The Patron Quadrilogy: The Legend Begins

Chapter 1

Thursday, October 11th, 6:25 am, 2018 Littleroot Town
Brendan stood up, stretching. He was still on that rooftop, enjoying the crisp autumn air. He'd taken to sleeping outside recently. Just something about the sea breeze meeting gust from the mountains was invigorating. Well, it was also nice to keep tabs on his territory with his team. He always preferred being out and about, though he loved certainly Brimstone Pub, Team Brimstone's base of operations. He built the double-story pub with some of the money he'd accumulated while he was champion. Wally was their bartender, a job which he'd asked for personally. While he could fight, and he was exceptional at it, he wasn't a fighter like the rest of the team. Brendan understood, and it was nice to have a true voice of reason on the team.
"Guess I'd better be heading back now," Brendan murmured to himself. "She'll be in town tomorrow." He got down from the roof. Brendan had spent plenty of time learning parkour and such. Back on the street, he put his hands in his coat pockets, and began to walk back to Brimstone.
Brimstone Pub, a bar for weary travelers, as well as Patrons. The brick walls were coated in the graffiti Brendan and his team put there. The end result was pretty nice, with every lieutenant in the team adding their own flair to it (more on them later).
Brendan entered through the front door, which was made of cobblestone and oak wood. The inside was rather rustic, a pool table in the far right corner, a large, flatscreen TV hung on the wall above it. Tables, chairs, and all that were by the windows on the right to the door. To the left of the door was the bar. Various drinks, beers, wines, and non-alcoholic drinks (smoothies, sodas, etc.) lined the shelves behind the mahogany table. The pub special was called the Fire-and-Brand whiskey. A green-haired twenty two year old stood behind the bar table, cleaning a glass. He was wearing a red and orange striped dress shirt.
"How was your night, old friend?" He asked.
"Hey Wally," Brendan said. "Pretty good, it was rather nice out."
"Damian and Giri are already here, there still asleep upstairs. Unsurprising, since they took night patrols."
"They know they don't have to do every patrol. They know they can just order some of the recruits to help them."
"They do," Wally said. "That's why they're exhausted."
"Can you two keep it down?" A thin, ginger eighteen year old wearing a white Mad Max shirt, gray denim vest, and blue cargo pants complained. "I've got a headache from patrolling."
"Morning, Giri," Brendan replied. "Littleroot safe?"
"As always, boss," he replied, yawning. Giri was Brimstone's lieutenant in charge of scouts. He oversaw night patrols. "Damian's still sleeping. Said he had a bit of a scuffle last night, but fight just fizzled out after a few moments." Damian, also a lieutenant, and his team were responsible for relieving Giri's team during a patrol, if there was unusual amounts of activity in the area. They mainly drove on the mostly empty streets, when few people were out and about.
"When he wakes up," Brendan said. "Tell him to see me. I want to know what the scuffle was about."
"Okay," Giri replied. "I'll tell him."
"Do you know where Marilyn and Nathan are?"
"The twins?" Marilyn and Nathan Rhodes, also known as the Twin Lieutenants, were in charge of intelligence. They also specialized in team combat. "I think they took Claire out, since she needs some new clothes, especially since it's now getting colder and colder. They should be back soon, I'd imagine." Claire Lebeau was a nine year old kid that Brendan and Wally took in, after they found her living on the streets.
"My parents abandoned me," she'd told them when they first met her, nine months ago. The entire team fell in love with her personality immediately. She was brave, nice, and intelligent for her age. She was also fiercely independent at times, but usually, she didn't refuse any help from the Team. She looked to Brendan as her adoptive father, and Wally as her adoptive uncle. She slept in one of the upstairs rooms, but she spent most of the her day on the ground floor, with the rest of the team. She sort of became their mascot over time.
"It just occurred to me that May has never met most of the Team," Brendan said thoughtfully.
"That's probably because we formed the same year she left for Kanto," Wally retorted. "You and me are the only two people she knows in the team."
"Mind if I come in, Birch?" A voice called. Brendan turned around to reveal a man, roughly the same age as Brendan, walk in. He was wearing a ball cap, blue jeans, and his iconic red t-shirt.
"Not at all, Red," Brendan replied. "By all means, the Patron of Mewtwo, and a good friend is always welcome here. How's Mt. Silver?" Red was one of the few Patrons Brendan showed actual reverence towards. He normally isolated himself atop Mt. Silver, with his Pokémon, but occasionally he'd fly to different locations to get supplies. When your name carries as much fame as Red's, you can never return to the same place twice a year. Brimstone Pub, however, was a place where he could be anonymous. The other reason he secluded himself up there, away from the other Patrons, was because he was paying tribute to Mewtwo, who rarely conversed with the other Legends. Red only ever left his mountain a few times a year. The only person up there with him was his girlfriend, Green, also a Patron.
"Care for a drink, my friend?" Brendan asked.
"Sure, but I must be quick," Red replied. "I'm here for the supplies I asked Wally about."
"Of course, I've already shipped them to Johto for you."
"Usual spot?"
"Yep."
"Thanks. Pour me a drink."
Wally poured some Fire-and-Brand whiskey into three glasses. Brendan, Wally, and Red all raised their glasses.
"Cheers." And they downed their glasses.
"Thanks for the drink, but I must get going now."
"Alright, hey, Wally give him a case of that whiskey. On the house."
"Later," Wally said, quickly getting him a case of Fire-and-Brand. "Tell Green we said hi."
"How's she doing?"
"She's well," Red replied, grabbing the case. "Farewell."
"Safe travels, my friend." And with that, Red left for Mt. Silver yet again.
October 11th, 8:25 am, 2018
The pub was bustling with activity, like usual. Wally was cleaning glasses, and occasionally topping off a few glasses. Marilyn and Nathan were escorting the thoroughly inebriated outside, and dispersing a few close brawls. Claire was upstairs, watching TV, while Brendan was chatting with a couple people. The first was a man in his mid-forties, wearing a red and black jacket with close-cut purple hair. The second was a brunette woman, who appeared to be a few years younger than the man.
"It's been awhile since we last talked, Brendan," the man said. "I'm surprised to find you running a gang and a bar."
"This isn't a gang, Norman," Brendan replied. "Team Brimstone is a team of outcasts and strays, yeah. We are. But this team is a family. This is a pub, yeah, but it's not like I have many other things I can do anymore. And it's more than just a pub. It's a safe haven."
"Calm down, Brendan," the woman said calmly. "He's just concerned about you, is all. We know that it's been pretty rough since your mother and father passed."
"You're right, Caroline," Brendan sighed. "Indeed, it has been a rough few years. And this last year was probably the roughest."
"You're thinking about May, aren't you?" She guessed. She knew Brendan liked her daughter.
He nodded, "She stood by me all these years. I would've gone to Kanto with her, but my father's failing health prevented me from going anywhere. I couldn't even keep in contact as much as I would have liked. Life just became too hectic."
"At least she's coming home tomorrow," Norman replied. "You two can tell each other everything that's happened since you last contacted her."
"I suppose so," Brendan sighed. "Anyways, I need to go deal with something. Have a good day, you guys."
Brendan walked over to Wally.
"I'm heading out. Steven wants to meet me. I'll probably be gone for a while. Look after the place, will you?"
"Of course. Watch yourself out there."
"Later."
October 11th, 11:36 am., 2018
A man stood in the gazebo outside his manor. He had blue-ish grey hair, and was wrapped up in a suit. He had a ring, studded with an emerald, a small cloud within it on his left hand. On his right hand he had a regular diamond ring. He looked out over the pond he lived next to.
"You really can't live near a city, or what?"
"We've been over this before, Brendan," he said. "I prefer open spaces to the cramped confines of a town or city."
"Shut up, Steven," Brendan muttered.
"But, you're not here to complain about where I live, so just get on with it," Steven retorted. "I don't like talking to you, either."
"Cutting," Brendan said sarcastically.
"I know why you're here, Birch. You're here to talk about May."
"Yeah. You got the message from Wally?"
"Yes, I have," Steven said. "He told me you wanted me to leave her alone. Seems like you don't want her powers to emerge."
"That's right," Brendan answered. "She has a good life already. She can't afford to keep watching her back if you activate her powers."
"She's a Patron, whether you like it or not."
"You think that's what bothers me!?" Brendan snarled. The temperature of the surrounding air began to heat up. "What bothers me is that you want to awaken her powers while someone's killing Patrons. Why now, of all times, do you want to make her activate her powers?"
"There needs to be balance," Steven snapped back. "If you haven't already noticed, our numbers are dwindling, and the planet is suffering. She's Kyogre's chosen. You are Groudon's chosen. She is, by all accounts, your enemy!"
"She doesn't need to be!" Brendan argued, embers appearing in his hands. "Just because Kyogre and Groudon are enemies doesn't mean we need to be!" Steven threw a punch at him, and a gust of wind sent him flying. Brendan spun in the air, and landed on his feet, fire engulfing his hands and feet.
"You really are a fool, Brendan. Patrons are meant to be solitary. We're meant to fight each other. Instead, you choose to form a team, and even become friends with other Patrons. In a way, it's admirable."
"Yeah, so what?" Brendan lunged straight at Steven, using his flames to propel him forward. "Unlike you," he spat, throwing flaming punches and kicks. "I'm not giving up on my friends that easily. I believe there's safety in numbers. To put it simply-" One of Brendan's flaming punches connected with Steven's stomach. "Having a Team and friends just makes me fight harder to defend them!" He then sent Steven to the ground with a kick. Steven struggled to prop himself up on his elbows. He coughed, clutching his stomach. His clothes weren't even scorched. Brendan stretched out his hand.
"I choose what I want to burn," he said as Steven took his hand.
"So, you said you would deal with the killer? And all you want from me is that I leave May alone?" Steven asked.
"You're actually agreeing?" Brendan asked incredulously. Not minutes ago, they were fighting.
"You proved that you can control your power, at least to some extent. And, you truly believe what you're doing is right. So, as much as I hate it, very well." He got up, dusting himself off. "We don't know the the identity of the killer, but we know that he is most certainly a Patron."
"That's not much to go on. Anything else?"
"We only know that he or she is targeting Patrons. The latest victim was Erika, the former Celadon City Gym Leader, and patron of Virizion. That's all. We don't have a motive, and we don't have any leads."
"Hm, you forgot one possiblity," Brendan murmured. "That he or she is just killing for pleasure and/or personal gain. And what if it's multiple Patrons?"
"If what you're saying is correct, then we'll need to watch our backs."
"So, are you suggesting a temporary truce? There'll be strength in numbers. Our Patrons are two of the strongest. And, I'm pretty sure some other Patrons might join us."
"Arceus should order us to form the Council, if you ask me," Steven muttered. "Or do something to help keep the violence to a minimum. We are capable of staying out of each other's way."
"There'll always be those who strive for a fight, you know that as well as I do, Steven."
"Wow, were did the sudden wisdom come from, Brendan?"
"Can it, airhead."
"Anyways, we're done here. Please leave."
So, here's chapter two everyone!
Hope you enjoyed it!
Oh, in case I forget, Claire usually wears a long sleeve shirt and long pants, or her pajamas, which have, various Pokémon on them. She also has a light, but warm, crimson jacket, with the word Fire on the back.