Chapter 1 - Birth of a Blade
"What should we name him?"
A thunderstorm raged outside their windows. The roaring thunder that rumbled across the pitch-black sky could not even rival the crying of their newborn. A little shinx hatched from his shelter within the embrace of Serenity Village, curled up and stared confusedly at his parents.
The shinx's parents widened their eyes in surprise as the absol father held his son up in the air. His son was not born normally. The shinx was born with the blade part of his species. He turned to look at his wife with mild concern, only to receive a caring look that spoke, "That's our son! No matter how he looks, he's still our angel that we have to protect."
He heaved a sigh but was glad that they both shared the same idea. He put the shinx down next to his wife, caressing gently the electric lion's fur. The shinx's mother gave her son a light kiss on his forehead. A name ran through the Absol's head.
"Axel!" the absol shouted. "We'll call him Axel!"
"Axel, that's a good name..."
The luxray stood up gently and walked towards her companion, leaning her head against his. They cast a look at the atmosphere outside. The storm had lessened as daybreak began to arrive on the horizon, shedding its warm rays of light through the windows. The shinx laughed joyfully, reaching his clumsy paws out trying to touch his father and mother.
The duo smiled happily, a smile they had not had for so long...
"Welcome you to this world, my dear Axel!"
...
As a young shinx, Axel could not help but notice the way some villagers would turn their gaze or shuffle awkwardly past him when they thought he was not looking. Even the village kids around his age mocked him and fled from him the moment they caught glimpse at the weird looking shinx he was.
One bright morning, Axel bounded into the village square, his blade catching a glint of sunlight as it swayed with his movement. A group of young Pokémon had gathered near the fountain, laughing and chasing each other. Their joy was infectious, and Axel’s tail flicked with excitement as he approached.
“Hey! Can I play too?” he asked, his voice brimming with hope.
The laughter ceased abruptly. A fennekin at the edge of the group froze, her body trembling as she whispered something to the squirtle beside her. The words spread quickly, like wildfire.
“That’s the one with the creepy blade,” a cyndaquil muttered loud enough for Axel to hear.
Axel’s steps faltered as the group shuffled back, their wide eyes fixed on his blade as though it might spring to life and strike.
“I’m not... I’m just like you,” Axel said, trying to keep his tone light, though a pang of hurt had crept into his voice.
“No, you’re not!” the cyndaquil blurted, taking a step back. “That thing on your head. It’s dangerous! My dad said only bad things happen when someone like you shows up!”
Axel’s ears flicked back, his confident stride faltering. He clenched his teeth, willing himself not to cry. His father’s words about strength echoed faintly, but here, in the face of their fear, he felt anything but strong. “I’m not dangerous,” he said softly, his voice wavering. “I just… wanted to play.”
The kids exchanged glances, unsure, before a few muttered excuses and scattered, leaving only the squirtle standing there. The squirtle rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, caught between the two groups. He studied Axel for a moment before making off with the others. But something in his expression lingered, a spark of curiosity that Axel would later see again.
Feeling the sting of rejection, Axel made his way to the edge of the village where the elder’s home sat beneath a sprawling tree. The slaking, as ancient and unmovable as the roots he rested upon, cracked one eye open as Axel approached.
“Ah, young Axel,” the elder rumbled, his voice slow and deep. “What’s weighing on you today?”
Axel hesitated, his ears folded in a sadden manner. The electric lion sent a few grunting shocks of electricity as he pawed at the ground. “Why do they run from me?” he asked, his voice trembling. “The other kids, they won’t play with me. They say I’m... dangerous.”
The elder’s gaze softened, and he reached out a massive paw to pat the ground beside him. Axel sat down, his tail curling around his legs.
“Children often repeat what they hear from their parents,” the slaking said, his words deliberate. “And their parents, well... they fear what they do not understand. Your blade, Axel, it’s a symbol of strength and power. But to those who don’t know you, it might seem... unusual.”
Axel’s ears drooped. “So, I just have to live with them being afraid of me?”
The slaking chuckled, the sound like distant thunder. “Not forever, little one. Fear fades when it meets understanding. Keep being who you are, and those who truly matter will see the light in you, not just the blade on your head.”
Axel looked up at the elder, a flicker of hope returning to his eyes. “You really think so?”
“I do,” the slaking replied with a knowing smile. “You’ve got something special in you, Axel. It’s up to you to show the world what that is.”
Buoyed by the elder’s words, Axel left the clearing feeling lighter, even if the stares and whispers persisted. But the ongoing hushed whispers and wary glances only deepened his confusion.
Evening fell on the peaceful village. After returning home with questions bubbling in his chest, Axel found his parents seated by the hearth.
“Mom, I am not… dangerous, am I?” he repeated the same question he had asked the elder, his voice barely above a whisper.
The mother luxray pulled him close, her paws warm and steady. “What makes you say that my dear?” she asked gently, her golden eyes meeting his. Sulking away into the fur of his mother, Axel muffled, “It’s just, the village kids, this morning, they… ran away when they saw me and I heard whispers around.”
Hearing his son’s trouble, the absol father gave a small, encouraging smile. “Sometimes, people fear what they don’t understand,” he said, lying down next to him and his mother in the same straw bed. “You don’t need their approval, Axel. Those who matter will see you for who you truly are.”
Receiving the same response as the town elder, Axel just heaved a sigh.
“I guess you are right…”
The young shinx curled up again within the warmth radiating from his beloved ones. He remembered about the ones who treated him with kindness, the village baker giving him treats and hearty laughters, the clothes weaver’s playful ruffing on his turf of fur and the town elder’s embraces. The thought comforted him, warming the burdened heart of what used to be a troubled shinx for his appearance.
Slowly, he drifted asleep. The echoing of the lullaby his mother had been singing for him soothed his soul.
“Distant moon, so big and bright.
Softest silver glowing through the night
High atop, the mountain gold
Sun unseen, the world is cold…”
From that day, it changed him.
Axel decided the whispers were not worth his attention. Over time, their wary glances became little more than background noise, drowned out by his own carefree nature and the love of those who truly cared. What he did not anticipate was the whisper brought to him his life long friend.
…
It was a sunny day. Today was the first time he got a battling lesson from his father. A straw dummy was set up carefully in the middle of a forest clearing. His father had instructed him a couple of basic attacks and decided to let him test out with the dummy while he went deeper into the forest for berries.
The focused shinx was about to launch an assault when he heard ruffling in a nearby bush. A faint blue flashed between the openings. Axel squinted his eyes. He eyed the bush curiously, his tail flicking as he padded closer to the clearing where someone had been peeking out from behind a tree.
“You’re not very sneaky, you know,” Axel teased, a playful smirk curling on his lips.
He launched a thundershock into the bush only to receive a loud “Eeep!”. A squirtle shuffled out from his hiding spot, scratching the back of his head. He was the same one that stood hesitantly for a moment the other day. “I was just... uh... wondering what you were doing,” he admitted, his voice wavering between curiosity and nervousness.
“Training,” Axel replied, nodding toward the straw dummy that had seen better days. “Wanna try?”
The squirtle blinked in surprise, glancing between Axel and the battered training dummy. “You mean, like... sparring?”
“Yeah! Unless you’re scared?” Axel’s grin widened, his voice teasing but good-natured.
“I’m not scared!” The turtle huffed, puffing out his chest. “Fine. Let’s do it!”
The two squared off in the center of the clearing, an air of nervous excitement hanging between them. Axel crouched low, his paws shifting uncertainly on the grass. The squirtle mirrored him, his movements stiff and unsure.
Axel lunged first, but his paw slipped on a patch of dew slick grass, sending him stumbling forward. The squirtle flinched, raising his arms defensively, only for Axel to crash into him with a yelp. The two tumbled into a heap, the turtle’s shell clanging lightly against a stray rock.
“Uh... are we doing this right?” The squirtle asked, untangling himself and glancing at Axel with a sheepish grin.
“Probably not,” Axel admitted, laughing as he shook off the dirt. “But we’ll get better. Come on, again!”
The match continued, full of clumsy lunges, misplaced attacks, and bouts of laughter as the two tried to figure out how to fight without tripping over themselves, or each other. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, both were panting and grinning, the awkwardness forgotten in the bloom of a new friendship.
As they sat catching their breath under the shade of a large oak, Axel looked at Skarn, his fur damp with sweat but his eyes shining with something between relief and joy.
“Never actually got your name.”
“Skarn, nice to meet you!”
“Axel, nice to meet you, too!”
Staring at the clear blue sky, with curiosity in mind, Axel asked his new squirtle friend.
“Why aren’t you scared of me, like the others?” he asked, his tone genuine.
Skarn stretched his arms, the sound of twigs crunching beneath him. “I dunno. Guess I just don’t listen to what everyone says. You’re not like the stories, no spooky stuff, no bad luck. You’re just… Axel.”
Axel’s lips quirked into a small smile, his chest puffing slightly. “Well, I’m glad you think that. I could use a friend who doesn’t run away the second I show up.”
Skarn grinned, extending a hand. “Friend it is, then. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you next time.”
Axel bumped the hand with his paw. “I wouldn’t want you to.”
…
"Stay close behind me, we're getting to the end."
Amber Woods, a small mystery dungeon that sprung up from between Serenity Village and Suntouched Forest, held echoes of an ongoing fight. While having the title of a mystery dungeon, Amber Wood was home to mostly small, harmless Pokémon. Such conditions were the perfect place for our young shinx to get his hands on practice about dungeon crawling and hunting from his father.
The absol led the way, followed by Axel. A pair of pidgey jumped out from a nearby tree, commencing an ambush.
The absol swiftly dodged the sweeping flight of the first one, sending a dark aura blade after it. The aura blade collided and the pidgey fell down. He turned around and the other one had been toasted and paralyzed to the ground. Sparks of electricity lingered on Axel's body.
"Good work, son!" He praised, patting on the Shinx's head. "Your fighting skill has indeed improved."
"I did practice a lot," Axel answered sheepishly.
He recalled the times he had fought against the target dummies his father had put up in their backyard. The poor thing was brutally murdered every time with jolts and blade slashes to the point Axel had to make a new one every time his father came to check. For some reason, the young lion really enjoyed the thrill of battle.
The conversation was cut short by more rustling sounds coming from afar. The two raised their alert again and headed towards the exit of the dungeon. The end was not as welcoming for them as a scyther blocked their way. Its eyes were crimson red, a sign of a Berserker.
"Stay here, I-"
The absol could not finish his sentence as Axel had already confronted the berserk scyther. The astonished and terrified look on the absol's face was shadowed by the determination-filled eyes of his son. He knew how strong this creature could potentially be and that just one wrong mistake could end the life of his shinx forever.
"Axel!” the Absol shouted angrily and fearfully.
It was too late to hold his son back. The scyther had spotted the shinx and in a blink of an eye, dashed straight at Axel with its sharp claws held high. The anticipated swift swing from the scyther was avoided by a quick jump from the lion.
Seizing the momentum midair, Axel charged his electric attack from his mouth and fired the beam at the scyther before landing down. The attack landed and knocked the Berserker back a little, leaving a cloud of dust.
The berserk Pokémon would not go down that easily. It got up and lunged at Axel. Axel took a step back. The blade on his head hardened with steel energy as he blocked the slice from the crossed scythes. It was close, very close to being able to hit the shinx.
With a flick movement from his body, Axel parried the assault and then leaped into the air before striking down at the fragile mantis body with the steel blade.
It was fatal damage. The scyther lay dead with a big hole in its body. The fight was not as easy as Axel had imagined, yet he pulled through, panting. His father, who had witnessed the whole fight, was half horrified half proud of how strong a warrior his son was.
Just the other day he was just a little shinx playing behind him. But now, he was capable of taking down the Berserker on his own with his strength. The thought gave the absol a shiver, knowing that his son would most likely charge at another recklessly.
"D-dad, I beat it!" Axel coughed, still trying to breathe properly but a satisfactory smile showed itself clearly on the shinx's face.
Contrary to the proud smile Axel expected he would see from his father, the absol stared at him in disbelief. His fur was slightly spiked up from the rash decision his son had made.
"Do you know how dangerous that thing was?!" Absol’s voice was edged with fear and anger, his usual composure shaken. Axel only scrunched his eyes shut, covering his ears with a pout. "You could have gotten yourself killed!”
“But Dad-”
“I’ve heard enough!”
His heart twisted with a blend of pride and dread. Axel stood before him, head held high, a hint of defiance in his gaze.
“By the stars,” absol thought, “he has the heart of a warrior already, and yet, does he know how close he came to ruin?” His fur prickled with fear as he imagined how swiftly a wrong move could have ended Axel’s young life.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
Said so and he turned away from the shinx. He could hear his son mumbling something but he was too furious to pay attention to it. Axel just followed after the absol with a sad face as they left the dungeon.
...
The dim lights of a pleasant afternoon painted the river just outside of the dungeon with a pale orange hue. They did not call this place Amber Woods for no reason. The bright orange hue from the trees had always resembled that of autumn near this place even if its surroundings had already witnessed the blossoming of the early spring.
The father and son washed themselves after the journey through that place. It was not tough but it surely took their stamina to the test. The absol dived into the cold water, his white fur glittered with silver from the water drops reflecting the sunlight. Still scared from what he had done, yet Axel could not help but stare at his dad in awe, wondering when he could be this majestic and prideful-looking.
The absol caught a glimpse of his son staring at him nonstop and decided to splash the shinx out of playful frustration. He smirked at the sight of a soaked Shinx. Axel, being caught off guard by his dad from the attack, did not yield in the splashing. He pounced at the absol, submerging both of them into the water stream.
Moments later, they just floated on the river surface with Axel lying on his father's belly.
"Are you still mad about me?" Axel asked, looking at the clear blue sky. His head rested on the absol’s fur.
The absol placed his paw on the shinx's head. The little lion reminded him so much about himself in his younger age, boisterous and carefree. He heaved a deep sigh, wondering if he could somehow change this behavior of his son.
"I know I shouldn’t have attacked the scyther like that," Axel whispered. "I just want to test my strength."
The absol stroked gently the head of his son. He was not sure how to react. Parenting was not his strong suit. It was always his mother who knew what to do in these situations. From the bottom of his heart, he spoke.
“I care about you Axel,” he said to his son lovingly. “I let you go in Amber Woods not for you to get stronger or to put yourself in danger like that. Next time, you’ll need to tell me what you want to do before jumping head-first into a fight like that, got it?”
Axel nodded, closing his eyes. The gurgling stream and the rustling leaves dispelled the silence of a peaceful evening.
“It’s getting late, Mom is waiting for us.”
Slowly turning his body, the absol signaled his son to get out of the water as they walked alongside each other to get back to the cottage.
...
"Run! We can't defend them anymore!"
Meanwhile in a far away plain, an army of Berserkers marched steadily towards a half-broken bastion. As much as they could, the Pokémon guarding the place had put up the best fight to push back the relentless waves of the enemy.
Alas, there were too many, and their defense fell. The harrowing cry of the fallen ones resonated across the land, such agony. In his final breath, the general wrote a letter and sent his most trusted soldier away. They needed to get this letter to the Division to let them know about the situation here.
"You have to live! We will carve a path! Go!"
The remaining firepower managed to pierce through the formation of the Berserkers, opening up a way. The message carrier wiped his tears and ran as fast as he could. The general smiled for the last time before collapsing beneath the bloodthirsty Berserkers.
The letter shortly arrived at the Division, and in a flash, all the elite Rescue teams were assembled. Axel's father was a member of the most reputable Rescue team.
There was a lunar eclipse that night. In a cottage within Suntouched Forest, a family of three was enjoying their peaceful night by the cozy fireplace. Suddenly, their door was knocked on. A huffing and puffing jolteon called out the absol's name, delivering him the summoning notice from the Division.
The absol took the letter with trembling paws, his mind racing through the possible dangers. He felt his heart sink, his gaze shifting to his wife and son. The luxray held his gaze, her eyes filled with a silent understanding that spoke louder than any words.
She moved to his side, pressing her forehead to his in a gentle gesture, then wrapped him in a long, quiet hug. “Come back to us,” she whispered. There was no need to say more, both of them knew what could happen out there.
He then turned to signal the jolteon to wait for him briefly. With a heavy heart, his wife had already packed all the things he needed into his strap bag. Within the cold embrace of the night, they set off.
"Mom, where did dad go?" the innocent Axel asked, pulling the tuft of fur on his mother's leg.
He longed after the silhouette of his father fading into the woods. His mother picked him up and put him into his straw bed. She then lay down next to him, stroking gently his soft blue fur.
"He went on a mission," she answered softly. "The Division calls for him."
"He will be back soon right?"
"In a couple of days, I hope. Now, why don't you get closer so I can sing you a lullaby and we can both go to sleep?"
...
The reinforcement arrived as fast as they could. The vanguards went first with the most experienced Explorer teams, brute forcing their way through the corpses of the Berserkers. The enemies were not weak, they were capable of holding back the initial charge of the battalion.
However, with the drum of war resounding on and on, the heated fighting spirit of the whole Division spread like wildfire, empowering all the Pokémon that wished to defend this place. They charged again, and again, and again like an unresting storm that swept through everything.
"Let all of these brainless creatures face the wrath of our Division!"
The Rescue teams scattered through every corner, helping all the injured Pokémon they could find while fending off the few Berserkers that made it past the frontline. Food and bandages were distributed to all the resting camps that the battalion managed to set up.
"Back off you faulty creature!"
"We need help over here, medic, medic!"
The fight went on for days. The battlefield was dust and dirt, all baked under an unrelenting sun. To the Pokémon from the Daybreak Division, it felt more or less like those monster houses in the dungeons they had traversed where danger lurked in every action.
A sour wind swept the stone wall of the bastion and the ground was slick with the recent rain. The Division stood in formation, four rows were all they had and all they ever needed. Their eyes fixed on the path that was paved with blood of the Berserkers. The final horn of war echoed. Their answer had come. They had won the fight... or had they?
As every Pokémon rushed to hug whoever they could find to cheer for the event, a piece of horrific news reached the Division leaders. This was all just a misdirection.
