that saved me this time. "Lopunny, Close Combat!"
Lopunny jumped in front of me, its pink eyes glowing. Her legs shot out like a bullet, unleashing a flurry of kicks so fast and strong that the air around her boomed. She was a blur as she kicked through the myriad of branches, snapping them on impact. Lopunny grabbed me and jumped out of the way.
I grimaced at Dawn's knowing smirk.
"So how do you feel about working together now?"
"Fine," I grumbled. "I guess I have no choice. Let's go."
But as I began to walk, Dawn grabbed me by the shoulder. I turned at her and she looked down once I met her gaze.
"By the way... why did you save me?" she asked softly.
I looked away. "I don't know," I admitted.
Why did I save her? I could have sacrificed her and escape, so why the fuck did I risk my life for her? Damn the plot.
The shadowy being was trying to tell me something, I recalled it saying, "Your ancestors couldn't handle my influence, but I know you can."
What did it mean by that? Was it saying that I could be its only "good" Chosen One? But the problem is that I'm not good, not at all. Why did it expect me to be some grand hero?
I guess I shouldn't worry about it now.
"But still... thanks," Dawn said gently.
"Punny," Lopunny looked at me as if looking for something.
I shook my head. "Let's get going. Before anything else attacks us."
Dawn nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please. This place gives me the creeps."
Taking deep breaths, the two of us walked deeper into the forest, trying our best to ignore the thickening darkness around us.
***
Nearby...
The woman with the blonde hair watched from atop a tree, looking at Vali with a small smirk.
"He's finally realizing who he is... who we are."
She held hand up. On the back of her left hand, a faint golden light shone from it.
"So he's the Shadowed Soul."
Her knowing smirk widened.
"He has no idea what's coming."
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Vali and Trinity's first task has begun, and it's already going horribly.
Yes, Vali is the Chosen One of satan. Giratina has chosen many of his ancestors, since his bloodline has had a contract with it for many, many years.
Like Giratina said, fate is against him. Everything is against him in this story. Even the plot is against him. Hell, even God is fucking against him. Our boy Vali has a lot to worry about. But he'll take advantage of this and try to catch everything that opposes him.
By the way, Vali has, like, no plot armor. Because the plot is against him, he has to survive with his own strength. He has the opposite of plot armor. One wrong move and he's dead. He almost died like three times in this chapter alone. That's how forsaken he is.
Vali and Dawn have to work together. Trinity has to go alone.
There's going to be a Legendary/Mythical in this arc, can you guys guess who it is?
As always, if any of you have any suggestions for Pokemon, characters, and locations you guys would like to see, make sure to comment it. I would love to see what ideas you all come up with.
This is how you know Vali is the Chosen One of satan.