AbraPunk
Cosmic Guardian
This was written for 2022's one-shot contest.
it will tie in to my upcoming journeyfic
I do plan to re-write this at some point, taking both judge and beta feedback into consideration, so look out for that.
it will tie in to my upcoming journeyfic
I do plan to re-write this at some point, taking both judge and beta feedback into consideration, so look out for that.
Blood, gore, death.
Rumors had spread that Eikris' Sentinel, the Eidolon of Bloodshed, had recently been seen atop the Windless Peaks. This sent a buzz throughout the region, as its guardian was notoriously reclusive, and had kept itself away from human contact for decades.
Some Trainers were bold enough to declare that they would journey to the Peaks, to see if they could catch a glimpse of the Sentinel. Others took it a step further, by saying that they would battle, and perhaps even catch, the region's guardian.
Dylan Caban was one such bold Trainer, one of many who would embark upon a trip to the Peaks. After failing the League, this would be his chance to redeem himself, to show that he deserved a second chance.
So it was that several hours later, he found himself standing before the wall of trees surrounding the foot of the Windless Peaks, known as the Duskbrush Forest. Although the sun shone down on the earth, the forest itself was shrouded in darkness, the thick, looming trees preventing most of the sun's rays from reaching the ground.
All he had to do was keep his eyes on the mountains whenever he could. The path through the forest was winding and often not even a path at all, but keeping one eye trained up ahead helped Dylan find his way through the woods. Occasionally, he'd be forced to send out one of his Pokémon to fend off some wild 'mon, but other than that, there was little danger.
When he finally emerged from the other side of the forest, the mountains were only a few hundred feet away. Nothing that he and his Sceptile partner walking alongside him couldn't handle.
A series of chirps and clicks came from the leafy reptile. Dylan glanced down at a steely gray wristguard on his forearm, specifically at the large, marble-like semi-circle embedded in it that lit up and glowed a bright cyan color. It took a while to start up, but once it did…
"My kind is not suited for the environment ahead. I suggest you swap me for Magmortar."
His translator did wonders for helping him understand, and talk to, his Pokémon.
"Eh. You'll be fine. A little snow never killed anybody."
Sceptile was silent for several seconds, staring at Dylan, before he said, "Golem."
"That was Hal's fault, not mine."
"That is the reason you were kicked out of the League."
Dylan stopped and turned to his starter. "Oh, sure, blame me, and not that joke of a Gym Leader. Bastard has his head so far up his ass I'm surprised he doesn't eat shit all day!"
"He wasn’t a joke. He was a competent and caring Trainer. Unlike you."
Dylan was about to say something, when he noticed growling from behind him.
He turned and found himself staring at a gray, scaly chest. As he looked up, he found himself taking a step back from the very angry Nidokon that had walked up to him. It bared its long fangs and unfurled its leathery purple wings.
His translator crackled with static for a moment, before a slow, guttural voice came out of the device.
"You. You do not dare show contempt for your superiors."
The Nidokon loomed over Dylan, glaring at him with all the hatred it could muster.
"H-Hey! Stevie!"
A Trainer sprinted out from somewhere, eyes wide.
"Are you scaring this guy?" He questioned the Nidokon, with a glance at Dylan.
The Poison-type shrugged and took a step back. "He deserved it. Little punk was disrespecting the League."
Dylan noticed the other trainer wearing a golden choker, which had a glowing magenta orb embedded in it. A custom translator.
"Was he?" The Trainer turned to Dylan. "Let me guess, you lost a match at some point, and now you're all butthurt over it?"
Dylan scoffed. "No. I won, but got kicked out because one of my Pokémon died."
"O-Oh. Um… I'm sorry for your loss-"
"Don't be. I've moved on. I just want to get a second chance at the League."
"So you're looking for the Sentinel, then?"
Sceptile blinked slowly. "Are you… not here to see the region's guardian?"
The Trainer shifted his weight from foot to foot. "No, no, we are! We're… just taking a break after getting out of the forest, you know? I don't want to tucker out my team!"
Sceptile nodded slowly, with a pointed glance at Dylan. "I see. Then you’re rather considerate of your Pokémon's health."
"Yep! Tell 'em, Stevie!"
The Nidokon, apparently nicknamed ‘Stevie’, crossed his arms. "Indeed. Alex found me not long after I had been abandoned by my previous Trainer. I was only a Nidoran, a runt, and yet Alex showed me love and care like I had never known. He saved me."
Alex chuckled as he reached out to hold on to Stevie's arm. "Aw, gee, I'm flattered, really. Thanks, big guy." He turned to look at Dylan, expression quickly turning serious. "So… you said you wanted to find the Sentinel to get another shot at the League? What makes you think they're gonna let you back in?"
Dylan grit his teeth before answering, "The League allows Trainers who accomplish something great or unusual to re-enter. I think having the guardian of this region at my disposal would be good enough for those asshats, yeah?"
Nervousness flickered across Alex's face, "...I guess. I mean, you'll release him once you're done, right?"
Stevie growled again, pupils dilating.
"No. Why the hell would I let go of the strongest Pokémon in the region?"
"W-What are you talking about? You can't just keep him!” Alex cried. “He's not going to want to be with a jerk like you! And who else is going to watch over our region if he can't?!"
Sceptile stepped forward before Dylan could say anything in response. "Stop. This conversation has helped me realize what I must do now. Something that I should have done many years ago." He turned to look at his Trainer, cold contempt and disgust in his eyes. "I refuse to be under your command any longer."
Dylan glared at Sceptile. "Fuck you!" He rushed forward, arm winding back to strike--
Sceptile spun, sweeping Dylan's legs out from under him with a tail swipe. "Don't." He planted one foot on Dylan as he lay on the ground, and bent over to pluck his own Pokéball from the Trainer's belt. He turned to Alex and Stevie. "I offer myself to you, so that I may be under the care of a different, better Trainer. I will take no offense if you decline me. If that is what you choose, then I shall henceforth roam the region as a wild Pokémon."
Stevie regarded Sceptile warily, his gaze flickering from the 'mon to the Pokéball he held in his outstretched hand.
Alex hesitated for a long while, his own eyes constantly darting to the stunned Dylan on the floor. Finally, he dipped his head slowly, bowing before Sceptile as a sign of respect. "Yeah, I'll take you in."
Gingerly, he took the Pokéball from Sceptile's hand and pressed the button. Sceptile was absorbed into the ball calmly, and it was instantly registered as a capture.
Dylan finally got up, wobbling to his feet. "That fucking prick." He spat.
Alex glared at him. "You just described yourself." He tapped Stevie's wing twice, and the Nidokon dropped onto all fours. Alex climbed up on top of the 'mon. He then said, "...Well, good luck. You're gonna need it."
And with that, Stevie lifted off into the air, his powerful wingflaps sending gusts of wind that made the surrounding foliage shake. They ascended farther and farther into the air until they were a speck, then they zoomed away.
Dylan groaned, then looked up at the Windless Peaks ahead of him. Whatever. Didn't need Sceptile anyways.
He lifted a Pokéball from his belt and pressed the button, releasing Pidgeot. "Hey. Think you can fly me up there?" He didn't need to point for the bird to know what he was talking about.
Pidgeot huffed, and shook herself, ruffling her feathers. "Mm. Sure, but it'll be harder once we get closer to the top. You know, Ice-type weakness and all."
Dylan climbed on top of her, carelessly grasping her feathers within his hands, ignoring the way she flinched at the touch. "Alright, then. Let's go."
She took off, her wings beating against the bitter chill that was seeping into the late afternoon air.
Pidgeot had to awkwardly climb up in a spiraling route that made Dylan grumble impatiently wondering when she’d finally reach her cruising altitude.
Eventually, the chill in the air grew to be too much for Pidgeot, and she landed near the top of the mountain, shuddering underneath her feathers.
Dylan recalled her back into her Pokéball and sent out Magmortar. The fire beast landed with a thud, the heat exuding from his body melting the surrounding snow both on the ground and in the air.
"Keep me warm, can you? We're almost there." Magmortar obeyed, shifting closer to Dylan, letting his natural heat flow over the Trainer.
The two of them walked for some time, occasionally finding bits and pieces of what used to be stairs on the mountain.
Eventually, they reached the top of the Peaks. A large, perfectly flat expanse of ground lay before them, covered in several inches of snow. Lit torches dotted the area, never once flickering.
Dylan looked around. The snow was undisturbed, and there were no signs of life anywhere.
Was this all just a waste of time?
Before he could even turn around, every Pokéball he had burst open, spilling out his entire team, minus Magmortar who was already present.
Pidgeot crouched low, shivering beneath the snow. Lycanroc folded his arms and shifted from foot to foot, trying to keep himself warm. Muk just flattened himself into the snow. Machamp waddled over to Lycanroc and Pidgeot and wrapped them in his arms, clearly trying to huddle for warmth.
Dylan stood, slack-jawed for a moment, before he regained his composure and asked, "Why the hell did you all--"
He stopped and stared as a figure, seemingly appearing out of thin air, slowly walked up to him and his Pokémon. It took him almost no time to realize that this figure wasn’t human. Whatever it was, it was far taller than any person. It finally stopped, only about a dozen feet away from the group, and stared at them.
Dylan could see the figure clearly now. It was a bipedal lizard, mainly orange in color, with a plume of feathers atop its head. A strange, tire-like protrusion jutted out from its chest.
It tilted its head slightly as it kept looking at Dylan and his Pokémon. Then it spoke: "What are you doing here?"
"I'm-- well, we're-- here to see the Sentinel."
"Why?"
"I just want to record it for my Pokédex and prove to people that it exists."
"Prove its existence, so that you will bring more and more of your kind to my domain?" It hissed.
"Your domain? Wait. Are you the Sentinel?"
The massive lizard only sneered at him. "How perceptive you are. Yes, I am the Sentinel of Eikris."
Dylan gaped for a moment, before steeling his nerves. "Well, that's good to know, heh."
He glanced back to his Pokémon and saw that they were all alert and active. Good. Magmortar must have had a way to keep everyone warm.
"Get it!" Dylan shouted, pointing at the Sentinel, as he quickly got away from the legendary Pokémon.
His entire team rushed into action, with Pidgeot taking to the skies. Lycanroc was there first, clawing and biting his way to the Sentinel, occasionally lifting snow-covered rocks from the ground and lobbing them at his opponent.
The Pokémon simply grunted in annoyance. It ducked under a blob of poison from Muk, then leapt high into the air to avoid a stream of flames spewing from Magmortar's arm cannon, where it was promptly tackled by Pidgeot and sent crashing back down.
Once it was down, Dylan’s Pokémon set themselves upon it, using whatever they had at their disposal to try and bring their opponent down.
The beating didn't last long. In a flash, the lizard righted itself and swept its tail around, knocking Lycanroc, Machamp, and Magmortar down. The Sentinel then jumped, raking Pidgeot with its red claws. There was a spray of blood from where its claws had landed, and Pidgeot crash-landed on the snowy terrain, dazed.
It glared at Muk and grabbed his head with both hands. It squeezed, and then Muk exploded, goo splattering over the other Pokémon.
Dylan took a step back, eyes wide. Shit.
Lycanroc lunged at his opponent, but was swatted aside and fell, dazed. The larger 'mon lifted its foot and quickly brought it down upon Lycanroc's torso. There was a sickening crunch, and the wolf went limp.
Pidgeot, strength regained, squawked in rage and divebombed the Sentinel. It caught one of her legs, and slammed her down upon a large, jagged rock, which speared through her body as weak, gurgling cries rang out and she went still, bathed in her own blood.
Dylan took another step back, almost losing his footing on the steep decline of the mountain.
No better time to try. He quickly rummaged for his Pokédex and navigated the menus, looking for his Pokéball storage. He found it, and soon enough, an Ultra Ball materialized in his open hand. Pocketing his Dex, he wound back his arm, and threw the ball.
It struck the Sentinel and quickly absorbed it. The ball hit the ground, remained deathly still for a few seconds, then split open in a blinding flash of light.
There was nowhere for Dylan to hide. This would be the end of him and his Pokémon, just because he'd wanted to be the first to go see the region's guardian.
The legendary Pokémon roared in unbridled rage, and leapt at Machamp, pinning him to the ground, flat on his stomach. It planted one foot on his back and grabbed his upper pair of arms with one hand each, and pulled. There was a noise not unlike tearing wet paper as Machamp's upper arms came apart at their sinews and wrenched free of his body.
The Sentinel was preparing to finish off Machamp, when Magmortar tackled it and sent it flying. He followed up with shoving his arm cannon in its face and firing an entire volley of fireballs. The Pokémon was pummeled to the ground from the force of the fireballs. Magmortar stood over it, and prepared to unleash another barrage, when the other Pokémon quickly shoved his arm cannon away and got to its feet. It snarled and slashed at Magmortar. The fiery 'mon went rigid, and his body fell backwards as his head slid off of his neck.
Machamp had already bled out in the snow, leaving Dylan there, alone with the Sentinel.
It walked slowly towards him, seething with rage. Dylan could only stare. He could not ever hope to fight a legendary Pokémon, much less the most powerful one in the region.
It grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him up to eye level, then walked over so that he now dangled over the edge of the mountain.
"Fool. You understand now that you should never have come here."
Dylan put his hands on the Pokémon's arm, perhaps in some feeble attempt to get him to loosen his grip. He could have begged, pleaded for his life, but there was one question that shoved its way to the center of his mind. "Are you… going to do this to everyone who shows up?"
"No."
"Then why me? What did I ever do to you?"
"Not me. Your Pokémon. Your friends and family. You are a plague, and you shall be dealt with accordingly."
Dylan squirmed, tears stinging his eyes. "I-I don't understand."
"And you never will." The Pokémon flicked its free hand, and suddenly it was as though a molten knife had embedded itself in his stomach. Unable to see, he took one hand off the Pokémon's arm and felt around until he touched a hot, thick, slippery mass. It took him only a matter of seconds for him to realize that he was holding his own intestines. The Pokémon bared its fangs, pupils dilated, as it observed his panic and pain and horror. "In death, you shall feed those who deserve to live. Be grateful."
Dylan felt himself abruptly lurch, and then air whip around what was left of his mangled body. As his consciousness began to fade, he knew he was falling, falling farther than any human had ever fallen. Somewhere in the darkness below him was the forest at the base of the mountain. His body would sustain the wild Pokémon living there. And his own Pokémon… well, if there were any wild 'mons at the summit, then they'd be eating well for a while.
Dylan wondered briefly if Sceptile would ever learn about his death, or if he would even care.
He was probably better off with Alex anyways.
