The Representative of Hope (PG/PG 13)

[Scytherwolf]

Wow, you seem to be writing these chapters fast! (Or at least, faster than me. xD) Glad you have so much inspiration!

I liked this chapter. It was kind of scary how the village wanted to keep them from leaving, and I'm glad that they found a pokemon who was willing to help them and show them a place where they could sneak through to the other village.
I liked how Lucy was telling them about the angry pokemon who were yelling...it gives a bit of foreshadowing. I wonder why the group didn't think about it that way though (that they might be planning to attack)? I do wonder how this will all turn out once those pokemon reach them...

You’ll have probably noticed that the walls aren’t particularly well-built. A part of them collapsed on they own and it’s now guarded.

Their

“We’ll wait until she comes find us at nightfall.

I think it should be 'comes to find us.'

and mum wouldn’t want her to wander at the streets too late at night.

I don't think 'at' needs to be there...but it could be replaced with 'in.'

I noticed that it took the celestial body more time than usually

Usual

There were a lot of grownups in the house and all of them were yelling and gesturing so, I ran away

Don't need that comma. xD

I'm looking forward to the next one, and seeing how they get out of this problem!

[Golden_Ray]

Yeah, I don't know what's happening to me! XD I start typing and find myself almost finishing the chapter in one sitting. And to think that I didn't feel like writing because I thought I didn't have any inspiration! They probably didn't want to believe they would launch an attack or at least launch an attack so soon after they had agreed to. Or it just didn't cross their mind for some reason.

Chapter 41
Lucy and Dan's bravery

Panicked, I started shaking my friends into wakefulness and alerting them to the danger we were currently in. What Lucy had witnessed the previous day was a war meeting between her villagers. Hanavir had decided to attack and Tamavir wasn’t going to stand there and look!

“Oh no!” Dan exclaimed, horrified.

The two armies seemed in complete disorder as they furiously proceeded with fists striking the air and fearsome growls echoing from both sides. Suddenly, both sides stopped and a female Pokemon stepped forward from Hanavir’s ranks.

“So, you finally decided to come out and fight you dishonest cowards!”

It didn’t take me long to realize that the Lucario who had stepped forward was Dan and Lucy’s mother. She probably had a high place in the village’s hierarchy or she was simply their spokesperson.

Another Pokemon at the front of Tamavir’s ranks was about to reply hadn’t he been shoved away by another male. It was none other than the Lucario father.

“You dare come out and speak!” he called back to her outraged. “Since when did you become so important to speak for an entire village?”

“Since the day you and your fellow-villagers decided to let us die!” she spoke of the Pokemon of Tamavir so contemptuously I could almost imagine her wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“You should better say since the day you were so unable to lower your royal heads a little bit and abide by the law!”

I glimpsed at Dan, worriedly. I could clearly see his hurt expression. That was not only a fight between the two villages but also a fight between his own parents.

Soon, more Pokemon stepped forward to take part in the argument and it wasn’t long before I couldn’t tell who cursed who. Fists shot up once more and it was obvious that the rage of both sides would soon be unleashed.

Dan’s face was the very definition of pain as he stared at the yelling individuals. With his fists clenched tightly and his teeth gritted, he managed to speak with a hoarse and trembling voice. “We should better find shelter. We can’t do anything anymore. I shouldn’t have slept in... You didn’t have to see that, Lucy… Lucy?” his expression swiftly changed to one of utter terror. “Lucy?!” he shouted out, unable to control his voice.

We frantically looked around for the young Riolu but she was nowhere to be seen. We were about to really start panicking when fierce battle cries made us freeze. And then we saw her.

Lucy had run all the way to the midst of the two advancing armies with her hands outstretched, in an attempt to stop them. Dan scowled angrily and darted towards his sister, reaching her when the two armies were merely a few meters away from each other. But he didn’t take her out of the way. Instead, he stood beside her with his arms stretched out too, facing towards the opposite side.

Seeing the two kids standing right in the middle of the battlefield, the Pokemon had to stop. The two adult Lucarios spoke up again, recognizing their children.

“Lucy, get away from there right now!” the female ordered her furiously.

“We have a lot of talking to do back home, young man!” Dan’s father was heard from Tamavir’s army, as infuriated as their mother.

“Do you honestly believe there are many chances you’ll return home after that?” Dan yelled back at him. It was clear that just the thought of what his words meant was paining the young Lucario but it was the truth.

His words seemed to take aback both parents as they were unable to say another word. However, an extremely grim-faced Blastoise from Tamavir’s ranks addressed them.

“Jess, Thomas, this is a very important matter. If you can’t take your kids away, then we’ll have to pass over them.”

“Then you’ll have to pass over us too!”

We had quickly made our decision. All four of us were standing around the two siblings, staring sternly towards the villagers.

Silence fell over both sides. The vast majority of the Pokemon had no idea we had actually arrived at the area while the rest would never think they would see us interfering with the battle. What all of them knew for sure, though, was that they couldn’t kill us by any means. Some of them possibly were so insolent and blinded by hatred that would crush two kids with no second thought; but killing six kids one of which was the Representative was beyond anything they would ever dare to do. Even if someone felt like doing that, they’d have to face the rage of the others.

“Representative, please step away and let us continue. This is none of your business.” A Pokemon from Hanavir pleaded politely even though the shock and irritation were visible in his voice.

“None of my business?” I asked sarcastically. “Oh, yes, it is my business. It’s my business as much as it’s yours and as much as it’s to someone living far away in the desert. It’s something happening in my country and that automatically makes it my business.” I replied and did my best to hide my surprise because I never expected I would be able to talk like that to someone. I was probably pretty enraged after realizing just how far these two villages were willing to go.

“Now,” Rien started, “if you want us to step away we gladly will, you just have to turn around, return to your villages and make peace first.”

“They’re trying to violate the law by wanting to share the lake for free!” someone from Tamavir’s side shouted.

“Since when did you actually start to follow the tyrant’s laws so eagerly? Ain’t they supposed to be unfair?” Feather said ironically.

The Pokemon of Hanavir took that as a sign that we were supporting them and prepared to point that out. Delilah had predicted that, though, and made sure to stop them before they started.

“Not like you’re any better!” she spat at them. “Look at what both of you have done!” she continued pointing at Dan and Lucy. “You separated Pokemon from their loved ones just because you can’t do something about your arrogance. The country is about to fall apart and instead of reacting, all you can do is fight with each other and make things worse for everyone.”

“But the law…” a Pokemon tried to protest but I interrupted.

“The law, the law!” I replied, annoyed. “You seem to like this particular law a lot. I’m wondering if you also like all these laws concerning how quickly you’re supposed to pay your taxes. What we’re supposed to be doing is trying to change these laws. And if we fight together, we might actually make it! If I ever have enough power over laws, I promise that this particular one will disappear.”

I wasn’t exactly surprised when some of them laughed ironically but it still hurt. Most Pokemon genuinely respected and supported me but I doubted they believed as strongly that I would actually survive. I had visibly become much more respectable after my first success in Forenham and slowly everyone started to believe that I wasn’t easy to kill but, there probably weren’t many who thought I would make it to the very end. I could possibly reach far, but not to the end.

Someone from Tamavir tried to express everyone’s thoughts politely. “But, what if you never get to change it?”

“If I die in the process, you’re free to start quarreling once more. As long as I’m alive, though, I forbid you from continuing this madness. You are free to join me when the time to fight the tyrant comes or stay neutral but you cannot fight against each other.” I replied as solemnly as I could, in an attempt to show them I really meant what I was saying. “In the meantime, both of you will use the lake free of charge.”

The two armies stood there undecided for a minute but soon, all of the Pokemon turned around and returned to their homes. I could only think of three reasons they did that. They thought I was going to die soon so they could wait for some more, they believed I would actually change the law or, deep down, they knew this whole situation was unreasonable and were happy it ended. I strongly hoped it was the last one because it was the only choice sure to be able to prevent something like that from happening again.

Dan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to us, smiling. “Thank you! We couldn’t have made it without you!”

“What you did was really brave.” Delilah solemnly told them. “It’s yourselves you must thank. We would have never thought of doing something like that to stop them.”

Dan was about to reply but Lucy was tugging his hand, showing something to him. Their parents were approaching them from opposite sides. They both had a nervous and slightly embarrassed look on their faces. We moved aside so that they could pass. Their kids stared at them silently, not knowing what to expect.

The male Lucario spoke first. “What you did was very dangerous.” He looked at the two children sternly but he seemed unable to show anger. “You shouldn’t have interfered. You could have gotten yourselves killed.”

“Someone had to do it, papa!” was Lucy’s reply.

“Don’t you ever do something so reckless again.” The female told them but she too couldn’t sound as angry as she’d like to. Their parents were probably even a bit proud. Their children had managed to oppose two outraged armies without thinking twice about it.

“We won’t if you don’t start fighting again.” Dan promised earnestly.

“Mama, papa, will all of us live together now that the silly argument is over?” Lucy questioned joyously, expecting a positive answer.

The two adult Lucario looked at each other, seeming awkward. They had just exchanged some harsh words and I could imagine they still felt a slight hatred for each other’s village. However, now that the rush of battle wasn’t upon them and they had a chance to understand how their children felt, they seemed a lot less hostile towards one another.

“Yes, let’s go back to Tamavir.” The father suggested, still staring at the female with an unreadable expression.

The other pursed her lips at the mention of the village’s name but she didn’t protest. It was obvious that none of them felt like arguing again. They could as well discuss the matter later.

She laid her hand on Lucy’s back and pushed the now elated Riolu towards Tamavir, with the male walking beside them. Nothing could betray they were quarreling for a long time right now.

Dan didn’t follow them and they didn’t question him. He wanted to show us the dam over which the two villages were fighting.

Once we reached River Clarion, a multitude of thoughts filled my mind. First of all, I understood why the river had gotten itself that name. The rapid river made a loud sound similar to the call to battle as it rushed by in tremendous speeds.

My second thought was that the dam didn’t seem like something pretty valuable. It looked pretty worn as if the Pokemon had stopped taking care of it and the drawings of Gyardos had slightly faded. It wasn’t pretty big or imposing and I had to wonder how it managed to stand against the constant beatings of the powerful river.

My last thought was mostly a quick remindment of the story behind the dam and the river.

We sat on a log lying down next to the river; probably one of the victims of River Clarion’s unstoppable power. Dan decided to speak about the dam and I listened patiently even though I knew most of the things he said.

“A long time ago, plenty of Gyrados used to live in the river. It was only normal of course since there aren’t many Pokemon who could survive in such a rapid river. When other Pokemon came to inhabit the area, they asked the Gyarados whether they could build a dam in the river. Although known for their violent personalities and short temper -this area always seems to gather that sort of Pokemon for some reason!- they allowed them to do whatever they wanted as long as they had some rights over the dam. That’s how it got the name Gyarados’ Dam.

“When Jicicle the first took over though, the Gyarados couldn’t stand living in an enslaved country and left Aesler to the tyrant’s satisfaction since he probably didn’t want to deal with such fierce Pokemon. As such the dam was renamed Nasenvir Dam. I think that means “dam of the sister villages”. Yeah, Hanavir and Tamavir had so close a relationship as two siblings.

“That’s the story of the dam. Since the Gyarados left, maintenance of their dam isn’t so easy. You see these large water Pokemon could easily ignore the force of the river and work normally on the dam. Now, it’s an almost impossible task to fix damages close to the water’s surface and far from the banks. That’s why the dam isn’t at it’s best right now. The Gyarados were the ones who took full care of it and, as the centuries passed, its condition became worse and worse.”

“But, what will happen if the dam breaks down?” Rien asked.

“River Clarion will over flood.” Dan replied sadly. “That’s not what concerns us, though. The flood won’t be dangerous for the villages probably. What worries us is the fact that we’ll lose the lake and our water supply system. I guess we’ll have to leave when that happens.” He paused and stared at the dam thoughtfully. “That’s not going to happen very soon, though. Although old and worn, the dam seems to have a few more years of life.”

We sat there in silence for a few moments since no one had anything to say. Dan spoke again after a minute. “So, where are you going to go, now?”

His question caught me by surprise. I hadn’t thought about that until now.

“I mean,” he continued, “you made your return known to everyone by stopping a battle.” He winked. “You can’t want anything more after that! “The Resistance” will make sure to spread the news of your new deed everywhere! If things hadn’t gone that way, I’d recommend you visit Hanavir but, I’m not sure how hospitable its inhabitants will be after the incident. Same goes for Tamavir.”

“I think I’ve got an idea!” Feather exclaimed after a moment of thought. “We’re right next to the Luminous Forest, right? Why don’t we pay a visit to my and Delilah’s village?” he suggested with a smile. “I’d like to see my foster parents and I’m sure you could say high to a few acquaintances too, Delilah!”

“Sure! I miss my village so much, after all! Let’s just hope that my parent isn’t there, though…” she added, nervously. It probably wasn’t easy for her to say that. Advisor Rai was her father and I was sure she missed him and yet, for the safety of all of us, she had to hope to never see him again.

“It’s decided then!” Rien declared. “I’d like to see your village again, too! It will bring back memories!”

Rien had met with Delilah and Feather a month before I did and had stayed with them in their village. That’s where they had become friends and decided to leave the forest in search for me. When we met, they already were far enough from their village so I never got a chance to see it. I’d really like to see the place from where a huge help in my journey -my friends- had come. After all, I probably wouldn't have gone so far without their support.

Gone so far…

That’s when it struck me. I had journeyed across the entire country and was now returning to the very beginning! It was a feat that had taken us about half a year but we had made it! We had made it and I was still alive and accomplishing more than I ever thought I could!

“Yes, back to the Luminous Forest!” I exclaimed happily.

With an extremely happy mood upon every one of us, we discussed about our return and eating a good meal before that in the village as well as promising to meet with Dan again one day.

~*~

Advisor Rai was once more heading to the throne room. This time he was unable to show any sort of emotion. He couldn’t feel scared or angered; that exhausted he was. All the day he had to deal with reports about which Pokemon went to prison, how many taxes were collected, which places were currently checked by soldiers, fake Representatives… The list went on and on.

Continued in the next post...

[Golden_Ray]

He looked outside of a window at the breaking dawn. What the heck could the tyrant want in such an hour? The Luxray sure didn’t need anyone to tell him that it certainly wasn’t good but tiredness wouldn’t let him worry about that.

One of the guards went to announce his arrival. Rai entered the room with a sigh and eyelids that could hardly stay open. The high-ceilinged room, already grim-looking by the lack of sunlight seemed like a monster’s lair with the tyrant’s odd purple eyes gleaming at the far end.

The Luxray bowed as best as he could and kept his sight on the ground until the Fearow addressed him. The flying type didn’t speak, though. Instead, he threw a pack of yellowish papers in front of Rai.

The electric type quickly read the first page’s headline: “The Representative makes her appearance again! The young Jolteon puts an end to a feud, announcing that she hasn’t given up yet.” The subheading read.

He lifted his eyes to the Fearow, expecting one of his usual anger outbursts. He was shocked to see that his expression didn’t betray anger at all. He was his normal, cold self and Rai could even say that he seemed excessively calm and collected that day.

“She’s back.” He simply stated, the fact that the Jolteon had ruined a part of his plans not bothering him at all.

“What do you want me to do?” Advisor Rai questioned, not knowing what else to say.

“Dispatch five units of the royal guard and send them to block the Luminous Forest Peninsula and send a sixth one compiled solely of water types to patrol the Great Gulf.”

“But, Your Majesty, don’t you think this is a very risky move?” Rai protested. “You can’t dispatch the royal guard; it’s too dangerous for you!”

“Calm down, Rai. I’m not dispatching the entire guard, just a part of it. Besides, this fort here is pretty strong. If anyone dares to attack, it’ll last long enough for the royal guard to return and suppress the rebellion. Also, if you do that with utmost secrecy, I doubt that anyone will even suspect the royal guard is missing.”

Rai’s uncertainty was probably very apparent in his eyes since the tyrant continued with comforting words.

“Can’t you see it, Rai? She’s no longer playing safe. If she was, she wouldn’t have gone where we expected her to go and she wouldn’t have jumped right in the middle of a battlefield. She’s merely a pest and yet she has eluded us for all these months while we made moves that would keep us safe. Keep us safe! What is there we’re afraid of, Rai? Even if the entire city suddenly attacked the fortress, I could unleash upon them the entire army. No amount of Pokemon would be able to survive attacks coming from soldiers trained to kill instantly. No other has such skill in battling in this country.”

The Luxray bent his head. He didn’t want to admit that his words were true because he still was pretty concerned about this sudden change of plans.

“Rai,” the Fearow started once more, still sounding perfectly calm, “I understand now that this kid can’t be caught easily. I don’t know how she always manages to escape but I can see that no conventional ways work on her. I tried to eliminate her, I tried to capture her with cunning, I tried to send her away, I tried to let other Pokemon with no connection to me get her… Nothing worked. She always had an ally or luck by her side. She needs special treatment it seems and the royal guard is the only thing I haven’t tried yet. You know that only the best of the best can ever become royal guards. They are meant to be able to catch a kid, no matter how special that kid is.”

“But, what if she’s not headed to the Luminous Forest Peninsula, Your Highness?” the advisor asked.

“The thought of her homeland must be pulling her there. We’ll have to risk it.” The Fearow calmly replied. The Luxray looked dumbfounded. Never in his life had he seen his master so cool. He spoke with a peculiar confidence, the confidence of the person who can see a positive outcome in a crisis, a person who watches the world collapse and is claiming that everything is part of a bigger plan.

There was nothing else Rai could do than bow and assure the tyrant that he would carry out his orders. As he was leaving the room, the Fearow’s voice stopped him.

“Oh and, Rai, find that Gallade called Silver and send him to me. I want to exchange a few words with him.”

[Scytherwolf]

you just have to turn around, return at your villages and make peace first.”

To

I’m wondering if you like as much all these laws concerning how quickly you’re supposed to pay your taxes.

Kinda confusing ^^;

What we’re supposed to be doing is change these laws.

Changing? Trying to change?

They thought I was going to do die soon so they could wait for some more

Doesn't need to be there. xD

and the drawings of Gyardos’ had slightly faded.

Gyarados

The Gyarados were the ones who took full care of it and, as the centuries passed, it’s condition became worse and worse

Its ^^


Wow, that's awesome that you're having so much inspiration! (I hope I can as well soon...) I'm glad that big fight was able to be stopped (for now, at least). I'm glad that Jolty and her friends helped stopped it-I thought it was just going to be Lucy and Dan at first and it didn't seem like that would be enough. I thought the part about the gyarados leaving was interesting-I wonder how many pokemon managed to leave Aesler before the tyrant took over.

Two parts I really liked:

That’s when it struck me. I had journeyed across the entire country and was now returning to the very beginning! It was a feat that had taken us about half a year but we had made it! We had made it and I was still alive and accomplishing more than I ever thought I could!

I wasn’t exactly surprised when some of them laughed ironically but it still hurt. Most Pokemon genuinely respected and supported me but I doubted they believed as strongly that I would actually survive. I had visibly become much more respectable after my first success in Forenham and slowly everyone started to believe that I wasn’t easy to kill but, there probably weren’t many who thought I would make it to the very end. I could possibly reach far, but not to the end.

I liked how both of these showed her thoughts, and I loved the way they were described. It makes me wonder how many pokemon actually still believe she can do it.

I also liked the bit at the end with Rai and the Tyrant. Odd how he seemed so calm, but I sure hope the group will be able to avoid those trained soldiers...something tells me they won't be nearly as easy to stop as everything else if they're really as strong as the Tyrant claims they are. Though at the same time, I know I'll feel sorry for them if they fail, since it's not entirely their fault (at least as far as I know at this point). Keep up the good work!

[Golden_Ray]

I hope you'll get inspired too, Scythe! I really want to know what's going to happen now that Snowcrystal has found a clue! As for me, it seems that my inspiration is sort of over (for now at least because I have a feeling it will return soon). ^^; It lasted for two-and-a-half chapters, though, and that isn't halfway bad!

An update of the map: Aesler

Chapter 42
Memories and small secrets

I took a deep breath from both my nose and mouth letting the familiar smell fill my lungs. Even though we had already been inside the forest for a day, every now and then I felt a need to smell the homely fragrance of the Luminous Forest Peninsula.

Although my home was up in the mountains situated right in the middle of the forest, the smell of the woodland reached it in the misty peaks of my mountains and smelling it again reminded me of my village. It felt really good to be back in the place I grew up in after all that travelling. And it felt good to see the first new place I ever saw for a second time, to see the countless light patches on the forest floor which had impressed me so much when I first saw them.

The Luminous Forest wasn’t named like that for no reason. It was covered in bright green foliage which wasn't very thick but was thick enough not to let the sun rays pass freely, filling the ground with countless oddly shaped patches, making it look like a yellow and green mosaic.

Everything inside this huge forest seemed bright and happy. It looked like such a peaceful place it was hard even for me to imagine that I had once felt so horribly while crossing it. Could it possibly be some months ago when I had first set foot here with my eyes red from crying? Was it inside this forest that I had single-mindedly rejected my friends’ offer for help, overcome by insecurity and believing that life was unfair for throwing such a burden on my shoulders? And did I really run for three days by Rien, Delilah and Feather's side in order to escape from the Advisor and his soldiers?

It seemed so. I was truly amazed by how many things had changed since then. After I met with my friends, I didn’t cry once from homesickness and the negative thoughts I used to make in the first days of my journey had dramatically decreased. I even started to feel happy during our voyage with the Lapras pack where I forgot my worries for a bit and enjoyed the sun and the sea, seeing the rest of the world for the very first time and setting my sight on my goals, determined to do my best to go as far as I could.

“What are you thinking?” Rien asked me, probably noticing I was lost in my thoughts.

“The beginning.” I replied. “You know, when we met here.”

“Not very pleasant, right?” he teased me. “You weren’t in the best of moods, you need to admit it.”

“No, I wasn’t!” I smiled with his comment. “And maybe I would still be in a bad mood hadn’t you showed up. Good company really benefitted me you know.” I told them sincerely.

They smiled. “It’s nice to know we were of some help!” said Delilah. “It’s the least we could do in exchange for this terrific adventure you offered us! I always wanted a tour around the country!”

“That wasn’t exactly a tour.” Feather pointed out, grinning. “I suppose we did learn more than what we would have learned if we had hired a tour guide... and if tour guides still existed that is.”

We continued our way, joking and sharing our memories from the past. I just realized how differently each of us had perceived the events of the days we had spent together in the forest.

Delilah clearly remembered how angry she was during that period, mainly because of her father’s actions. She was already fed up with his constant departures for Sorvenvar and she hated hearing everyone talk about his actions. They were mostly bad ones, that’s why. She had long decided to leave her home and my appearance gave her a reason to. She was the one who had the idea to find me and she was the one who persuaded Feather to follow her since they were friends from their early childhood. The truth is, though, that she didn’t quite believe her plan would be a success. Not to mention that she never thought she would be able to leave her own home. Something happened with her father, though, -she was unwilling to tell us- and she ran away with Feather and the newly arrived Rien, not thinking twice about abandoning her life in the village and her father.

Feather, on the other hand, wasn’t so glad to leave his house. Even though the elderly couple that took care of him had raised him in such a way that he was pretty much independent and was able to live without them, he felt guilty for leaving them. After his parents’ deaths when he was merely an infant, the two elders had gladly accepted to take care of him. Old as they were, though, they couldn’t do for him what most parents do for their kids while they were afraid they would die before the Pidgeotto was old enough to fend for himself. As such, they started teaching him how to survive pretty early on. Soon, the young Feather could hunt for himself, travel far from the village on his own, effectively protect himself, clean the house and so on.

What was troubling him was the thought that his foster-parents wouldn’t be able to take care of themselves when he was away. Who would be there to do housework when they were sick or simply exhausted? Wouldn’t they be heart-broken when they found out their beloved kid had left them all alone? But then, he really wanted to live this so-promising adventure with the Representative while his friendship with Delilah made him feel oblidged to follow her and help as much as he could. In the end, his loyalty to his friend won and he left a quick note to his foster-parents, explaining what had made him to leave.

Rien didn’t speak much –or I should better say at all- about his previous life. He simply mentioned that he also couldn’t stand life back at his home and decided to leave. Not knowing where he was supposed to go, he ended up in Feather and Delilah’s village, Serevir, and met with the two Pokemon. They quickly became very close friends and Delilah shared her idea of going away on an adventure when the first rumors about a new Representative reached her ears. The homeless Rien had nothing to keep him there so he easily agreed. He had nothing to lose after all. The only two Pokmeon he had met after abandoning his home would leave so, why would he want to stay back and be alone?

That plan was probably just a childish dream back then as they admitted they didn’t honestly believe there was a chance they would meet me and I made sure to point that out quite profoundly in our first meeting but, where would I be now without this “silly, insane dream” of theirs?

As for me, I had a different story to tell which, though, had a lot of similarities with my friends’ stories. Like Feather, I was raised in a manner which would allow me to be an independent person as fast as possible. My parents made sure to find me an elemental stone as soon as I was three or four years old and strong enough to withstand the change. I was taught how to fight in order to protect myself and they even risked to bring me banned books in order to get the best education possible and understand how the world worked. I was raised to be a fair ruler and someone who could lead and inspire. Although I was particularly privileged in comparison to other kids in Aesler, I didn’t exactly relish my life in my village, pretty much like Delilah and Rien. Even though I adored my family and I perfectly understood how much I was offered since I was born, I lacked a very important part of childhood in my village, Hillvir: being carefree.

I couldn’t get out and play with the other kids, I couldn’t follow my parents in a walk around the village, I couldn’t go to any trips, I couldn’t do anything all kids enjoy to do because I had to stay hidden inside my home. I solely went out for a small excursion to the forest every now and then and I always had to wear something which would cover my mark. Once or twice a year, I was allowed to see the rest of the village and my parents claimed I was a niece of theirs who had barely escaped from a predator and had a terrible scar which she always kept hidden. I had no friends or acquaintances. Only a few selected friends of my parents knew of my existence and they were the only ones that ever visited us. I think that even my parents hated being unable to go out and enjoy a walk with their daughter and, maybe that’s why they decided to have another child… Not that I felt bad for that decision. I was deeply grateful for the company my sister kept me. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know how I would have been able to withstand the loneliness.

This way of life made me dream of one day becoming strong and brave enough to get out in the world without having to hide. That’s why I swallowed all knowledge I was given willingly, trying to become worthy of my mark as fast as I could in order to be free. However, wisdom and strength wasn’t something that could be obtained easily and it definitely wasn’t something twelve-year-olds were supposed to have aplenty and, as such, I wasn’t truly ready to become a ruler when the grave news of Forenham’s condition arrived in Hillvir.

If I said that I had never dreamed of being successful in my mission or that I had never felt anxious for the moment I would be able to travel, I would be a big liar. Like every kid, I liked to imagine myself being a hero. However, as I started growing up, I had to face the reality and I knew that I wasn’t ready. I constantly asked myself: “Could I get out of my home and never return, right now?” The answer was always no and that’s why I was desperate when my parents asked me to decide whether I wanted to wait until I was stronger or go to Forenham.

I was in a terrible dilemma. My logic told me to stay safe because a twelve-year old would never be able to survive out there but another unreasonable voice which was still affected by the dreams I had as a kid kept repeating “This is what you always wanted.”

Stressed out as I was back then, I had come to believe that the unreasonable voice was correct. I did want that, didn’t I? I thought that I was lying to myself by saying that it was better if I waited patiently to grow up, Forenham or no Forenham, and that I was too cowardly to follow my dreams and stay true to my cause. After all, I was raised to strongly believe that my duty was the most important part of my life.

These thoughts combined with all the pressure I felt from having to decide quickly and the news about the starving Forenham made me give a positive reply. Yes, I would go to stand by Forenham’s side and encourage its Pokemon to stay strong. The former-capital was the country’s only beacon of hope and it shouldn’t stop helping the country to have faith in its independence. And, even if Forenham fell, I’d have to quickly take its place in keeping everyone’s hopes up before they could become too desperate to rebel.

I soon realized that I had chosen a path of no return. My parents started to carefully spread rumors about a Representative. We waited for a week or so to make sure that most of the Pokemon knew about me before I was allowed to depart. That was when panic overtook. I started wondering what I had done as there was a strange, horrible realization that my end was closing in. For some reason, I was determined that I was going to die soon after I left my village. This thought brought another one with it. If I died right after my appearance had been announced and if Forenham lost, then I would have actually done more harm than good. The Pokemon would end up much more desperate than if Forenham had simply fallen.

And that was when desperation came to stand next to panic and torture me. These two feelings were the only things I could remember from this one week. That and maybe the failed attempts of my entire family to cheer me up. My parents tried to be strong and give me a good example while my sister did her best to paint pictures of the glorious future of mine.

I couldn’t help but try to look like a strong, resolute person as thanks for all they did for me. I don’t know if I succeeded. I only know that I broke down when the time to say goodbye came. I couldn’t stop tears from flowing no matter what and no other member of the family could either. I made sure to leave as quickly as possible so as not to make it any harder but I sort of regretted doing so now. I wish I could have been brave enough not to be so overcome by grief and properly tell them how grateful I was to them and how much they meant to me.

After that day I travelled alone. I remember I proceeded slowly and I had plenty of sudden tearful outbursts in the beginning. I though managed to finally accept my fate and started to recover from these emotional breakdowns even though sorrow overshadowed all other feelings for most of the time.

I was in such a horrible mood when I first met my friends. They didn’t seem to care much, though. All they cared for was to help me and I thanked them for that more than they could imagine. After I finally realized I wasn’t alone, all these dreadful feelings and thoughts disappeared just like that. Since then, I made sure to rarely think of my home. It was strange that I was thinking about it now. However, it was even stranger that the sadness didn’t return along with the memories. It seemed like I had gotten over this completely now.

As we were talking about our pasts, Delilah suddenly let out a happy cry. “I remember this place!” she announced and trotted joyfully towards a tree. “This is where the village starts, right Feather?”

“Yeah!” he exclaimed and flew towards her. “It’s incredible how I can still recognize the environment after all this time we were gone! Come on guys, follow us!”

The two Pokemon rushed forward and Rien and I stuck with them. Soon, we saw a few houses passing by as our friends led us to their own homes. Not long after they had first announced we had arrived in the village, Feather stopped flying outside of a house made from light brown wood. It seemed like the general wooden building that could be found in the vast majority of the villages in Aesler. Simple square windows, a sloped roof and a door that wasn’t particularly sturdy indicating that nothing of value could be found inside the house and as such there was no reason for security.

From the tree that came out from a hole in the roof, though, I understood that this home belonged to flying types. These Pokemon had no problem to live in a house on the ground as long as they could use a tree to rest on and watch over the place. We were probably outside Feather’s home.

The Pidgeotto solemnly approached the door, took a deep breath and knocked with his beak thrice. He nervously waited as the door opened and an elderly Staraptor with a cane showed himself. The Pokemon’s colors had faded greatly taking a more grayish tone and his eyes, instead of the usual keenness of this specie, had a tired but very kind expression.

The elder gasped in shock upon seeing Feather but he quickly put down his cane in order to embrace him. “Feather!” he exclaimed with a voice which wasn’t even close as weak as the rest of his body seemed. “Thank Rayquaza your safe! We were so worried when you left!”

“You shouldn’t have! I’m fine!” Feather smiled and hugged his foster-parent too. “I missed you! Where is Anni? Is she alright?”

As if replying to his question, a Swellow appeared. Her feathers had too lost their shine but the kindness was apparent in her eyes just like the Staraptor’s. “What’s going on Crest? Who’s at the do-” she left her sentence unfinished as she dashed as fast as her old legs could carry her and took Feather in her own embrace. “My boy! You returned! Don’t you ever leave us like that again!”

“I’m sorry Anni! But I’m alright. See? I brought my friends too!”

The two flying types turned to face us. We bent our heads respectfully as a greeting. The elders stared back solemnly and imitated our move. “Representative.” Anni began. “It’s an honor to have you here. Although deeply saddened by Feather’s departure, we knew that he had chosen an honest path. We’re proud that our kid made friends like the three of you. We’ve heard of your numerous deeds and all we can say is that he couldn’t have made a better choice.”

“Thank you.” I replied. “You’ve raised him wonderfully.”

“Come in, young ones. I’m sure you’ll be hungry!” the Staraptor smiled and opened the door wide for us to pass.

We went inside the house and found ourselves in the kitchen which contained only the most necessary things. A table, some chairs and a kitchen bench. We sat down and the Swellow placed a bowl full of fruits on the table.

“This is all we have I’m afraid.” She told us, seeming ashamed that she couldn’t offer something more. “We rarely have visitors you see.”

“You don’t have to apologize!” Rien told them with a smile. “Fruits are great!” he grabbed one quickly and wolfed it down. I hadn’t realized it but I really was starving. We were so absorbed in finding the village that we had forgotten to eat.

Everyone laughed and we soon started discussing. The two elders wished to learn about our story. Feather didn’t speak much. He mostly enjoyed being back home.

Once we finished with our narration, the Staraptor nodded his head solemnly and patted Feather on the back. “I see what you went through…” he then glanced at the Swellow who nodded ever so slightly. “After hearing all this, I suppose that there’s no reason to hide it anymore.”

“What do you mean, Crest?” Feather questioned the male, understanding that these words were meant for him.

Crest sighed and started. “Feather, Anni and I knew your parents. They were distant relatives of ours. We didn’t have the closest of relationships but it seems that they trusted us. We’ve told you that they died in the hands of the tyrant’s soldiers and it is true but we never said why. You see, they asked us not to tell you to keep you safe but that didn’t work. You chose their path anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” Feather asked once more, seeming nervous from being kept a secret.

“Feather, both of your parents were Representatives.” Anni said softly yet proudly.

“Um, I don’t think that’s possible. Jolty is the first one after three centuries.” Rien noted.

“No, she isn’t.” Crest smiled kindly. “She is the first one to survive and make her presence known throughout the country, I give that to her but, she’s not the first one born. Your parents are the proof of that and I’m willing to bet that there were more before them too.

Continued in next post

[Golden_Ray]

“However, your parents had stayed hidden and that’s why nobody found out about them. Until the day they were discovered of course. Someone happened to accidentally find their hideout and left to inform the tyrant as fast as they could. You had already been born when that happened and your parents rushed here to deliver you to us. They knew that once they had been discovered survival wouldn’t be easy and they tried to at least ensure your safety.

“And they were right. A few weeks later, we were informed of their deaths. They were executed in secret of course since the tyrant didn’t want to let the Pokemon learn that the Representatives continued to exist. Nobody ever found out about their true identities. Even we didn’t know that before they came to us. We were only sending an occasional letter to each other every now and then for the past years. We didn’t even know what they looked like until they arrived with a tiny Pidgey in their embrace.

“Your mother was an Altaria and your father a Pidgeot, Feather. Fine Pokemon, both of them, they’d be the Representatives of the Dragon and Flying type respectively. She had her mark on her forehead and your father’s was hidden below his left wing. They were already been chased down when they managed to evade their pursuers and come to the village. We couldn’t believe in our eyes back then but we promised to take care of you. They knew we had no kids and that we really wanted to have one.”

A complete silence had fallen over the room after the Staraptor finished talking. The news had deeply shocked me. Throughout my entire life I heard of how I was the first Representative and now I find out that I actually was not. Thousands of questions filled my mind. If Feather’s parents were Representatives who had remained hidden, then that meant they had spent their entire life in solitude like me. But, if that was the case, then how did they meet with each other? Were they hiding their marks with clothes each time they left the house just like I did? And if they were Representatives, then why didn’t they show themselves to the country? Were they afraid they wouldn’t make it? Did they think the time wasn’t right, yet? If there were others before of them, why didn’t they show up?

As if she could read my mind, the Swellow replied to my questions. “That’s all we know about them, I’m afraid. As my husband told you, we weren’t close enough to know plenty of details about their lives. We can’t tell you why they were hiding or how they had survived for all these years. They really seemed to love you, though, Feather. They asked us not to speak to you about them because they were afraid you would want to do what they hadn’t done and take the role of a Representative. But… I can see there was nothing that could prevent you from taking part in everyone’s attempt to free the country. As they say, like father like son.”

Feather who was listening dumbfounded for all this time opened and closed his mouth several times before he managed to speak. “W-wow...” He uttered at last. “That was completely unexpected.”

“You must be proud for your parents.” Crest said to the Pidgeotto with a smile. “They were Representatives but they achieved something even bigger: they brought up a son who stands loyal to another Representative, honoring their name.”

“Thanks...” Was all Feather could say, still dumbstruck.

“So, for how long are you planning to stay?” Anni asked to take our minds away from the confusing subject for a minute.

We looked at each other. We really weren’t planning to stay for long. In fact, we had decided not to spend more than a day in the village. That was both because we were afraid we wouldn’t want to leave again and because we wanted to continue with our journey… or at least with whatever we were about to do now that our journey was complete.

The Swellow didn’t have to read our thoughts to understand what the look meant. “It’s okay. You can leave as soon as you wish; we’re not going to keep you. You have things to do at your end. Just stay long enough for me to prepare a bag of supplies for you.”

“That’s not necessary!” I told her. “The forest is more than full of berries and fruits of all kinds. We’re definitely not going to get hungry while here.”

“I know, but I want to offer all the help I can.”

When she returned, she handed us a neat basket full of fruits and vegetables which could last us for a few days. We thanked both of the elders as Feather hugged both of them tightly once more, promising to visit them again once he had the chance.

The four of us continued walking around the village while Delilah and Feather shared stories from their childhood in Serevir. I wasn’t listening anymore, though. The questions inside my head where too many for me to ignore them. So, if I wasn’t the only Representative of these three centuries, then did that mean that if I died before freeing the country there would be more to come? Or was I the last one ever? And then, if I really wasn’t the first one, did I actually have another choice? Had I begun this journey with the false belief that I was the only one who could do it? It seemed like the answer to this last question was yes. Saving my country wasn’t the only option and yet that’s how I used to perceive it.

The realization created an odd feeling inside me. For all these years I felt the pressure of my inheritance, the Golen, weigh my heart. I believed that, if I failed, I would automatically doom the entire country. Was I wrong? It seemed like not everything depended on me. But then, why didn’t all the previous Representatives do something? Was it possible that they were all killed before they could make their presence known? As far as I knew, no. Was I ignoring something else that could actually answer to that question? I didn’t think so or, at least, I didn’t have enough intelligence on the matter at that time.

In the end, was I –even though I definitely wasn’t the only Representative born- the only one that could beat the tyrant? Was I blessed with so much good luck that I had managed to survive while other adults before me failed? All of the questions and the answers I gave kept leading back to where I had started: doubt. I couldn’t solve this mystery but I couldn’t stop thinking about it either.

The day passed like that. We quickly visited Delilah's home where a note reading the Advisor was not in his home stood. We didn't pass from the main square since we were afraid someone would see us and tell Rai once he returned. We had already left the village and camped in the forest when I was finally too exhausted to keep thinking. We were sitting around a small campfire as Rien was telling his own stories. We had annoyed him enough to finally make him speak some more about his childhood and he had finally decided to talk. After a while, he no longer seemed unwilling to do so and he was instead chattering unstoppably about it even though we still lacked a good amount of information as where was his home, who were his parents and the likes.

“…So I had ventured far away from my house without realizing it.” He was saying with an excited smile. “And then, I heard a nasty snarl. As you can understand, I was scared to death since there were a lot of rumors about a monster roaming the deepest parts of the Swamps.”

“Wait, the Swamps?” I asked him, raising my head from my paws. I was about to fall asleep when that word piqued my interest. Rien had never mentioned that he lived in a swamp. I also didn’t know of many swamps in Aesler. While there was a big variety of terrains in the country, swamps was definitely not one you would easily find.

For some reason Rien seemed to completely lose his calm by my question. “Wh-what? Swamps?” he stammered, blushing all over his face. “D-did I say Swamps?”

“Yes you did. I’m pretty sure about that.” Feather said suspiciously.

“Umm… That’s not what I meant. I meant… I-I meant…” Rien seemed to be out of words and he started to nervously tug a blade of grass.

“What’s up, Rien? What’s so bad about living in a swamp?” Delilah questioned him worriedly. “Come on, we’ve already told everything about our lives. You’re refusing to speak about your home for all these months. You can’t possibly think we’ll mock you or something! We’re your friends and we don’t care if you don’t come from some luxurious place. Who does after all? We’re all villagers.”

“Fine! But you asked for it!” Rien burst out but he wasn’t looking at us. “I’m from the Murky Swamps. Happy now?”

Silence fell. Rien was the only one who was moving as he kept tugging the grass blades.

So that’s why he wasn’t speaking about his homeland. The Murky Swamps were supposed to be a bad place. Why that was I wasn’t sure. It probably was another of the many prejudices that started to appear after the Jicicles took over. If I wasn’t mistaken, though, they were supposed to be inhabited by criminals and vicious Pokemon and all sorts of wrongdoers. The reason that particular place should be filled with villains was never explained but I knew that the fear for those who lived there was one which was deeply fixed in the hearts of all of the inhabitants of Aesler. I couldn’t deny it since the news had shocked me even though I couldn’t tell why. It didn’t make any difference after all. It still was Rien standing in front of us and not an outlaw. Why did I react like that?

Keeping my voice as steady and careless as possible I spoke. “Is that all?”

Rien stopped trying to outroot the grass around him and looked at me surprised.

“You’re not scared or disgusted?” he asked, seeming to be completely taken aback by my indifference.

“Of course we’re not, silly!” Delilah smiled once she got over her shock.

“I highly doubt you’re going to turn into a bad Pokemon this instant if you haven’t done so since now.” Said Feather. “The Rien we know is a kind Buizel although he can sometimes be untactful. We would be pretty shallow if we changed our minds just because of that piece of information.”

“So, you’re not going to tell me to leave your group?” Rien questioned, still unbelieving.

“We might consider doing so if you don’t stop being such an idiot!” I told him strictly. “You’re insulting us if you think we’ll abandon a friend like that!”

Rien’s eyes widened from happiness and he rushed to hug each of us, seeming deeply touched. “Thank you, guys! Oh, it’s such a load of my back! I really wanted to tell you because I hated keeping secrets from you but I was afraid you wouldn’t want me as a friend if I did so!”

I blinked, feeling a bit awkward about this sudden outburst of gratitude. I didn’t think it was that great of a deal. Besides, he should be grateful to himself since he was the one who managed to make us see the truth behind the prejudice. Ashamedly, I realized that I might not have been that open-minded had I not known him for so long.

“I left my home because life was starting to get quite hard at the Swamps. My family is very big and, considering the beliefs about us, it wasn’t easy to find a good job. Then again, it’s hard for every Pokemon in Aesler to find a good job nowadays. Most of my older brothers had already gone to find a job so I decided to leave too. They told me I was way too young but I wouldn’t listen. In the end, they couldn’t really say no since all help was welcome.

“I thus came to the Luminous Forest to see what I could do. I knew that no one would take a kid as a worker but I hoped I would be accepted as someone’s apprentice. After all, I knew how to read and write which definitely is a great pro not many would say no to. Well, I didn’t quite manage to do that since I met Feather and Delilah and decided that finding you, Jolty, was what I was going to do. Not exactly profitable but I have to admit I totaly forgot about my family’s problem.” He blushed. “So, now you know. That’s the story of my life. I was just thinking that we’re quite close to the Swamps and it would be nice if I could go visit my family.”

“Then maybe we should head there?” Feather suggested. I didn’t think any of us was totally free from the fear towards the swamps but I was sure none of us would deprive Rien of his wish to see his family.

“Really?” the Buizel asked, eyes agleam. “But, what about you, Jolty? Don’t you want to see your family too?’

“Well, I guess we could go to the swamps and return. They’re closer to Serevir after all. We could return and go to the mountains afterwards.”

“Thank you, Jolty!” he exclaimed joyfully. “So, let’s go to sleep and leave in the morning!”

Note: Biggest chapter I've ever written. Cheers!

[Scytherwolf]

I hope you'll get inspired too, Scythe! I really want to know what's going to happen now that Snowcrystal has found a clue! As for me, it seems that my inspiration is sort of over (for now at least because I have a feeling it will return soon). ^^; It lasted for two-and-a-half chapters, though, and that isn't halfway bad!

Thanks! I'm going to try writing again soon, though I've been having trouble lately. >.<


Didn't find many typos, only a few:

Even though the elderly couple that took care of him had raised him in such a way that he was pretty much independent throughout his entire life, he felt really bad for leaving them.

This sentence kind of sounded weird to me the way it was worded...

The Pidgeotto solemnly approached the door, took a deep breath and knowcked with his beak thrice.

Knocked

“I know but I want to offer all the help I can.”

Should have a comma after 'know.'


Wow, I was surprised to learn that there were other representatives...I wonder how many are still out there. It'll be interesting to know why they weren't known about for so long, too.
I really liked hearing about Jolty's past, and also her thoughts when she found out that she wasn't the only representative were interesting too. I like how she was questioning how she started her journey.
I also wondered why Rien was so hesitant to mention the swamps...I wonder what that place is like...

Hope you get inspiration soon and good luck with the next chapter!

[Golden_Ray]

Wow, I was surprised to learn that there were other representatives...I wonder how many are still out there. It'll be interesting to know why they weren't known about for so long, too.
I really liked hearing about Jolty's past, and also her thoughts when she found out that she wasn't the only representative were interesting too. I like how she was questioning how she started her journey.
I also wondered why Rien was so hesitant to mention the swamps...I wonder what that place is like...

Hope you get inspiration soon and good luck with the next chapter!

It'll take some time for more information about the Representatives to be known since there'll be a lot of things going on in the following chapters. There'll definitely be some insight in the matter later on, though. Thanks! I hope I get inspired again soon!

An update of the map: Aesler

Chapter 43
The Murky Swamps

We were in a very gloomy environment. The colors reigning over everything else in the Swamps were brown and grey while the thick mist that never cleared helped in making all things look even duller. By getting in there, I had no trouble understanding why they had such a bad reputation.

Thanks for Rien, our trip was a safe one since he seemed to know exactly where to go even though I failed to understand how he managed to find his way since everything looked the same to me. However, he was somehow able to tell us where we should watch our step and advised us to follow his steps as precisely as we could –something that would have been an almost impossible task with all that mist, hadn’t Rien taken with him one of the lamps that laid at the entrance for those who might want to venture inside the swamps.

As far as I knew, most swamps were not exactly as scary as they were described. They usually were home to plenty of Pokemon and were covered in vegetation. They simply were another green place you might even like if you weren’t bothered by excessive humidity and mud. These certain swamps, though, seemed to be exactly as scary as the Pokemon claimed. Trees without leaves jutted out from the muddy ground here and there, with branches seeming like ugly hands reaching out to grab you. In many places, I found myself fearing I had fallen in quicksand even though Rien constantly assured me that he knew very well where quicksands were situated inside the swamps. In the end, I couldn’t help but expect some thief to jump out from the mist and attack us.

And, from what Rien said, the prejudice about their inhabitants wasn’t totally false. The Murky Swamps were indeed a favorite hiding place for criminals but that didn’t mean all of their inhabitants were criminals themselves. Other places in Aesler served like hideouts for outlaws and they too sometimes didn’t have the best of reputations. It was just that the Swamps had the worst one for no particular reason. He indicated that during the years he lived there, he hadn’t met a single wrongdoer, only heard about them.

That didn’t exactly make me relax but I had to admit Rien seemed pretty confident. He really looked like he knew what he was doing and I trusted him blindly. After all, I could see this trip as a way to win over my fears and the beliefs that had been fixed inside me without my consent.

It was a matter of few hours to reach Rien’s village. The Buizel had managed to guide us safely to his home which was located in what one could call a clearing. There were none of the creepy trees there and the ground felt much more solid and safe to walk on. The houses were wooden and covered in moss while they had the repulsive smell of rotten wood. Right when I started to wonder how Rien had managed to live here for so long, I realized that this environment probably didn’t bother him at all. He was a water Pokemon and as such it was in his nature to feel comfortable with everything associated with water and that included both the humidity and its effects on wood. It probably was like living in a river with just a darker and gloomier appearance.

Excitedly, he led us towards his home, as he waved to other inhabitants of the swamp who happened to be walking outside. For some reason, they weren’t surprised to see Rien even though he was gone for a long time. We understood why once we entered his house. At first, I thought that he lived in a pretty big place but I soon saw it wasn’t big at all. When he simply opened the door and walked in, not being polite enough to knock, I had to admit that the house was incredibly small for those who lived inside it.

Rien’s family was simply huge. I counted at least ten siblings, his two parents and four grandparents, a few uncles and aunts and the children of those uncles and aunts which were almost as many as Rien’s brothers and sisters.

As we stared jaw dropped at this unusual sight, a chorus of delighted cries and warm welcome-backs could be heard. Rien was surrounded by this humongous family which's members competed in who would hug the Buizel first. My friend received a lot of hair-rufflings and light punches by his older siblings and cousins while the younger ones were dancing around him or jumping on his embrace, all these when the adults tried to approache him to kiss and hug the young Pokemon.

I couldn’t help but smile. This was exactly the way families should be. In Aesler, it wasn’t easy to have close relationships with relatives unless they all lived in the same village or city with you. If your relatives where in some faraway place, there weren’t many chances you could meet them since travelling there would mean leaving your job not to mention that it wasn’t advised to leave cities since there were a lot of outlaws at large in the countryside.

However, Rien was lucky enough to have his entire family close to him. Then again, I wasn’t sure how lucky he was. I supposed it could get pretty annoying to have all these Pokemon watching over you not to mention the conflicts with all of these kids. Also, the size of his family was probably one of the reasons they were poor. Right then, though, the Buizel seemed delighted to see all of his relatives again. I noticed that not all of them were Buizel or Floatzel. The children on the other hand were a different story. Not even a single one was a Pokemon of a different specie. They had ended up just like Rien and I couldn’t imagine how the adults managed to control them since Buizel and Floatzel where pretty energetic Pokemon.

“I don’t know if I must feel jealous or sorry about Rien.” Feather commented. “It must be nice to be loved by so many Pokemon but I think I prefer my relationship with my foster parents. They were never particularly expressive but there was a lot of respect and personal space for me.”

“I agree but Rien seems happy.” Delilah noted. “I guess different things apply for different personalities. Then again, it might just be a matter of getting used to a way of life.”

Once all of the family members had finished welcoming Rien, their attention turned to us. Several of the younger children came to greet us with gleeful cries while there were a lot of surprised comments from the adults. With the raucous that was caused, I couldn’t make up what they were saying but that was when Rien’s parents stepped to the front and managed to make everyone fall silent.

“Welcome to our humble abode, Representative, and thank you for bringing our son back. We greatly missed him!” said Rien’s mother who was a Buizel. She seemed to have decided not to evolve or maybe she didn’t manage to. I didn’t know and it wasn’t the sort of thing one would ask a stranger unless they wanted to be impolite.

Her words of gratitude echoed as the others expressed their feelings. That was when Rien spoke. “Mum, dad, everyone, these are my good friends as I’m sure you know and no introductions are needed. I’m glad to see you all again but I’m afraid we can’t stay for long. Jolty has to see her own family too and we need to continue with our journey after that.”

“Of course, son, we understand.” Rien’s father told him. He was a Quagsire and he stood out oddly with his blue skin in that sea of orange fur. “Please, seat yourselves.”

That was when I noticed we were actually in a living room. I was so absorbed in examining the family that I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings. The living room looked more like a store selling chairs than a room. All kinds of sofas, armchairs and stools were placed around the room surprisingly leaving enough room for the Pokemon to pass and stand. Other than that, there were also a few tables and a couple of cupboards inside the room.

“You’re leaving again brother?” a little girl asked Rien as an older brother informed him that three of his siblings had left the Murky Swamps while at the same time a cousin was saying what a pity it was they couldn’t be here as well to see their brother return.

Careful not to hit one of the younglings who played around us a bit carelessly, I sat on a couch I was offered with my three other friends. A hot beverage was given to each of us and, by the way it smelled, I guessed it tasted good. Somehow, the grown ups managed to make the children behave and sit patiently to listen to our narration of our journey’s events.

The family listened without interrupting and we would have finished our story rather quickly hadn’t the bell rang. Inside came a Hippowdon who raised his eyebrows upon seeing us but didn’t comment.

“Hello Nora, Mitch, everyone.” He nodded to Rien’s parents and then to the rest of the family. “I just wanted to inform you that I got news about that Marshtomp rampaging the southern parts of the Swamps. You’re advised not to approach these parts for a few days.”

“Thank you, Slash.” An aunt thanked him and the Hippowdon left with another nod of his head.

“Slash makes sure to inform the residents of the village about the criminals who live here so as we can avoid them.” Rien explained to us. “Thanks to him, we always know where to go in order to not meet any trouble.”

“That means that you’ll have to be careful which route you’re taking, Rien.” A sister of his instructed him. “You could have stumbled upon him on your way here.”

I gulped. Where we once more lucky to have avoided an outlaw?

“Oh, come on, you know that Swampert!” Rien replied. “He never does anything but scare everyone!”

“Your sister is right, Rien.” One of the two grandfathers said. “You have some very important friends here. You must take care of them as best as you can!”

“Okay… Guys, we’ll have to cross the Murky Swamps and circle around them in order to get back to Luminous Forest. I hope you don’t mind walking a bit more?”

“I’d rather walk than face a Swampert.” Delilah pointed out and I wholeheartedly agreed.

We finished telling our story and stayed some more with Rien’s family before we departed. To my dismay the family told me that there were some Pokemon who, hoping to get the hefty reward, killed young Jolteon and painted the Golen on them in a desperate attempt to fool the tyrant. I shuddered at the thought of how many lives of Pokemon of my kind were lost because of me. It was just like that story with fake Representatives but the other way round. Now, these Jolteon didn’t want to become Representatives but were used as ones.Of course, the fraud was always been revealed and the Pokemon were executed. That left a deep feeling of guilt inside me. Realizing that my mood had changed, my friends proposed we should leave. It took some time for the Buizel to hug each and every one of his relatives but we eventually left the village and crossed the Swamps.

I gladly breathed the clear air outside of the swamp. I hadn’t realized how nice it was not to feel wet all the time and have the sun freely warm your fur instead of being constantly immersed in that mist. It proved that there was nothing to be afraid of in Rien’s homeland but I still couldn’t say I was fond of the swamps although my recent sadness due to the news about executions could have affected my opinion. I was no longer afraid of their inhabitants, though.

“Fresh air is nice, huh?” Rien commented with a smile, noticing my delight. “Do you see why I didn’t think twice before leaving my home? It’s not like I was unhappy there but it was too much for me sometimes. I wanted to feel what it’s like to be completely free. Everybody needs a little bit of privacy. I still can’t help miss my family and I’m sure I’ll return to them again one day and I hope I’ll also manage to bring them out of this place when I do. That was my intention after all.”

“Who knows, maybe you’re actually really working towards helping your family.” Said Delilah. “Maybe after all this is over…”

“Yeah, maybe then…”

We advanced parallel to the outer trees of the swamp so as to not wander too far and cross extra distance. There were occasional patches of trees here and there but the ground was mostly free of trees or bushes. We were in such a patch of trees when it happened.

It’s strange sometimes how simple it is for certain things to happen. I knew there was no way we could have realized what awaited us just by the smell and there was definitely no chance we would have guessed what lied ahead. One thing I learned that day, though, was that in the great outdoors you’ll either travel without meeting anyone because of the size and number of hiding places or you’ll have a lot of unexpected encounters for the same reason; you could never know where someone would be waiting for you.

As such, we were totally unprepared for the Forretress’ assault. The bug was withdrawn in his shell and was spinning madly. Before I could protect myself, I was slammed by the Pokemon’s steel spikes with incredible force due to the Rapid Spin attack.

I was knocked on the ground with my breath cut and so were my friends. I tried to stand up again and defend but the Forretress knew well what he was supposed to do. No sooner than I had managed to balance myself, he slammed his entire body on the ground. That caused violent tremors which made me fall down again and inflicted great damage since I had a type disadvantage.

My friends were in no better state. Even Feather had been hit by the attack because he hadn’t managed to take off after been knocked down by the Rapid Spin. Something throbbed in my chest and I realized that there was a big cut there caused by the Pokemon’s spikes. To my horror, I found out that I was one step before fainting and that was only after two hits!

Despite our critical state, Delilah tried to stop the Forretress' repeated attacks by using her electricity unstoppably. It wasn’t going to do much damage but it would at least make the bug-and-steel type pause for a second and allow us to escape. Because escape was the only option.

However, the Forretress did not even notice he was being attacked. Instead, he let out a peculiar and loud whistle that sounded like a signal. Fear clasped my heart tightly. There were more here and they were waiting to catch us!

That was when panic took over and we simply fled to save our lives. I could feel my chest pounding so much it hurt but I couldn’t tell if it was my heart or my wound which caused the pain. Probably both.

We had fallen on some sort of ambush. I didn’t know how they had predicted from where we were going to pass or if it even was just a coincidence but I knew we had stumbled upon soldiers and they were no ordinary ones.

My friends and I headed instinctively towards the Swamps. I doubted that the soldiers would be scared to enter them but none of us could think clearly then. Our instincts just screamed we should head to someplace familiar, somewhere where there were Pokemon we knew.

“Oh, hey! What happened?” came a gruff voice. Slash the Hippowdon had suddenly appeared from inside the swamps. “Was there an earthquake?”

My almost crazed from fear self barely managed to see the possibility of using the Hippowdon’s help. Going against the voice of logic which ordered me to keep running, I stopped to talk to Slash who in the meantime had realized what was going on, probably because he saw our pursuers hot on our tracks.

“Quicksand!” I shouted, not caring whether Slash would understand and started running again.

“No, this is the south! The Swampert might be here!” he yelled to me but I had already rushed to my friends’ side, making the Hippowdon follow us.

“I came to check if you were alright!” he shouted to us as we advanced inside the Murky Swamps, not paying attention to our surroundings. We could as well have been trapped below the mud. “It’s dangerous, don’t proceed any further! Your parents came along too! Rush back to them and I’ll slow the soldiers down!”

That statement made us all stop. “No, Slash do as Jolty said and guide them to a quicksand!” Rien ordered him, understanding that if Slash stayed, he would get killed.

“That’s what I’m planning to do!” The Hippowdon replied. “There’s a quicksand right over there but they won’t follow me that easily. They’ll prefer to catch you. As such, I’ll try to concentrate their attention on me by bringing the Swampert out. Yes, the Swampert is actually enraged right now and has already ravaged a part of the swamps! That’s why I came after you! I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t encounter him!”

Slash was about to make a maddened Swampert turn against him so that he could lead him to the soldiers and try to make them venture in quicksand!

“How are you planning to make them stick in the mud without them realizing it?” Delilah questioned and Slash remained silent.

“I don’t know.” He said at last. “I might lure them there by getting in myself.”

He was actually planning to sacrifice himself if needed!

I tried to change his mind but I wasn’t able to make my shocked response. The soldiers had entered the Swamps and were coming towards us.

At first, I could only be impressed by the aura of power these Pokemoon emitted. They seemed to be the elite of the soldiers and I could barely guess how trained they were. They seemed to have reached the highest level of strength.

Secondly, I watched Slash’s plan fall into pieces by a single attack launched by an Abomasnow. The ice type saw the strong Pokemon who could possibly attempt to upset their plans and decided to take him out with the powerful attack of Sheer Cold. The Hippowdon collapsed, enclosed in a thick layer of ice and we were once more alone.

The next thing that crossed my mind was simply a “Why?”. I wondered "why?" when I heard a soldier questioning whether they should get rid of the Hippowdon now or do it after I was caught. I then remembered that if we were beaten that day, all four of us would end up dead. Immediately, I was reminded of others who had died before. Plenty of those participating in the battle of Forenham, Rod and some of his Mightyena, the impoverished Pokemon of Sorvenvar and those who are being executed there, the entire city of Chimevar after that fateful battle, the poor Jolteon used as a fake me and countless of other nameless Pokemon who were killed because of their beliefs or because they were driven to thievery and those who died of starvation or thirst and from illnesses. I felt like half of these deaths had happened because of me.

Continued in next post...

[Golden_Ray]

Scattered images filled my mind. A Salamence accepting his death sentence just because he had tried to persuade the citizens of Sorevenvar to follow me, the Mightyena pack fighting against that guild of thieves who were after the reward placed on me, Forenhamians who gladly entered the battle without caring what would become of them as long as I was safe inside the city, Chimevarians deciding to make this reckless choice because my appearance meant they had to resist and now those Jolteon dying in my place… and it wasn’t just deaths I could think about.

Julie fighting with her best friend to defend me, Lina endangering to be caught by soldiers only to take me out of Litvar safely, Mel and the orphans putting their lives on the line, feeling it was their duty to resist because I appeared, Flare almost getting killed to escort me to my destination, Ben and his team making a newspaper which’s cause is to support me, Bentor and his union of artistic children who altered my wanted posters, Falynne having to scare off the slavers who would want to catch me for the reward, Slash willing to give his life to protect me, my parents always checking left and right to see if anybody had followed them and making sure nobody found out about me, my sister asking if she could tell she had some imaginary sister who was awesome because it was a pity she had such a great sister like me and was unable to shout it out loud, my friends always standing right by my side, never questioning me, ever loyal to me and were now about to get killed because of me… And what had I done to be worth so many lives? Nothing, or at least nothing to make me so important.

“Run! Back to Rien’s parents!” I yelled to my friends and pretended to follow them.

The three of them obeyed instantly and fled, thinking I was right behind them but I wasn’t moving. Even that single moment I actually thought of following them to save my life, I failed to oblige to my instincts because I was already surrounded by the group of soldiers. I was what they wanted more. As I had guessed, they didn’t try to get my friends. All they wanted was to make sure I had no chance to escape. These thoughts which screamed that all was about me were right. It was all about me and, if the soldiers managed to catch me, they would leave everyone else alone. I felt relieved knowing that my friends were probably so intent on escaping and so panicked that it would take them a lot of time to realize I wasn’t following them. Good, they were safe.

The muscled hands of a Poliwrath lifted me easily from the ground. “Shall we finish her off right here and now?” he asked, preparing his other hand to punch. He would gladly beat me to death I could see.

“No, you dimwit!” told him a Jynx. “The tyrant would rather execute her in front of everyone else. That would make a really big fuss, right?” she laughed morbidly.

“I agree! Let’s just make sure she has no way of causing any trouble. She must be quite a little demon for surviving so long!” Said a Sedinja. Since he wasn’t planning to rid me of my agony, he used his False Swipe attack repeatedly until I was covered in so many gashes I was on the verge of fainting but wasn’t going to. They wanted me to suffer throughout the journey to Sorvenvar. So be it. I couldn’t feel anything at the moment. Both my body and senses were numbed so I couldn’t feel the pain or be devastated that I was one step before my death. My decision seemed to have immersed me into a realm without feelings.

“Okay, bring the chains and sent a message to the other units. Mission accomplished!”

I no longer paid attention to who spoke or what they said. I only watched passively not showing any sort of emotion.

“Are you sure you didn’t faint her? She seems dead.”

“How big of an idiot can you be? False Swipe can’t make anyone faint!”

“Well, there’s no point in arguing whether she’s awake or not. She’s pretty much as good as dead!”

They laughed and I felt something cold curl around my legs and neck. Chains probably.

“Do you think he’ll pay us for that?”

“Of course he will! And it’s going to be an even bigger amount than the one on the posters!”

“Definitely! Besides, do you remember what that Silver was awarded? More than he deserved!”

“Well, never mind that! He’s where he deserves to be now! Nowhere!”

They laughed once more and we started walking in a fast pace. I don’t know how I managed to keep up with them with all these wounds and I don’t remember how long it took us to reach the capital. I can’t recall what the looks on the Pokemons’ faces were as the soldiers -the royal guard as I found out- walked triumphantly through the streets of Sorvenvar. What I do remember is that understanding of what I had gotten myself into came only after I was thrown into a cage in the dungeons of the castle and the door banged behind me with one sentence echoing in my head:

“You’ll be executed at tomorrow’s dawn.”

Note: Right after writing the part about Rien's family, I left for a small trip in order to attend a cousin's marriage. During the times I visited her home, there always were relatives paying a visit too. I once was in the house with twelve other people. It was noisy... and tons of fun! My cousin also told me of how she preferred being lost in the crowd than living somewhere where everyone knows you and everything you do. Needless to say, I was surprised to pretty much see the scene taking life in front of my eyes!

[Scytherwolf]

Haha, that's funny! (About Rien's family) Coincidences like that are weird!

I really liked this chapter though...it seemed really well thought out and a lot of things surprised me. I was expecting Slash to at least have a chance at his plan but he didn't even get to start it. I wonder what happened to him...I was also surprised that Jolty was captured but I'm glad that her friends got away.
I also liked her thoughts and how that led to her deciding to sacrifice herself for the safety of her friends. I wonder why she wasn't shown to the tyrant first though, or were they saving that for the morning?

I hope you get inspiration again soon because I really want to know what happens! XD

Also...

They wanted me to suffer throughout the journey to Sorvenvar. So be it. I couldn’t feel anything at the moment. Both my body and senses were numbed so I couldn’t feel the pain or be devastated that I was one step before my death. My decision seemed to have immersed me into a realm without feelings.

I really like how this was described, as well as other parts in the chapter. Great job with it!