[BtTG] Cerise's Story

This took entirely too long! But here it is, an origin story for Cerise! May I present...
Beyond the Tall Grass: Cerise's Story!

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“Cerise, HURRY!!”

Agitated Pokemon cries filled the air as a young boy threw open a log fence gate, allowing himself and a teenage girl a passageway into a large expanse of grass and water. Not too far behind was a small hedgehog, arms flailing behind it as it struggled to keep up with the two humans. Usually, the large and spacious environment was ideal for the Pokemon Day Care that owned it, but today?

The usually docile group of Pokemon that stayed here were now huddled in corners, with larger Pokemon standing protectively in front of smaller ones. In the middle of the various groups was a Tyranitar, roaring ferally as it tore up chunks of the loamy grass and chucked it at any who dared to approach it. The young boy skidded to a stop, ducking down to avoid a chunk of flying debris. He quickly looks back at the hedgehog, who had fallen down while trying to avoid getting a face-full of dirt and rock.

“Chespy, you good!?” The boy shouted loudly, trying to be heard over the Tyranitar’s angry bellows. The green hedgehog picks itself up and gives him a thumbs up, a determined glint in its eyes.

“Cerise!! The other Pokemon!!” The teenager shouted as she reached for her belt, pulling a red and white sphere from the belt loops. She throws the Pokeball into the air, calling out her partner Pokemon, a slender bipedal Pokemon whose lower body resembled a white dress.

“Gardevoir! Try a Heal Pulse on Tyranitar!” The Gardevoir nods before gathering a large amount of psychic energy and sending it rippling forth, reaching into Tyranitar’s mind to try to calm it. The dinosaur-like Pokemon only seemed to grow in anger, gathering dark energy in its fists before unleashing a powerful shockwave.

“That’s Dark Pulse!!” Cerise squeaks in surprise, astounded by the Tyranitar’s raw power as large chunks of the ground were unearthed and upheaved. He glances to the right, seeing a group of bug-type Pokemon cry out as the rumbling and churning earth knocked them into nearby river. The group of now drowning bug types included Larvesta, Spewpa, and Ledyba, and they all struggled against the now raging tides.

“Chespy! Vine Whip who you can!! I’ll get the rest!!” The boy, Cerise, shouts as he tears off his shirt and shoes. He quickly dives into the water, taking powerful front strokes to reach the bug-types. Chespin, who’d managed to get Ledyba already, was now struggling to get a firm grip on Spewpa, who kept falling under the waves.

Cerise struggled to keep his balance in the raging river as he reached out to Larvesta, who as a fire type was increasingly flipping out. The bug let out shrill screams as its stubby arms flailed rapidly.

“L-larvesta!! I’ve got you!!” Cerise shouted as his hand managed to grab one of Larvesta’s stubs. The contact was blisteringly hot, despite the icy water, and Cerise winced as he pulled Larvesta towards him. He then began to power his way towards the shore, eyes watering in pain as Larvesta heated up more and more in its hysteria. He heaved the bug-type onto shore and cradled his burns momentarily before seeing that Chespin was still struggling to wrap its vines around Spewpa.

“SPEWPA!!” Cerise cried out, running towards Spewpa was drowning, but stumbled and fell from his ankle giving out. The boy fell onto his face, and he cried out in pain. By now, Spewpa had managed to grab onto Chespin’s vines, but was too heavy for Chespin to pull out. The hedgehog tried to pull out the bug-type, but found itself now being pulled into the water as well. It cried out, digging its feet into the dirt to try and stop itself.

“Gardevoir!! MEGA EVOLVE!!” The teenage girl cried out as she pressed a multicolored bangle on her wrist. Gardevoir nodded as its body took on a pink hue, its body shifting and changing to a stronger, more durable form. Its slender dress now a large ballgown, Mega Gardevoir clenched its fists and the other injured Pokemon were simultaneously lifted by its psychic power and levitated to the far end of the Day Care’s ranch. The Mega Pokemon quickly glanced over, lifted Cerise, Chespin, and Spewpa as well and placing them with the other Day Care Pokemon.

“Now, use MOONBLAST!!” The girl shouted as the Mega Gardevoir gathered ambient photons into its hands before firing a powerful magenta burst stream of energy at Tyranitar, who roared in pain as it doubled over in pain.

“Use Captivate, then another Moonblast!!” Gardevoir followed its orders, using its formidable prowess to assure that Tyranitar’s focus was only on her before firing another blast of magenta energy. The Tyranitar was prepared this time, though. It slammed its foot into the ground, sending forth a powerful earthquake that knocked Gardevoir off-balance.

“Azra, halt immediately!!” The teenager spun around, surprised as an elderly woman and a middle-aged duo--one male, the other female-- appeared. The elderly woman was the one who spoke, and she gazed at the Tyranitar thoughtfully for a moment. “This is not a problem that can be solved with brute force.”

“But I almo-” The girl, Azra, began to speak to try and defend her position, but the elderly woman shook her head.

“From what I remember last, we only had a Pupitar here? Though, I suspect something of interest has happened here…” The woman murmured as it approached the feral Tyranitar, who snorted flames as it prepared a Flamethrower.

“GRAMS!!” Azra shouted as she ran forward, but was waved off. A Glameow burst from a white light in the elderly woman’s pocket, its curving tail catching Tyranitar’s focus. The dinosaur halted its flamethrower, entranced by the Glameow’s tail.

“Generally, evolution is a time of celebration. But sometimes… a Pokemon is startled by its sudden change, and goes into a state of panic and confusion. It’s not uncommon for Pokemon like this to rampage… And Ethel, you may want to check on your son.” The elder says as she taps Tyranitar’s knee with a slender finger, inspecting it carefully.

“Cerise?!” A brown-haired woman with a green apron calls out, seeing his prone form by the gathered Day Care Pokemon. Eyes wide, she runs to the gathering. “Oh Arceus… please be okay!”

The boy utters a small groan, curled in the fetal position and cradling his knee. Ethel falls to her knees as she reaches Cerise’s side, checking the side of his neck for a pulse.

She waited.

After a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief as a pulse is felt. A nearby Deerling slowly walks forward, its horned glowing green as a fruit-scented aroma filled the air. In moments, Cerise’s burns from Larvesta healed, leaving Cerise’s skin in near perfect condition. The Deerling took a step back, unsure of what to do now that its Aromatherapy had worked its magic.

Chespin crawled onto Cerise’s chest, hugging its trainer tightly with now watering eyes. It hadn’t been strong enough to help Spewpa… maybe if it had acted more quickly… Cerise wouldn’t be so hurt right now. A hand lands on its head, and it slowly looks up, seeing Cerise’s half-open eyes resting on it, a weak smile on his face.

“You… okay, bud…?” He manages to cough out. The wounds had healed, but the physical pain was still enough to overpower him. Chespin noticed this and placed a paw over Cerise’s mouth before nodding. The trainer smiled before his eyes closed again, too tired to keep conscious.

Ethel wiped her eyes, glad her son was alright. She glanced back, seeing Azra, Gardevoir, and the older male approach. She stood and dusted her apron off. “He’s alright.”

“Good.” The male responded softly. “Let’s get him inside, then.”


--- Somewhere near the Giant Chasm ---


Although Cerise was unaware, trouble was brewing on the horizon, and fate would soon thrust him into a situation that few could compare with…

In the night skies over Crater Forest, an Emolga takes flight, catching the fastest updrafts as quickly as possible to reach its destination. It was on an urgent mission, and had a limited amount of time to get the help that it was seeking. Seeing a rocky crag up ahead that towered above the treetops, it urged itself to move faster, pushing its speed to the limit.

As it landed on the rocky landscape, it looked around, worried. Maybe the one it was looking for wasn’t here? It took several steps around, anxiety growing in the pit of its stomach. Not sensing anyone around, it turned to go, only to bump into a pair of pillar-like legs and tumble over.

The Emolga blinked and looked up, seeing a tall crimson humanoid with bladed arms and a war helmet for a head. Recognizing the other Pokemon as Bisharp, Emolga leapt to its feet. This was the Pokemon it had been looking for!

Emolga quickly spread its arms, hovering near the Bisharp’s head, squeaking frantically and pointing towards the large pit in the earth to the west. Bisharp took a few steps forward, arms crossed, as Emolga hovered nearby, unsure if the bladed warrior would accept its request. A quartet of smaller red humanoids, also bladed, unveiled themselves from the shadows and surrounded Emolga and Bisharp, the latter finally nodding to itself.

Bisharp takes a running leap, jumping off of the cliffside into a freefall for the ground below, the smaller humanoids, Pawniard, following suit. Emolga’s eyes began to water. It hadn’t expected Bisharp to help, but now that it was… Emolga blinked, realizing it should probably lead the way to the source of the problem. It dove after Bisharp and its clan of Pawniard, weaving through tree branches and taking a position at the front of the group.

Emolga led the bladed quintet past a river, landing on a particularly large boulder that overlooked the Giant Chasm as a whole. Bisharp skidded to a halt, scanning the area for irregularities before seeing Emolga dive down into the Chasm, and followed, skidding down the rocky edge of the Chasm with grace and poise. The Pawniard followed Bisharp, skiing down the rocky terrain like knives through butter. As the group landed at the bottom of the chasm, they came across Emolga’s problem: A Skorupi’s tail had gotten trapped underneath a fallen boulder. Bisharp nodded to itself, recalling the more recent earthquakes. Those earthquakes had probably destabilized the rocks enough and Skorupi had just been an unfortunate victim.

Bisharp raised its fists, gathering its concentration before its dome-like helm took on a metallic hue. With a focused strike, it struck the boulder with its head, smashing the obstruction into pebbles. Emolga squealed as it floated down, smiling as it hugged Skorupi. As the two laughed, Bisharp noticed one of his Pawniard partners wander off a bit and yelp. The others exchanged looks before running over, with Emolga and Skorupi also following after a moment’s hesitation.

What they saw was incredible.

A tunnel leading underground was not too far from the boulder that had crushed Skorupi, and Bisharp noticed that the interior of the tunnel was lined with strange glowing symbols. Curious, it slowly walked into the tunnel, followed by the others. Turquoise crystals lined the tunnel walls in small clusters, before the tunnel opened up to a large cavern. Bisharp noted the incredible temperature decrease, which was… strange.

In the center of the cavern was a single stone, gray in color. As the others explored the singular cavern, Bisharp was filled with a feeling of dread. As if… the group of Pokemon should leave as soon as possible, and never return. For some reason… it got this strange feeling from the stone. The bladed warrior narrowed its eyes. Something was wrong. This tunnel had also most likely opened up due to the earthquakes-- one of the other Pokemon that lived in the area would have said something if this was here before.

“Bish!” The Bisharp called out for the others to leave, not wanting to stay any longer. The Pawniard quartet obeyed almost immediately, making their way towards the tunnel they had come from. Emolga and Skorupi, on the other hand… The duo had found a particularly large crystal and had been trying to pry it out of the rocky walls.

Bisharp sighed. It wasn’t like these crystals would benefit the duo at all. As the two finally pulled out the crystal and made their way over, Bisharp called out to urge them to move faster. As Skorupi tried to scurry faster, it tripped over its own feet, the crystal falling out of its claws and colliding with the gray stone.

Bisharp took a sharp intake of breath as Skorupi and Emolga stared on in confusion, unsure of why Bisharp was so adamant about leaving. They’d soon find out. The cavern walls began to shake as the gray stone began to levitate into the air, spinning in a circular motion as it rose higher. Bisharp quickly ran over to Skorupi and Emolga, grabbing them in its arms as it sensed a great increase in energy in the vicinity.

The air’s already cold temperature dropped even further, nearly impossibly cold now, and Bisharp carried the two smaller Pokemon to the tunnel entrance. The bladed warrior looked back, seeing the gray stone form a shell of gray energy around itself, with piles of snow gathering around the corners of the cavern. Bisharp could make some figure forming inside of the energy sphere, and dashed out of the cavern through the tunnel as a roar seemed to emanate from everywhere at the same time.

As Bisharp dashed through the rocky corridor, it noticed that the strange inscriptions on the tunnel walls had taken on a sickly hue, now pulsing with a feeling of foreboding. With Emolga and Skorupi in arms, Bisharp could hear heavy stomping coming from the cavern. Whatever the two smaller Pokemon had awoken, it was big and very, very angry.

Reaching the tunnels end, Bisharp dropped the two smaller Pokemon in its hands before plowing its fists into the tunnel ceiling, collapsing the tunnel behind it as it pulled down. Seeing that the Pawniard were coddling Emolga and Skorupi, Bisharp looked back at the now collapsed tunnel, already seeing ice form around the gaps between the rocks. Bisharp quickly motioned to the Pawniard, and the five bladed warriors began to move more and more boulders in front of the tunnel.

Hopefully, whatever monstrous creature that was inside that cavern would stay there…


--- Two Days Later, Back at the Day Care ---


Cerise slowly awoke to the smell of tulips and the sound of Pidove tweets. He slowly looks around, recognizing this as one of the guest rooms of the Day Care. The desk next to the bed he slept in had served as a resting spot for Chespin, who was still asleep. In the chair nearby, Azra also slept, her auburn hair covering most of her face. Cerise looked away, noting how early in the morning it was before he heard soft, hushed voices from another room nearby.

Fighting through aches in his body, he quietly tip-toed out of the bed and stood by the doorframe to listen in better.

“Is it really alright to move him right now? He’s still recovering…”

“It’s not a problem. Nurse Joy came over yesterday and said he should be fine. Nothing serious was broken or sprained. He’d just been a bit shaken is all.”

Cerise narrowed his eyes. The former voice was his mother, but the latter… sounded like Jeriel, his uncle who inherited the Day Care from Ann, otherwise named Grams. Cerise certainly felt alright…

“Well… Nurse Joy usually knows what she’s talking about… I’m just glad that Tyranitar’s trainer took it back!!”

“Yeah…” Jeriel’s voice faded off, as if unsure of what to say next. Footsteps from a different location caught Cerise’s ear and a third voice chimed in.

“Ethel… Cerise is much stronger than you think. His willpower alone is greater than most. Just believe in that, dear.” A sigh from Ethel was the only response to Grams. “Ethel… Cerise isn’t the same as Eustace. You know that better than anyone.”

“Yes, I…” Ethel sighed again. “So, we should be back at Lacunosa Town by the weekend?”

“Mhm…” Grams said, and Cerise thought he heard the sound of cups being placed on the table. “I’m not sure if we’ll be coming back next summer, though. Or at least, not Cerise. He’d be going on his journey by then, I believe. He IS 13 now…”

“There might not BE a next summer, Grams… That Tyranitar fiasco reflected poorly on us. The trainers of the other Day Care Pokemon took their Pokemon and have been making sure that others don’t leave their Pokemon here… They’re all going to Striaton’s Day Care now.” Jeriel replied.

“I see…” Grams replied softly.

“Ches…?” Cerise spun around, seeing a dreary-eyed Chespin slowly pick itself up to look at him. It tilted a head to the side, unsure of why Cerise was standing by the door?

“Chespy, shhh!!” Cerise hushed the grass-type, but incoming footsteps meant that the adults had heard Chespin. The young boy hobbled over to the bed, pretending he hadn’t been eavesdropping as he rubbed Chespin’s head.

“Cerise…” Ethel murmured as she slowly walked into the room, getting down on her knees to brush Cerise by the side of his face. She pulled her hand back, feeling something wet on his face. He turned around, tears streaming from his face.


--- Three Days Later ---


Lacunosa Town.

A town where all honor old customs and live as methodically as clockwork.

Cerise slowly stepped off of a small plane, Chespin on his shoulder. Followed close behind by Ethel and Grams, the boy stared at the large stone walls that surrounded his hometown, eyes vacant. There wasn’t anything of interest for him here… and his annual summer volunteer work at Jeriel’s Day Care had come to an end as well. The only place where he truly felt like himself… taken away from him.

“Cerise, Chespin, can you two help with these bags?” Ethel’s voice rang from the plane, and Cerise turned back to see Ethel and Grams unloading several bags from the plane. The boy slowly walked over, sullen and sulking. He and Chespin grabbed a few duffel bags from the pile of luggage and followed Ethel and Grams back to their home. Grams paused a moment, staring at the sky before taking a bag in her hands.

Several of Grams’ and Ethel’s Pokemon, including Donphan, Cacturne, Alakazam, and Magmortar all burst from the house, excited to see the humans back from their journey to the Day Care. They all did what they could to also grab some bags and bring them inside.

As Cerise dropped the bags onto the living room table and trotted upstairs, Ethel and Grams exchanged worried looks. Ethel places the bags on the floor and collapses onto a nearby chair, rubbing her temples. She wasn’t sure of what else to do at this point. Grams looked up the stairs, brows furrowed. After a moment she nodded to herself before making her way to the kitchen. The other Pokemon began to unpack the duffel bags and place the inner contents in appropriate places around the house.

“I don’t know what to do, Mom…” Ethel finally said, her arm covering her face as she spoke. The clinking of objects in the kitchen was the only sound that responded to her for a moment. Ethel turned in her chair, staring at the hallway leading to the kitchen. She stood, slowly walking over to the kitchen and leaning on the doorway as she watched Grams wash several dishes.

“Strong winds are forming…” Ethel heard Grams murmur, and the woman raised an eyebrow. The weather had been fine for the past week, and would be the same for the next several days.

“Mother? Did you hear me?” Ethel tried again, lifting her voice a bit as she sat down at the kitchen table nearby. Grams looked over at her momentarily before returning to the dishes.

“Ethel… all eggs know their time.” Grams replied, placing several dishes and plates into their respective cabinets. “Speaking of eggs… did any of the other eggs hatch yet?”

Ethel shook her head. “None of them should be ready yet. The nearest egg-hatching is a week away, at most. Even with Magmortar’s Flame Body ability, it’s not an egg that hatches quickly.”

“Mhm.” Grams began to hum, placing the metal utensils into their drawers as Ethel looked away, gazing out the nearby window at a dusky pink-orange sky.

Upstairs, Cerise collapsed onto his bed, hands curled tightly in fists as he squeezed his eyes shut. Chespin stood off to the side, twiddling its paws in concern. It had been quite shocked with the recent developments as well, but its trainer was taking this much worse than Chespin had expected. But then again, the only thing that made Cerise smile besides battling alongside Chespin was taking care of the Day Care Pokemon. After a few moments, it heard the steady rhythm of Cerise's light snores and snuggled into the trainers bed as well.

Nighttime came quickly, and Cerise slowly blinked his eyes as he slowly rose from his bed. A strange smell was coming from downstairs, not quite a foul smell, but an unusual one. He swung his feet over the side of his bed, rubbing his eyes as he stood tall. His movements had awoken Chespin as well, and the hedgehog scrambled to take its rightful place on Cerise's shoulder. The boy began to head down the stairs, seeing a warm glow emitting from the living room, presumably the fireplace.

Cerise peered into the room, his eyes furtively scanning to see what was going on. Several candles lined the tables and shelves, and were most likely what he had smelled, assuming they were scented. Sitting in a large chair next to the fireplace was Grams, her hands folded as she smiled warmly at Cerise. She raised a hand, beckoning him to come in and join her. The boy did so, sitting down on the carpet as Chespin curled up in his lap.

"Cerise, dear... Do you know the story behind the Giant Chasm?" Grams spoke after a moment of silence, her eyes studying Cerise carefully.

"...You mean that huge hole behind Lacunosa Town?" Cerise inquired, unsure of where the conversation would be heading. Grams nodded in response, tapping her chin with a finger before continuing.

"Let me tell you an old story… There was once a single great and powerful dragon Pokemon used by a pair of heroes to create our lovely Unova region. But these brothers… they both sought something different in life--truth for the older brother, and ideals for the younger. They began to argue over whose ‘reality’ was correct, eventually coming to blows in the process. The single dragon Pokemon, in response to the brother’s inner passion, split into two Pokemon: Reshiram, who sided with the older brother and represented truth, and Zekrom, who sided with the younger brother in pursuit of ideals.” Grams continued as she stared into the fireplace. Cerise stared as well, imagining the great dragon split into two in the flickering ashes.

“The two dragons fought each other, just as the twin heroes had, but were equally matched and could not overcome each other. As a result, the brothers put aside their differences and decided that their quarrel would have no winner. However… the sons of the heroes resumed the conflict, causing Reshiram and Zekrom to come to blows once more. The twin dragons destroyed much of Unova with their fire and lightning before vanishing…” Grams spoke softly now, and her Glameow sauntered into the room, leaping onto the elderly woman’s lap.

“Cerise… which of the brothers do you think was right? Do you pursue the truth? Or do you follow ideals?” Grams said after a moment, her hands stroking Glameow’s fur. She looked back from the fire to look at Cerise, her eyes studying him carefully for a response.

“...I don’t know… both truth and ideals seem important to me. Is it possible to follow both…?” Cerise asked, moreso to himself than in response to Grams. He looks up to her, seeing her gaze now taking on a thoughtful tone. “But how does this relate to the Giant Chasm?”

“When Zekrom and Reshiram split… a third creature was born-- the remains of the single great dragon. As Zekrom and Reshiram fought across Unova, the remains were sent flying towards our own Lacunosa Town, landing in a meteor of ice and cold and forming the Giant Chasm. Those remains… it’s been said that this third beast waited for a hero that can fill its body with truth and ideals once more… It wished to reunite with Zekrom and Reshiram.” Grams spoke in hushed tones, stroking Glameow’s fur as she did so. Cerise looked down, trying to understand this story that Grams was telling him.

“To try and fill the void left by Reshiram and Zekrom leaving it, the third beast explored the Giant Chasm, eating Pokemon and human alike in its expeditions. But it only came out to feed at night, freezing its victims in ice before consuming them whole. In response, the people of Lacunosa Town built these tall walls you see now to keep the third beast from eating them. It’s also the reason why the folks here at Lacunosa don’t go out at night.”

“Grams…” Cerise is quiet, unsure of what to say. The story seemed beyond his scope… he couldn’t quite wrap around why she had decided to tell him this. The elderly woman chuckles a little before gesturing for the boy to stand next to her.

“I know things seem a bit… unfair right now. But one day, you’ll have to choose to pursue truth and ideals. Your journey next year will take you all over the region and you’ll have to pick your own path and make your own choices. You’ll see reality all at once and you’ll need to decide which path you will take.”

Cerise doesn’t respond, his eyes lowered. Grams notices and smiles a little before patting him on the shoulder. Cerise looks up at her, the fireplace’s flames reflecting off of her glistening eyes.

“Those bug-types that you saved in the river are eternally grateful for what you did, even if their trainers don’t see it that way. You selflessly dove in that water to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves, without caring about the danger you yourself would be put in. While some may say that’s rash, and I’m inclined to agree… I also think your heart is in the right place! So.. be the sort of person that is a role model for others, dear, and defend those who can’t defend themselves… I believe in you and whatever choices you’ll make.” Grams finishes her speech before pulling him in for a tight hug, which he reciprocates after a moment’s hesitation.

“Grams… Everything just feels so… Urgh… I don’t think I understand anything right now…” He faltered, no longer able to form coherent sentences, and only begins to sob as he clutched Grams tightly. Chespin stood off to the side, twiddling its paws in response to Grams’ story. A Pokemon born from the leftovers of two legendary Pokemon? That ATE everything it saw? On some level, Chespin could sympathize with the third beast’s suffering and wishes, but to go to such lengths… The hedgehog finally nodded to himself, as if coming to a conclusion.

The Chespin’s vine whips unfurled and poked Cerise’s shoulder. The young trainer slowly turned to face his partner Pokemon, who gave him a thumbs up as its vines wiped away Cerise’s tears.

“It certainly seems like Chespy will support you, too! I suppose that shouldn’t be a surprise… You did raise it from an egg, after all!” Grams chuckled at Chespin’s efforts to cheer up Cerise. “Dear, do you know how your mother chose your name?”

“My… name?” Cerise furrows his brows, confused at the question. As he sits back down on the carpet, Chespin made its way onto Cerise’s shoulder. Both stared at Grams for an explanation.

“Fufufu… you’ll find out one day, I’m sure.” Grams smiled at Cerise before standing up, her Glameow leaping down to the ground below. “It’s shaping up to be a cold night. Go run off to bed now, dear.”

Cerise slowly nods, somewhat confused, but somewhat reassured. He stands up, and retreats back to his room, Chespin patting him on the head as he walked up the stairs. Grams watched him go, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Hmm…” As she mused, Cerise halted after spoke.

“Grams, what was the name of the third beast?” The elderly woman was quiet for a moment before responding.

“Kyurem.”


--- Somewhere on Unova’s Route 13 ---


The sound of stomping reverberated through the trees and several large-mouthed Golbat flew through the treetops with each stomp. Several panicked Audino and Tangela ran in the same direction as the Golbat, the sounds of fighting following as well.

Bisharp backflipped from a falling tree, landing gracefully as it glanced behind it. Seeing the other wild Pokemon escaping the area, the Pokemon turned back to glare at the giant shadowed beast that stood before it. The bladed humanoid narrowed its eyes as it jogged backwards a bit to avoid a spurt of freezing cold. The boulder barrier hadn’t held nearly as long as Bisharp had hoped. Whatever it was that he was facing down now was extremely pissed, and in no mood to negotiate or compromise.

“Kyu…” The larger ice-type Pokemon glowered at the bladed warrior, its sickly golden eyes focused intently on achieving a victory over the one who opposed it. The air’s temperature began to drop immensely as its anger grew. Golden energy gathered around the creature’s maw and its whole body took on a momentary orange hue before lifting its head into the sky, firing the orange energy. The energy burst split into dozens of orange spheres began to rain down upon the land, ravaging the nearby environment in its destruction.

The bladed Pokemon could only whirl around in worry as several other wild Pokemon were crushed by falling debris and wayward energy bursts. The monster’s Draco Meteor was just as powerful as the Bisharp had feared.

“Bisha…” The bladed Pokemon growled at its opponent before noticing his young Skorupi friend cowering in the bushes nearby. The Bisharp widened its eyes and leapt forward to push the young Bug-type out of the path of another burst of ice. Knocked back several yards, the bladed warrior was slammed through dozens of trees before landing several yards into a clearing. The Bisharp slowly tried to stand, seeing that large portions of its body had been frozen over. It glanced backwards, seeing a cliffside edge behind him, and his opponent in front of him.

Scraping the ice off of its body, Bisharp noticed its opponent begin to charge up another Draco Meteor. Not willing to let the monster destroy more of its friends’ homes, it burst forward with surprising speed, its fists glowing with purple energy as it uppercut the monster, prematurely exploding the Draco Meteor in the monster’s face.

Now that Bisharp’s Sucker Punch had successfully nullified the assault, the bladed warrior followed up by launching itself headfirst at the enemy, its dome-like helmed face taking on a metallic sheen as he head-bashed its side. The Iron Head attack was a strong one, and the monster fell on its side, heavily injured, but not out just yet.

“REM!!” It slammed its foot into the ground at the last moment, sending shockwaves of energy through the earth that exploded underneath Bisharp, sending him flying backwards, now mere inches from falling off of the cliff’s edge.

“Sharp!!” Bisharp growled, trying to unsheathe its arm blades in an attempt to intimidate the other Pokemon, but a swat from the larger Pokemon’s claws sent the Bisharp flying back several more yards before getting blasted in the face with a beam of ice. With its head’s weight heavier, the Bisharp went tumbling down the cliffside, landing heavily head-first into the ground below. As it hit the ground below, the ice covering its head was smashed apart into fragments. The monster leaped down, its foot smashing into Bisharp’s face, causing the bladed Pokemon to cry out in pain.

<<You were foolish to have chosen to fight me. But I’m sure you will make for a sufficient meal!>> The Bisharp’s eyes widened as the monster’s thoughts projected into its mind. Telepathy, no doubt. Seeing the monster lean down, its mouth gaping wide with saliva, the Bisharp instinctively glowed blue, projecting a bubble of blue energy around itself, protecting itself from the attack.

<<You can only hide in that for so long, Bisharp!!>> The monster cackled as it smashed its mouth against the protective bubble, trying to break it. Even now, Bisharp could see cracks beginning to form on the bubble’s surface.


--- Lacunosa Town ---


Cerise’s eyes snapped open.

Looking outside, it was still nighttime… The boy rubbed his head, confused. He’d heard something just now, right? Like… laughter, almost? He turned over to look at Chespin, but the hedgehog was nowhere to be seen. Cerise slowly got out of bed, noting that his window was open-- he always closed it at night. Perhaps Chespin had gone outside…? But it never did that before…

Cerise quickly put on his usual clothes--a poncho, a long-sleeve shirt and tight-fitting ¾ pants. Pocketing a flashlight, he silently walked downstairs, seeing that Grams had fallen asleep by the fire. Her Glameow looked up at him, eyes inquisitive. Cerise gulped before placing a finger over his mouth, signifying that Glameow couldn’t tell Grams where he was going. The cat paused for a moment before deciding to go back to sleep. Cerise mentally sighed in relief.

As he opened the door to go outside, he was greeted by a firework display of orange far off in the distance. Looking around, he saw Chespin standing just at the edge of town, staring ahead in the same direction that the fireworks had been. Cerise furrowed his brow before jogging over to the hedgehog and crouching next to him. He was about to grab Chespin to pull him back inside… When a large stampede of Pokemon, including Audino, Tangela, and Golbat, tore past, surprising both Cerise and Chespin.

“Did something happen…?” Cerise asked himself softly as the stampeding Pokemon rushed past. Chespin looked up at Cerise, eyes pleading. The trainer was hesitant. Something was definitely bothering the Pokemon here… but Ethel had always told him not to go outside at night… but he needed to get to the root of the problem.

He slowly stood, eyes fixed firmly ahead. He clenched his fists at his sides. If something was bothering these Pokemon so much… he’d have to put a stop to it before it got any worse! As Cerise and Chespin ran out into the dark forest, neither of them noticed Grams’ Glameow watching them from the house window…

Cerise pushed past the masses of trees and shrubbery, Chespin swinging from tree branches above with its vine whips. The trainer front-flipped over a fallen tree trunk, sliding a bit on his landing, but quickly stabilizing himself, noting how many miles he’d traversed so far. Probably 3 miles by now, honestly. He looked around, examining the ravaged foliage around him. Traces of ice were scattered across the soil, and the trainer frowned, knowing that such a phenomenon wasn’t possible this time of year… unless the perpetrator was a Pokemon? He leaned down to feel it, surprised a bit by the texture. Something was off about it.

He tried to break it, but the ice refused to shatter. This ice… wasn’t normal ice, which only proved the hypothesis that Cerise had-- some Pokemon out there was causing havoc. He stood slowly, eyes narrow as memories of Tyranitar came back to mind. He couldn’t do anything back then… but now maybe he could actually make a difference! He dropped the ice shard, hearing the sounds of scuffle off in the distance.

“Ches!!” Cerise looked around, seeing Chespin hanging from a branch above, pointing to a bush a bit away from the trainer, who walked over to investigate. Pushing apart the bushes, he came face-to-face with a frightened looking Skorupi and Emolga. Alarmed, the trainer quickly inspected the two for injuries, wanting to be sure they were unharmed. The small Bug-type flinched at his touch, which Cerise immediately noted. It was incredibly frightened, which was obvious to Cerise from its demeanor and body language.

“Hey there… can you tell me what’s going on…?” Cerise asks as he retreats his hand, not wanting to alarm Skorupi and Emolga any more. The two exchanged looks for a moment before trembling-- whether in fright or from the cold, Cerise wasn’t sure.

“Skorupi, Emolga… Chespin and I are here to help! Just talk to me! I can protect you!” Cerise says, trying to reassure the small Pokemon, who seemed unsure. Skorupi looked away for a moment before beginning to scurry away, towards where Cerise had heard the sounds of a scuffle, with Emolga following after a moment’s hesitation, motioning for Cerise to follow.

Eyes narrow, he quietly follows the duo, with Chespin mimicking his travel path from the tree branches. As the sounds grew louder, Cerise could feel his throat feel more and more dry, his hands more and more clammy.

What he saw… and the events that would soon follow for the next few hours… would change Cerise forever.

The sounds of smashing was now only mere yards away, and Cerise pushed his hand past the underbrush, seeing the source of the struggle. A bladed crimson Pokemon, which he could identify as a Bisharp, had set up what looked like a Protect that was quickly being broken by a… sort of creature he’d never seen before.

Seeing as how the temperature had dropped so much… and noticing the frosted breath emanating from the creature’s maw… was it the source of the disturbance? It was bashing its head into the Protect, and Cerise looked down at Skorupi and Emolga, who seemed worried for the Bisharp… In a situation like this… Cerise would have to take action!

He looked up, seeing Chespin still hanging in the tree branches above, and motioned for the hedgehog to circle around the monstrous ice-type Pokemon. Cerise scoots Emolga and Skorupi to the side a bit, not wanting them to get into the crossfire of what Cerise was sure was a stupid idea.

He quickly grabbed his flashlight and pressed it on, focusing the beam of bright light at the monster’s eyes. The monster roared and staggered backwards a bit, and Cerise could see Chespin’s vines trying to pull Bisharp out from under the creature’s torso. Cerise climbed out of the underbrush, still focusing the flashlight on the monstrous creature as he did so.

“I-I don’t know what you are, but you’re causing problems for the Pokemon living here!” Cerise shouted at the monster as Bisharp was finally able to stand up, clutching its side in pain as it looked up at its rescuer. Needless to say, Bisharp hadn’t actually expected anyone to be able to give him an opening against this monster, but this human… it did.

<<You cannot fathom what perils you now face, human!>> The monster’s thoughts bellowed through Cerise’s mind, and he felt himself become paralyzed with fear. Was that voice he had just heard in his head the monster he now faced down against? Distracted, Cerise failed to notice the monster slam its foot into the ground, sending shockwaves of energy into the earth towards the unaware trainer.

“Bisha!” Cerise found himself being pushed to the side by Bisharp, who quickly thrust its hand in front of him to release another shell of blue energy. A spiderweb of orange energy cracked through the earth beneath the two as the monster’s Earth Power exploded under Bisharp’s Protect, flinging Cerise and Bisharp backwards upon impact.

As the duo fell back, Chespin leaped down from the branches above, chest puffed up as it tried to match up against the enemy. The hedgehog tried to strike the monster with its vine whips, but its icy body immediately made Chespin recoil in response.

“What can we even do against this thing…?” Cerise muttered to himself as he stared at the creature shrug off Chespin’s attempted attack. He saw Bisharp slowly stand up, its arm raised high in the air as it let out a loud yell. Nearly instantly, four dark figures slashed the ice-type with metallic claws, landing nearby Bisharp and Cerise. Although his flashlight was now sputtering and flickering due to damage from the Earth Power, he could make out enough of their anatomy to identify all four as Pawniard.

“Bisharp… are these guys your friends?” Cerise asked the tall Pokemon as the icy monster roared in pain from the four Metal Claw attacks. Bisharp nodded, seeing Skorupi and Emolga gather as well, hiding behind Cerise’s shoes. With so many allies… maybe they could win? But they’d need to take the fight back to the Giant Chasm-- too many other innocent Pokemon were at stake of losing their homes if the group was to stay.

“Sharp!” Bisharp tapped Cerise on the shoulder motioning towards the Giant Chasm. Cerise followed the Bisharp’s gestures, slowly understanding what the Pokemon was trying to tell it. The group would have to lead this ice-type over there… But why? Why was it so critical to take it over there…? Cerise supposed the answer to that would be clear soon enough, and nodded to Bisharp before picking up Emolga and Skorupi in his arms.

“Chespy!! This way!!” The trainer called out as he ran backwards a bit with Bisharp and the Pawniard, before turning around completely in a mad dash for the Giant Chasm. Trees and branches exploded into fragments around the fleeing party as Ice Beams ripped through tree bark. As more trees and branches began to rip apart and fall all around them, Cerise found himself pushing whatever athleticism he possessed to the limit, leaping over stumps and avoiding Ice Beams from behind.

The stomping of the monster from behind them began to grow louder and louder, and Cerise pushed himself as hard as he could, his legs pumping with more adrenaline than he’d thought humanly possible. Suddenly, the Ice Beam barrage halted, and for a moment, Cerise was almost relieved.

And then Draco Meteors rained down upon the land.

Cerise found his voice caught in his throat as he ran, trying to avoid dozens of flaming energy bursts that now ravaged more of the scarred landscape. He wanted to scream-- no, wanted to wake up from this nightmare he had gotten himself into, but every fiber in his body only urged him to keep on running. And he was in no position to refuse.

As the group reached the edge of the chasm, Cerise looked at Bisharp desperately, hoping the Pokemon would finally explain why they had led their pursuer back here. The only response he got back was Bisharp lifting him up in his arms and skiing down the chasm’s edge to the ground below. As it slid down, its foot hit a particularly wedged rock from the ground, causing it to trip and fall head over heels, with Cerise and the Pokemon the trainer held tumbling down the chasm-side as well.

“Ack!” Cerise grunted as sharp rocks dug into his skin, unable to mitigate the pain and damage at all that he felt from the fall down the chasm’s edge. As he hit the ground, he grunted in pain, pretty sure that something had been sprained upon impact, if not broken completely. The trainer slowly stands, looking around the assorted fallen Pokemon, several being helped by the Pawniard, who hadn’t fallen in the slide down.

Cerise found a tug on his leg, and he looked down to see Chespin pointing back to the ravaged lands elevated above the chasm. The ice monster burst from the dead trees, letting out a horrible scream before its oddly shaped light-blue wings spread out and the monster began to slowly hover down to the chasm below.

“We need to hurry!!” Cerise shouts to the Pokemon, who all nod in response. The trainer runs over to Bisharp. “Bisharp, why are we here?! We should be running!!”

The Bisharp points to a barely noticeable indent in the rocky walls several yards away. Ice seemed to cover much of the rock around here. Did this monster come from inside this tunnel…? Cerise turns back, seeing that the monster was nearly upon them. The trainer lifted Bisharp’s arm around his shoulder, helping the warrior into the tunnel as he followed the other Pokemon. The trainer noted the strange inscriptions across the wall, crystal-blue glyphs that pulsed in eerie light. Light coatings of ice also covered the wall, and the temperature seemed colder and colder the further in the group went.

<<You cannot hide from me, human!! Your flesh will be most delectable!!>> Cerise clutched his ear, trying to block out the monster’s voice from his head. It was a fruitless effort, but it was the only reassurance Cerise had against this threat. Its stomps grew louder and louder, and as the group finally came upon a cavern, Cerise turned to look at Bisharp, who now seemed unsure of what to do next.

Without a plan, the monster burst into the cavern, its towering form blocking the only exit-- the tunnel.

<<Foolish!! You have nowhere to run, and this tunnel will be your grave!!>> The creature slammed its foot into the ground, sending forth energy through the ground that burst around Cerise’s group. Blue energy rippled under their feet as Bisharp tried to use Protect once again, barely managing to block the brunt of the attack. Cerise was now freaking out. They needed some serious firepower to hit this thing with!

The four Pawniard nodded to each other before all running forward, trying to hit the opposing Pokemon with Metal Claw again. The attack had been effective before, right?

They were wrong.

The monster opened its maw and a powerful freezing wind froze the quartet solid in an instant. Cerise gasped as the ice chunk containing the Pawniard hit the ground, the ice not even breaking or splintering upon impact. Emolga and Skorupi glanced at each other before both scurrying forth to face the giant monster.

“NO, DON’T!!” Cerise shouted as Emolga gathered electrical energy and shot an Electro Ball at the monster as Skorupi raised its now red-glowing claws and struck with an X-scissor. Neither attack fazed the monster, and it swiped at the duo with its large wings, knocking them both to the far side of the cavern. With Bisharp barely even able to stand, it was suddenly down to just Cerise and Chespin.

“Well Chespy, old buddy… this is it!” Cerise shouted as he stared down the monster, his hands clammy and his heart pounding. It was this moment that Cerise wished he’d grabbed something more suitable as a weapon-- a flashlight could only take him so far. Chespin ran out in front of Cerise, quills sharpened in agitation. Cerise took a look around through his peripheral vision, noticing the crystals lining the cavern walls. They certainly looked sharp...

“Chespy, let’s start with using vine whip! Hurl the crystals at… at whatever it is!! Aim for the eye!” Cerise shouted and the hedgehog nodded in response, unfurling its vines and ripping several crystals from the cavern to throw at the monster, most bouncing off of its sturdy hide, but one managed to strike the monster directly in the eye, causing it to stagger to the right. Cerise’s focus sharpened nearly instantly.

<<GRAAAAHHHH!!! YOU IMBECILE!!>> Cerise almost dropped his jaw in surprise. The idea had actually worked!? He quickly recomposed himself. He’d need to keep up the offensive.

“Chespy, under its foot! See if its vulnerable!” Chespin’s vine stuck another crystal under the beast’s falling foot, and with a sickening crunch, the crystal was lodged into the monster’s foot. “Great job, buddy!”

The monstrous ice-type screamed again, its unearthly cry forcing Cerise to cover his ears. This bellow was much louder than anything Cerise had heard before, and he wouldn’t be surprised if people in Kanto had heard it!! But, at least they were certainly doing something to this opponent! Now, they needed to push harder! The trainer clenched his fists. They could win! Cerise quickly inspected the enemy. His time in the Day Care made it easy for him to identify where Pokemon were injured, and the wounds that this creature had sustained so far were now numerous, but mostly minor. He’d need some kind of opening...

Bisharp watched from afar, still clutching its chest as it breathed heavily. Was this the bond between Trainers and their befriended Pokemon? It stared at Cerise for a moment, before clenching its fists, its blades unsheathing as it ran forward, now side-by-side with Chespin. Cerise blinked in surprise.

“B-but Bisharp! You’re seriously injured!” The trainer stammered, but the bladed warrior shook his head, getting into a combat-ready pose, ignoring its injuries. Although he wasn’t alright with it… if Bisharp could get them an opening… “Alright Bisharp, I’m counting on you! The three of us can’t lose!!”


--- Back at Lacunosa Town ---


“Glameow? What’s wrong, dear?” Grams asked drearily, hearing the cat Pokemon clawing at the front door nearby. The elderly woman slowly stood, removing her blanket as she stood. She slowly approached the cat, who seemed to want to go outside for some reason. The older woman slowly made her way to the door, somewhat surprised when she turned the knob and found it unlocked. She was sure it was locked earlier…

Grams looked outside as the sounds of murmuring reached her ears. Still in her nightgown, she opened the doors completely, seeing several other townspeople of Lacunosa gathered around various monuments and structures that had all been seemingly destroyed and vandalized. She took a few steps outside, trying to make sense of the situation. Finally, she approached a nearby group of neighbors.

“What exactly happened here?” Grams asked, folding her arms to try and retain some heat in her body.

“A whole buncha Pokemon ran through a few hours ago… destroyed a LOT… It’ll take forever to rebuild this all…” A middle-aged man replied, arms on his hips as he sighed in exasperation.

“Grams! GRAMS!!” The older woman turned around, seeing Ethel and their other Pokemon running towards her. “Grams, I can’t find Cerise!!”

Grams was just about to console Ethel when a gut-wrenching unearthly scream ripped through the air from the distance. Everyone turned, all facing the same direction, the Giant Chasm to the north. Grams’ eyes widened as she put two and two together. There was no way that boy wouldn’t investigate.

“Cerise…!”


--- The Mysterious Cavern ---


“Bisharp, let’s finish this as quickly as we can!! One of us make an opening, and the other deals the final blow!” Cerise shouts as the monster before them steadies itself. Bisharp looks back momentarily before nodding and throwing its arms out, blades unsheathed in intimidation. Chespin unfurls its vines arcing them several feet in the air to seem more threatening. Cerise narrows his eyes before stretching his gloves back, prepared.

“Chespin, let’s go!!” The trainer shouts as he runs forward, scooping up a crystal and spinning it between his fingers with surprising dexterity before holding it not unlike a dagger as he tries to strike the monster. Chespin’s vines snap forward to grab the monster’s pale blue wings before they could strike Cerise. The hedgehog cried out in pain as its vines were frozen solid nearly instantly, but keeps its grip as Bisharp makes a mad dash towards the ice-type, its dome-like head now metallic as it launches itself in a headfirst charge.

<<ENOUGH!!>> The monster’s body glows with a red aura before its muscles grow immensely in size. Cerise gasps, but is unable to react in time as the monster’s Outraged wings break free from Chespin’s vines and strike him squarely in the chest. The trainer could feel ribs snap as the wings made contact and with his subsequent impact on the far side of the cavern. The wind was instantly knocked out of him and no sound came out as pain ripped through his body.

“CHES!!” Alarmed, Chespin turns to run over to his friend, but an Outraged attack from the monstrous ice-type’s foot made direct contact with the hedgehog, and Chespin was flung far away, actually making an indent into the cavern wall upon impact. It didn’t even let out a sound, its now limp vines dropping to the ground.

“CHESPY!!!!” Cerise screams out, no longer caring about himself as his partner… no, his best friend was struck with the force of a speeding train. Tears streamed down his face as Cerise struggled to stand, to be with his Chespin. But his body wouldn’t respond. Nothing wanted to move, and Cerise suspected it might be paralysis from pure fear. He squeezed his eyes shut as Bisharp cries of pain rang through his ears.

And he could do nothing to help.

After all that Grams had said only hours ago… After saying he would protect Emolga and Skorupi… After saying that he wouldn’t lose with Chespin and Bisharp… he just couldn’t do anything!! Cerise screamed, tears rolling down his face with great volumes as the sound of Bisharp’s armor being crunched reverberated through his mind.

Bisharp.

Emolga.

Skorupi.

Pawniard.

Grams.

Ethel.

Everyone else back at Lacunosa.

...Chespin.

Because of what would happen right here and now… they’d all die, or worse, because of this creature. Realizing only now was so stupid! Everything that had happened so far had made it so blatantly obvious that this was Kyurem!! And all because Cerise wasn’t strong enough to do anything, everyone would die!! His fists tightened more than he would have thought humanly possible. At this rate… his Grams’ wishes would never be fulfilled… At this rate… what was he even living for?!

“Dammit… Dammit…! DAMMIT!!!” He roared, not noticing that the ice-blue glyphs on the walls had begun to sync in their pulses with Cerise’s heartbeat. The ice-blue hue became a deep reddish-pink, the exact same shade as Cerise’s namesake. It was in that moment that the trainer felt some… something rush through his body. Not quite adrenaline… but something very supernatural. His normally dark eyes burst into a brilliant shade of pink, the exact same shade as the glyphs on the wall.

Vaguely, he thought he heard Grams’ voice whisper in his ear, both familiar and alien. “So... be the sort of person that is a role model for others, dear, and defend those who can’t defend themselves… I believe in you and whatever choices you’ll make…”

“The Defender…” Cerise murmured, slowly feeling the capacity to stand return to him. The rage and suffering that had been consuming the trainer only moments before had melted away, leaving a strangely soothing sense of calm. Or rather… it felt as though such emotions, such as rage and pain, had been voided from his mind. Cerise lifted a hand, feeling the power he now possessed burst forth and surround the nearly unconscious Bisharp and nearly dead Chespin. A deep red-pink rune appeared on both of their foreheads and Cerise slowly walked towards the monster, his voice seemingly shadowed by a deeper voice. His words did not quite seem his own…

“Kyurem… Your rampage ends here. I, Cerise of Lacunosa Town, will bring an end to your destruction and seal you for a millenia more!!” The same rune that appeared on Chespin and Bisharp also appeared on Cerise’s forehead, and the trainer lifted a hand towards Kyurem, who snorted.

<<Human, you do not understand the forces you’ve tapped into!! YOUR JOURNEY ENDS HERE, AND YOUR FRIEND WILL BE THE FIRST TO FALL!!>> Kyurem roared as it lifted its jaws around Bisharp, completely prepared to consume the bladed warrior.

It wouldn’t get the chance.

With blistering speed, Cerise appeared in front of Bisharp, lifting his arm to block Kyurem’s closing jaws. The rune appearing on Bisharp faded and seemingly transferred to Cerise, coating his exposed arm and blocking Kyurem’s mouth. The legendary’s eyes widened slightly as it took a step back.

“...Quick Guard, eh?” Cerise murmurs to himself, lowering his arm as Kyurem takes a step back in surprise.

<<You… can control this kind of power?! But… HOW?!>>

Bisharp slowly staggered to its feet, eyes vacant, but spirit still full of spirit. Cerise stood next to the crimson Pokemon, eyes still glowing with pink energy. The trainer took a step forward.

“Chespin! I believe in your strength… and I know we aren’t finished yet!! STAND!!” Cerise roared, lifting a hand into the air. Bisharp looked back, seeing Chespin slowly respond, retracting its vines as its staggered forward, slowly standing on the other side of Cerise.

“And now… we’ll show you the strength of our bond!! Defense Curl!” Cerise pumps a fist in the air as Chespin curls itself into a ball, its quills sharpening to fine points as it did so.

“My Grams once told me that the bond between Trainers and Pokemon could bring about miracles… Mega Evolution is but one example of that bond… And this is our miracle that we’ll call forth, a new move brought forth just to defeat you!! Chespin, GO AND ROLLOUT!!” With the rune disappearing from its body, Chespin began to spin in its curled form, bursting forth with great energy and striking Kyurem directly in its unprotected eye, ushering forth another roar from the legendary.

“Bisharp, let us FINISH THIS!!” Cerise called out as Bisharp tensed its muscles, its head shining with metallic light as Chespin spun past. With deadly accuracy, Bisharp slammed its head into Chespin’s Rollout form, drastically increasing the speed of Chespin’s newly-learned rollout as it made direct impact with Kyurem, knocking the legendary Pokemon to the ground with a thud. It panted for a moment before collapsing on its knees and falling over, its form glowing gray before shrinking back into a gray stone.

The ice that covered the Pawniard quartet instantly melted, and the deep red-pink glyphs became ice-blue once more. Cerise nearly collapsed as the color returned to normal, quickly caught by Bisharp as Chespin came to a halt nearby. The trainer’s eyes no longer glowed, and the injuries he had sustained seemed to have returned. But still… they had actually won…! But all was not over just yet. The cavern began to rumble, and the ceiling above began to fall to the ground below.

“Ches!!” The hedgehog pointed to the tunnel, and the Pawniard grabbed Emolga and Skorupi as Bisharp helped Cerise out of the tunnel with as fast as he could. Rocks and shrapnel fell around them as they ran to reach the light at the end of the tunnel… They pushed themselves faster and faster…. The end was nearly in sight…! Before Cerise lost consciousness completely, an alien voice resounded in his mind.

“You have potential… Grow this power as a Defender on your own… and achieve your own truths and ideals…”


--- Several Days Later, Cerise’s House ---


The sound of Pidove once again awoke Cerise, and the young boy could feel the familiar sensation of deja vu rise within him. He looked around, unsure of what had happened. He remembered seeing Chespin standing near the town’s exit late at night… and something about stampeding Pokemon? He wasn’t quite sure…

Looking around, he saw Chespin itself resting on the pillow next to him. The trainer reached out and stroked his partner, waking the grass-type slowly from its slumber. Cerise smiled at the small Pokemon for a moment before his room door creaked open and Grams walked in.

“Good morning dearie. Alakazam just telepathically told me that you had woken up, so… I just had to see you!” The elderly woman sat on his bed, smoothing out the sheets a bit as she sat. She looked down, unsure of how else to phrase her question. “What… what exactly happened to you, Cerise?”

The boy furrowed his brows. Everything seemed so fuzzy… actually, quite literally! He lifted a hand to his face, noticing that it looked more blurry than what he was used to. “Grams… can I borrow your glasses?”

Surprised, the elderly woman complied, handing him her glasses, which he immediately put on. Things looked a bit better, but Cerise hadn’t needed glasses before? Why now? He handed back her glasses. “Grams… I don’t really… I don’t know? I… I just know that I can’t see as well as I used to...”

She nodded, unsatisfied with the answer, but accepting nonetheless. She sighs before taking a breath and walking towards the door. “By the way… you have visitors.”

Grams opened the door, and several Pokemon flooded in, including Emolga, Skorupi, Pawniard, and Bisharp. Cerise stared at them all. They certainly seemed familiar, but… at the same time, he wasn’t sure where he’d seen them before.

“Cerise… that night, we heard a roar from the Giant Chasm, and sent a search party because Ethel thought you were investigating it. Some Pokemon had rampaged through the town earlier that night, if you remember that all?” Grams spoke softly, “When we reached the Chasm, these 7 were guarding you with their lives, and they were in such terrible condition! They were about to fight the search party but Chespin cleared things up between the parties.”

Chespin grinned as Cerise looked at him. The trainer then looked back at the other Pokemon, eyes resting on Bisharp for the longest time. For some reason… he felt a strong connection with Bisharp in particular, and the bladed warrior approached the bed, taking a knee before Cerise.

“You… you were protecting me… weren’t you?” Cerise muttered, a vague image of Bisharp using Protect in front of Cerise to block… to block… something… “I don’t remember much… but I know you were protecting me, so… thank you, Bisharp!”

It was at this point that Ethel’s Alakazam came into the room and placed a hand on Bisharp’s shoulder. The warrior glanced at the psychic before nodding. Alakazam’s thoughts pushed against Cerise’s mind, and the trainer accepted the telepathic message.

<<Bisharp says that it notices some indecision in your mind, but that you shouldn’t worry for the future. Bisharp says that what you have in the present is something you should treasure.>> Alakazam finishes with a nod before Ethel ushers the Pokemon all out.

“Take some rest for now, dear. We’ll be back later.” Grams closes the door, pulling Bisharp and Alakazam to the side, a serious look on her face. She speaks in hushed tones.

“And you’re sure he said… Kyurem?” Grams asks Bisharp, who nods in confirmation.

<<Bisharp does not think that the creature will be a threat for some time. It’s Stone form was buried under that collapsed tunnel. But that energy Bisharp says Cerise was exposed to… Even I do not know how it will change him.>> Alakazam replies to Grams after whispering with Bisharp for a moment.

“Kyurem…” Grams looks down. Her little Cerise…


--- A Year Later ---


Cerise stands against the fence of what was once his uncle’s Day Care, now a farm owned by some stranger he’d never met. Chespin was nearby, trying to balance itself on the fence planks as Cerise stares ahead wistfully. He’d been unsure of whether he’d go through with going on a journey or not, although every fiber in his body screamed that he should.

He glanced over at Chespin, smiling. He still wasn’t sure when the hedgehog had learned Rollout… but it could probably be useful at some point, right?

“Professor Oak…” Cerise wrapped the name around his tongue. The invitation from the Professor called for a meeting in Celadon City in Kanto a few months from now. He’d be 15 by then… Why the Professor had called upon Cerise was still a mystery… but he thinking it over, maybe he’d take the invite? He looked over at Chespin, smiling at the hedgehog before looking out at the skies above, adjusting his glasses as he did so.

A whole new journey was beginning, just on the horizon!

I have NO words for this. And now I know what to do...

It was beautifly written, and is giving me ideas for future parts of the RP. Cerise is truly a defender worthy of recognition, and recognition is what he shall get....

Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the RP, then! ^u^ I'm considering making a Part 2 (Which will be nowhere as long as this) but explore some of the details I'd skimmed over here. That'll probably be made later though!

OH MY GOD I WAS WAITING FOR THIS!

Wow, the first part was just... EPIC!!  I loved it.  I dig the advancement in evolution lore (and the involvement of Megas) and finally we know where Cerise used to work!  Exciting battle scene!

The second part was really interesting too!  (I had to look up what the Bisharp/Pawniard were, but regardless!)  I like the lack of dialogue and the heavy description, making it almost better than those with spoken words!

Unova most have some wretched customers for this Day Care because DAMN, HERE, ITS SCARY.  Love how the previous event seriously affected Cerise and his family!  Very realistic.

Oh, my god.  I love Ethel and Grams.  Just.  PLEASE LET US MET THEM IN THE FUTURE.  Best Mom and Grandma characters I've seen in a long time!  >w<

I swear, if Kyurem ate Bisharp... I would've cried like an SOB.

Wow, this!!  I wish this was part of the freakin' anime, because I'm totally getting all this in mental animated glory!  I adore this fight scene - it's amazing how Cerise is actually trying to fight off this legendary!!
...HE DID IT?!
I will never underestimate this kid, ever.
Never ever.
*throws buckets of respect at him*

Ahhh, now THAT'S an ending to a backstory!  It makes me want to start up my Black Version and get up to that part and then beat him in the face!  And then restart from that last save and do it again!  And again!

You kept the fearsomeness of the legendary in tact, 100%, making it actually scary and very empowering when the big brawl occurred.  All these characters were interesting and had their own personalities and conflicts, and I found it really cool how Cerise has this special power about him!  I definitely want to see that in the RP.  I crave it~

Anyway, amazing and thrilling story, Phi.  After doing those dramatic readings of Broken Genesis and reading through this now, I can without a doubt say you have certainly kicked your 2011/12 ass in writing talent.  Great job!!

I'd like to dedicate a song to Cerise right now (I've been listening to these soundtracks nonstop because I love old 90s/2000 era music and it helps me draw).  I think "To Known the Unown" from Pokemon Movie 3 fits him the best.  ^_^

Thanks so much!!

For the first part, I'd recalled seeing something similar happening in the anime at one point, so I thought it'd be an interesting obstacle to explore here! And Mega Pokemon just had to be included-- I just couldn't resist!! ^_^

The more "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon" scenes were kinda inspired by those old black and white films to an extent, where they didn't have sound in the movie. I feel like being able to show action without dialogue is something I'd like to explore in the future, but near the end when the two groups (Cerise & Chespin/Bisharp & Company) met, it felt strange to only have Cerise being able to speak? I guess Kyurem also being able to speak helped offset that feeling, but it's something I'll look to improve on in the future.

Well, Unova kinda IS based on America!

Ethel and Grams are actually based on actual NPC's from the Pokemon games, specifically Pokemon Black/White. Ethel and Grams (Ann) are both found on Unova's Route 12, but I messed with their ages a bit. There is this older woman in Lacunosa Town that recounts the tale of Kyurem, so I just mashed up the Ann NPC with that storyteller NPC. Ethel's in-game occupation as a Pokemon Breeder is still true here, though! Maybe we'll see them again soon!

I considered it so much, honestly. But Bisharp became my #1 favorite Pokemon during my earliest playthrough of Pokemon White, so I couldn't bring myself to do it! >u<

This fight between Team Cerise and Kyurem was something I'd envisioned before I even started writing the first scene. I was considering having Cerise suffer more... permanent aftereffects from this fight, but eh... Didn't want it to seem like he suffers all the time, you know? But at the same time, I wanted to squeeze little hints of creepypasta into this story overall too, just to fit the overall tone of the BtTG RP. I'm sure he'll appreciate your praise, though!! Should he remember how to use it, I'm sure the ensuing events from his "reawakening" will be quite interesting!!

Thank goodness! Looking back, Broken Genesis... while a nice concept, I felt as though my overall execution was lacking. So many unneeded subplots in that story... Ah well, c'est la vie! Live and learn!

The nostalgia from that song!