The creature was slightly shorter than him, and he could see the ghostly purple flames extending behind the helmet, and the narrow, yellow eyes shifted to a deep orange glow as the flames exploded with fury. Their heat making Zarius wince as he pulled his sword back to parry an off-hand hit from the creature.
It advanced forward, raining down blows from both directions and Zarius was forced to move his blade left and right in vertical blocks to stop the rain of blows. Each strike was accompanied by a burst of heat that singed his hair and scorched his skin, and just as quickly the billowing shadows caressed those burns and fixed them.
It was an even match as Zarius kept retreating in the stone circle around the center of the graveyard, around the golden tree – silver leaves cascading gently around them as the sound of their clanging blades and the hisses of the flames intertwined with shadow sputtered in the gloomy light.
Zarius was filled with a swell of pride. Never before did he envision himself doing this. Fighting a Pokémon, one on one, in a graveyard – Dark against Ghost, shadow against flame, martial skill from countless vessels against the raw natural talent of a creature born from the memories of numberless conflicts stored within arms and armor.
It was an even match, and Zarius could feel every strike of his sword met with the flaming, purple energy of the arm-blades from the creature. His arm reverberated from the metal-on-metal contact, and a grin etched itself across his visage as he reveled in the tight, controlled and yet chaotic dance of combat.
He spotted an opening; a pattern to the blows. The Ceruledge would strike left from the top with a diagonal slash, then would come in with a right horizontal, then left horizontal, and back to left with an uppercut. Zarius matched the dance, and when he saw his chance between the second and third swing – he stepped into the torso of the creature, grabbing the bottom of its helmet with his hand and ripping it off.
Well, he tried, at least. The helmet did not budge, and the creature ignited with purple flames that lashed out at Zarius, forcing him back as the burning wrath flared out in a corona of ghost flame that singed his ears and burned at his clothing – the hems catching fire and shrouding him in a slight smoke that wafted up and obliterated any hope of smelling anything other than the burning rancor.
It raised its swords in a cross before its chest and waited, slowly pacing forward; expecting something to come. But there was a dual purpose, Zarius could sense it. He could feel the building heat behind those blades, and knew he had to interrupt it. I don’t know if Moves would be dishonorable or not, though. Maybe I should just ask? He cleared his throat and lowered his blade slightly. “Moves allowed, or no?”
The Ceruledge’s eyes glinted, “No.”
Fair enough, Zarius thought as he moved forward and slashed down at the guard, trying to break it with a sweeping, overhand strike. A dominance move. An intimidating move. As soon as his blade impacted the cross-section, they split apart and his sword fell right down the center., carving a slight groove across the Pokémon’s torso armor; carving a deep gash.
Then those swords swiped up in a cross – right at Zarius’ neck. As if it were a pair of scissors and about to chop his head clean off. He let his legs collapse out from under him – dropping down as the two blades barely missed his ears that he rapidly tucked out of harm’s way. He was also in the perfect position for a counterattack, and he coiled his legs under him, moving forward very slightly as he brought the sword up vertically – cutting the Ceruledge in half.
It staggered back, and Zarius backed away – as he imagined an honorable foe would do. He could feel the roiling heat of the ghostly flames surging out toward him from the wound, and the Ceruledge looked down, then up to him, nodded tersely. It exploded with ghostly, purple fury as the wound sealed and its blades surged with the same ghostly flames but with even more fury than before.
It blitzed forward, and Zarius could barely track its movement as it brought the sword to stab him, and he barely got to the side enough to see the blade stab just under his arm – missing his chest by scant inches. The other blade came in, and he had to push himself against the searing, burning heat of the blade he had dodged to avoid the other stab.
But that also left an opening. He could sacrifice his left hand to deflect the hit, suffer an injury, but make an opening for a counterattack. Fuck it. I’m Dark Type, and if this is Ghost Type, then it won’t hurt that badly. He shoved his palm against the blade, diverting the strike. The moment his gloved hand touched the weapon; his glove was eaten through as he realized it wasn’t just a Ghost fire – it was Fire fire. Gritting his teeth, he used the momentary opening to stab forward, scoring a wound right through the center of the thing.
It staggered back, looking down at the blade – but Zarius didn’t let up after seeing it heal from the mortal wound previously. Instead, he pushed forward, the shadows billowing around his hand and healing him slowly. Protect my hand, he thought to the Dark around him as he gripped down on the searing hot blade to keep the thing pinned close. Zarius moved into its reach, shoving the Claw of Yveltal further in, and eliciting a groan of pain from the entity.
“Done yet?!” he shouted, his voice cracking slightly from the pain as he barely got the words out in anything but a yelp of torturous existence.
The Ceruledge nodded and pulled both blades out horizontally before backing away. Zarius held still, huffing in deep breaths as he held still – the Pokémon moving itself off his sword. It knelt. The language of the gods appeared above the Pokémon’s head.
-----
[You have shown a Pokémon your worth in a manner of their choosing.]
[They wish to form a Trainer Bond.]
[Do you wish to form a Trainer Bond?]
-----
“Yes,” Zarius said as he sheathed his sword.
-----
Trainer Bond Forged
New Type: Ghost
-----
The Ceruledge’s body was wreathed in shadows that surged out from Zarius, mending its wounds as it stood upright. A lilting, pleasant female voice came out from behind the face plate. “Trainer Zarius. I believe you are worthy. We shall travel together, and I will lend you my power.” Its blades pulled back and small, metal gauntlets appeared on the ends of its hands.
Lucien pawed forward and nudged Zarius, “Good job. Decent fight. With Ghost and Dark, you are immune to Normal, Fighting, and Psychic elemental energies. Take half damage from Poison, and double from Fairy Types.” He smiled, “This is a great move forward.”
“When you say Normal Type-”
The Ceruledge interrupted, crossing its arms. “Normal Type moves. Mundane weaponry can still affect you. You are not invincible on the field of battle.” Her eyes glinted that now-honey orange glow, and the voice that came through was smug. “You need more training. But we will work on that.”
Zarius nodded, and felt a deep sense of satisfaction at having acquired a second Pokémon to add to his repertoire. “Do you have a name?”
“Evelyn,” she replied.
-----
-----
Evelyn’s voice became haughty and slightly higher-pitched as she spoke. “I am the arms and armor of the great Evelyn Voldstat, once mighty warrior-princess of the Kalos Kingdom from centuries past. You are the first worthy fighter I sensed in all these centuries.”
“How long have you been dead?” Zarius asked.
“Evelyn here is the arms and armor of the person bearing the same name from history. I presume, Evelyn, you take the name of your prior owner to carry her legacy?”
“Correct, mighty god of Death,” Evelyn stated as she knelt and scratched Lucien’s head between the ears. “You feel that, Umbreon?”
Lucien nodded, “Yes, but my name is Lucien.” He looked up at Zarius, “A Trainer can only have one Bound Companion out of an Apricorn at a time. You should attune us each to one, and then decide which of us will travel with you back to town.”
Zarius and pulled out the Apricorns – one in each hand. “How does this work?”
Lucien rose up on his hind legs and tapped the Apricorn with his nose. The dull crystal Apricorn illuminated with a deep, yellow glow before it took on a black hue, with the same rings as the Umbreon had on his body. In a flash of glittering, yellow dust – Lucien vanished. Zarius could feel the heat, the warmth, from inside the Apricorn. He felt a beat as well, like a beating heart in his grip.
Evelyn tapped the other one and it burst with purple ghostflame. She, too, vanished in a glimmer of purple and black smoke and shadow, and Zarius could feel the pulsing beat.
“Look at that, they turn a different color when attuned.”
Zarius nodded and received a notification in his vision. A message from the gods.
-----
[Combat Concluded]
[Experience Awarded: 1,000]
[Bonus from Harvester of Life: 200]
[Total Experience: 1,200]
[You have Leveled Up!]
[Level 12]
[Current Experience: 2,225 / 2,746]
-----
[New Ability Gained]
- Ghostflame Aura
- When the user is in combat, they exude an aura of Ghost and Fire elemental damage, harming those in melee range. May be toggled on and off for training purposes.
-----
[New Move Gained]
- Snarl (5) [Dark]
- Project your Aura and inflict Dark damage to a target within 100 feet, lowering their Move effectiveness that relies on non-physical Damage for 1 minute.
-----
“Not much from Harvester of Life, due to the undead and Ghost Types – the Ghosts have very little life essence. And those undead…we will find who is responsible and punish them,” Yveltal said the last with a growl that shook the environment with malice as the aura of darkness surged out from Zarius.
“Agreed,” he stated as he looked down at both Apricorns. “They both got the same Experience as I did, so they should both be level 10.”
“New Abilities for both, and possibly new Moves. You should be able to interact with them in this state.”
Zarius held Lucien’s Apricorn up to his ear, “Hey, you there?” he asked.
“I am,” Lucien replied, sounding quite aggravated. “What do you want? I’m surrounded by female Eevees now – quite literally my pick of the litter.”
“Sorry! Just need to know if you got a new Ability and Move.”
“Hmph,” Lucien made a huffing, upset sound. “I did get a new Ability. The Move I gain access to is called Quick Attack; it allows me to move very fast much like that Volt Tackle that struck you and was hard to dodge. But since you want me as support and ranged combat-”
“Right,” Zarius muttered. “Ignore the Quick Attack. I want you as my ranged support still.”
“Understood. The Ability is called Trainer’s Shadow. It allows me to blend into your shadow – making me untargetable and undetectable but removes my ability to use damaging Moves. If you truly want me to be a support and keep you empowered, it is valuable. But the lack of capability to harm foes means we cannot take full advantage of our dual-Bite method.” He sounded cool, calculating, and as always his combat knowledge was spot on. He continued, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must chase down my selected mate.”
“Wait, it’s your paradise. Why chase it?” Zarius asked.
Lucien chuckled, “Because the hunt is half the fun. The chase, pinning her down-”
Zarius lowered the Apricorn and slipped it into his bandolier. Well, enjoy, buddy. He held up Evelyn’s to his ear, “Hey, you okay in there?”
“The accommodations are perfect, but I would much rather be out keeping you safe, Trainer.”
“You can call me Zarius.”
“I prefer not to. I am your knight. I can call you Lord if you prefer, or some other title of deference.”
“…Right.” Zarius held the Apricorn in front of him and shook it. Not sure how this is supposed to work, he thought.
“Try setting it down?” Yveltal commented.
The high-pitched voice of the Shaymin came from the tree, causing Zarius to wince and tuck his ears. “Just throw it!”
Zarius shrugged and tossed it a short distance away. The Apricorn exploded in purple and black flame as Evelyn came out of the Apricorn. The small object shot back to Zarius’ hand, and he quickly put it into his bandolier.
Evelyn looked over at him, “Thank you, Trainer. Shall we exit this dreary abode?” she began walking down the path, and Zarius followed. “Do you wish to know my new Move and Ability?” she asked.
Zarius nodded, “Yeah. It seems like Lucien is going in on the supportive role. I think-”
“I will be a melee contender and defender.” She looked at his bracer with curiosity as her eyes widened slightly. “I would like one of those.”
“It only works on Normal Type moves, but it does make you a bit stronger. Oh! Lucien has one, when he’s not…busy…I’ll get it from him and give it to you.”
Her voice lightened a bit, and he imagined she was smiling under the eternally bound helm. “I appreciate it. My innate blades would qualify as melee weaponry and the increase to my combat efficiency is going to be quite useful.” She paused and waved her hand above her. “Now, the new Move. I replaced Ember with Fire Spin. Let me show you.”
The words of the gods appeared above her, right next to her hand.
-----
[New Ability Gained]
- Empowered Twinblades
- The user may change the damage of their blades to Ghost, Fire, or Dark at will.
-----
[New Move Gained]
- Fire Spin (15) [Fire]
- The user designates a target within 50 feet. They are trapped in a tornado of fire, suffering damage over time for up to 30 seconds.
-----
“Handy,” Zarius stated. “If you use Dark then you get the boost from my Dark Aura.” He felt quite excited at the idea of having a new Bound Companion – but could already tell that the Pokémon were somewhat one-note when it came to personality. Lucien was pushed forward by fighting, battle, and as he just learned – lust. But he did not know this new Pokémon well enough yet to make a determination as to her personality.
She turned and kept walking out of the graveyard, “I do not hear the groans of the undead. I presume you deal with them?”
“Yes,” Zarius replied as he was just a step behind her. “Know what caused them?”
“I do not,” she replied as she glanced back at him. “Tell me – do you like your new features?”
“Hmm?”
She shook her head, “When we find a mirror. I believe you would qualify as Dark and Ghost now – a potent combination with only one real weakness. Fairy Types.” She giggled – which was odd because her voice elevated in pitch as she did so. “And not being affected by several Move types means that you will be quite protected even without my coverage.”
“What Types are you? I know Ghost,” Zarius said as he felt genuine curiosity.
“Ghost and Fire,” she replied. She gestured with her left hand, and the hand vanished as a purple flame appeared. “This is ghostflame.” It then turned a deep crimson, “Regular flame.” Then, it turned a deep black, “And darkflame. This one is thanks to our Bond.” She shook her hand and the blade vanished, replaced by her hand. “I can also manifest regular steel blades as my namesake fought with.”
They exited the graveyard and headed toward town. The pallor of being in a place where Ghost Types flocked lifted and revealed a setting evening sun. “You know about Yveltal and my planned ascension, right?”
“I will be quite satisfied, Trainer, helping you achieve your goal and find your rebirth into your true legendary form. It is an honor to serve the god of Death and Dark – he who my namesake worshipped every time she stepped onto the battlefield. With every swing of her blade, every bit of blood drawn; an exultation to you.” She sounded full of passion, like she was giving a sermon like the Prophet did to the cult.
“We appreciate your fervor,” they said. “We will be going to war once we have means to travel between kingdoms unimpeded. First, we must challenge the Guild Leader.”
Evelyn sounded absolutely thrilled. “I must evaluate her prowess. Then, we can come up with a training regimen. I know that you and I training together can earn a small amount of Experience – but your practical sword skills need work.”
“We are using the memories and recollections of our prior selves,” they said. “It’s not like I was trained,” Zarius concluded.
“We will fix that. Come! I wish to size up this Guild Leader.”