The Rise of the Outcasts | Pokemon

Chapter 1 | The Prophecy

1326 words
Cinderace paced around her sandstone burrow, old papers pinned up against a pin board. Papers flew everywhere as she threw them up in defeat, rushing to the other side of the burrow. It was a dusty, unorganized underground room with an entrance leading above the hard, crusty earth where the light from the sun shone down. The rabbit-like Pokemon looked at a wanted poster with a hooded Lucario on it, which said, 'REWARD: 1000 coins', then glanced over at the paper with a prophecy written on it.

"'The bird of steel has fallen to the aura and disaster's wrath'..." She muttered, then widened her eyes with realization. "Lucario is the Aura Pokemon! How did I not notice this sooner? I have to find him!"

With that, she snatched the prophecy-written paper and wanted poster then clipped on a belt, putting a fake sword in the pocket. She then grabbed a pirate hat and slipped on some brown boots to protect herself from the heat of the blazing sun. She hopped out of her burrow, standing proudly with her chest puffed out, ready for her next adventure. The dead, empty land which seemed to go on forever replied with silence as a tumbleweed passed by a nearly dead patch of grass.

"Comet! Comet, where are you?" She called, holding her right paw to her mouth. Her ears pricked up from the flops they were in as she heard a faint galloping from the distance. Over the horizon, she could barely see dust flying behind a tall, white Pokemon with a horn on its head. Its mane and tail were replaced by fierce flames, which were also located on each of its four ankles.

"You called?" The Pokemon neighed once it reached Cinderace. She could now see that this Pokemon was a Rapidash.

"Yes! I'm going on a journey!" The fire-type Striker Pokemon said, pointing at the prophecy she held.

"Again? Really? Cinder, don't you think you're getting a little too obsessed with this whole 'prophecy' thing? I mean, we don't even know if Alakazam saw the prophecy correctly."

"He was the great Alakazam! He didn't misinterpret any message Mew sent him."

"Okay, sure, but how do you know 'the one with the blazing kick' is you?"

"Comet, do you know anyone else with as great of a fiery kick as me?"

"Well, no, I guess not..."

"Exactly! Not even a Blaziken could compete with me!"

Comet rolled her eyes, then gave in to Cinderace's persistent energy, relaxing the flames on her back. "Get on," she sighed.

Cinderace hopped on the back of the rapidash, holding onto its neck. "Look for this guy," the rabbit-like Pokemon said, holding the wanted poster in front of Comet's face and pointing at the Lucario on it. The Fire Horse Pokemon nodded then turned around, facing away from the burrow. "Onward!" The pirate-dressed cinderace pointed her fake sword forward.

~

It was night by the time the two traveling Pokemon stopped to take a rest. They sat by a calm fire, fueled by sticks from a nearby dead tree. The night chirped as Cinderace mapped out the possible areas the Lucario on the wanted poster could be with paper she packed in a bag that was located on her belt while Comet laid down by the fire.

"Do you really think he's the 'aura', out of all the Lucarios in the four kingdoms?" She asked with doubt. "I mean, he's a thief to the Fire Kingdom... And acts like he's from the Dark Kingdom."

"The Dark Kingdom... Sounds like such a horrible place to live," Cinderace mumbled. "Especially for the past Royal Family. Queen Umber's death was announced at the United Games, a time of happiness and peace, then they were just kicked out of their home as if the Corviknight who killed the queen had no morals..." There was a pause of silence, then she continued. "I've studied this for a while. Since I was a Raboot. All of Alakazam's prophecies talked about Pokemon that stood out from the rest. For me, my mom and dad died in the war. They were both popular guards and that made me popular. Until their death and I just disappeared... Lucario is wanted. That's what makes him stand out. And the disaster... Well, I haven't figured that out yet."

"Makes sense. Except there's one thing. Blaziken is a fire type. There's a noble guard that's a Blaziken, which means he stands out. He could be the 'one with a blazing kick'."

"Yeah, I guess that's true..." Cinderace thought for a second. "But I still want to help out in any way I can! Even if I'm not a part of the prophecy. And I'm absolutely positive that Lucario is the 'aura' in the prophecy."

"Meh. Okay. I don't really have anything better to do, so I guess I'll help, too." Comet yawned. "I'm tired, so I'm gonna go to sleep." She laid her head down next to her folded knees, but soon stretched out flat on her right side.

"Goodnight."

"Mm... Night," the horse mumbled as she dozed off to a deep sleep.

~

Meanwhile, in the lands of the Dark Kingdom...

Eevee found himself in a mysterious, oak forest full of trees whose leaves were white. A bright, light-purple-pink path lay ahead of him. He ventured forward, squinting at the rectangular light at the end of the path. Stepping through, he fell down as the bright forest disappeared behind him. 

He fell for what felt like an eternity until he finally landed in a dark forest of dark purple stumps with an evil energy surrounding them. Curious, he scrambled to his feet as he had landed painfully on his side, but the pain soon faded away as he continued forward.

He walked and walked and walked, shivers slithering down his spine as he looked around fearfully, feeling as though he was being watched. Eventually, he reached what seemed like the end of the path, where he found the Great Corviknight perched on a low, yet large branch along with his mate, Mandibuzz. They looked down on the Eevee, seeming like they were judging him. Then the earth beneath his soft, brown paws began to rumble and crack. He felt himself fall through the cracks, hearing whispers as he did.

"Outcasts," the whispers told him. "Outcasts, outcasts, outcasts." They seemed to overlap each other, saying only one thing. Outcasts.

The whispers came to a stop when the Eevee finally fell to a damp, grassy floor with a thud. He shook off the painful fall and looked up, widening his eyes as he saw his grandmother, an Espeon, standing before him with glowing white eyes.

"Grandmother," he spoke. "What're you...? I thought? Didn't Corviknight banish you?"

His grandmother didn't reply but just looked him deep in the eyes. "The prophecy, Casper," she said. "The prophecy." Then she vanished into thin air.

Casper shot up from his bed. Since he was the son of a royal servant, he slept in the comfort of the Dark Kingdom castle in the same room as his mother. Realizing he had been dreaming, he slowed his abnormally fast and panicked breathing. But one thing was off.

Had he received a new prophecy?

No, he wasn't a Psychic type. Sure, he was destined to become one, thinking to evolve into an Espeon, but he was still a Normal type. Only Psychic types received prophecies.

And this wasn't a new prophecy- At least he didn't think so. It had to have added on to Alakazam's prophecy, as his grandmother had mentioned something about it. Or she had at least mentioned something about some prophecy.

He guessed he would just ask his mother about it in the morning, as she was still resting from her long day of serving for the king and queen. And he knew it wasn't the best idea to wake his mother up while she was sleeping.

So he dozed back to sleep, snuggling his tail close and stuffing his face and paws in it.

Until someone burst through and slammed the door open, letting light into the room as a shadow stood in the doorway...