Chapter 2 [Wings Of (the) Dawn]

Chapter 2

“Well sir, you certainly do have all your papers in order…”

“So… Does that mean I’m hired?”

“Well, I…”

“Is it my resume?”

“No, no, it’s fine. Just that it’s a little, too good to be true. I mean, we never expected a replacement candidate just a few minutes after Satou-sensei left… And certainly not someone with qualifications like yours…”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“No, no, it’s perfectly fine… Well, I guess I have no reason to deny you this job, so, welcome to the crew!”

Gabriel simply smiled.

“Oh, and uh, Gabriel-sensei, your first lesson is about to begin soon, if you’d just follow me…”

“Oh, it’s okay, I know the way.”

“Oh, you do?” asked Headmaster Tanaka, rather taken aback.

Gabriel just smiled reassuringly and made his way down the corridor.

“Foreigners… They’re strange bunch,” sighed the Headmaster, shaking his head.

 

“I heard they’re replacing Satou-sensei!”

“Well, I heard there’s going to be a new transfer student!”

“What?!”

“No kidding? A girl or a guy?”

“Ha, that’s the best part. I heard it’s a girl!”

“Woohoo! I hope she’s hot!”

“Well, you won’t believe what I heard…”

“I didn’t know there was a transfer student, did you?” asked Rowan as he and Hiroki strolled into class.

“Nope.”

“I sense an impending swarm of desperate schoolboys.”

“You know, this time you could actually pretend to be interested. People are going to start thinking you’re gay…”

“Good morning class! Return to your seats now. Or else.”

“Hey! It’s the new Philosophy teacher!”

“Is that an iPod Nano?”

“Woah, I wish I had one of those!”

“Well, class, I think an introduction is in order. Two actually. Yoake-san? Can you please come in?”

“I knew her name was beautiful!”

“You’d have said that whatever her name was wouldn’t you…”

“This, class, is Yoake-san. She’s the transfer student. Now for some ground rules. Whatever you do, if you think I won’t like it, either don’t do it, or do it discreetly. But I must warn you that my observational skills are rather sharp.”

Gabriel looked pointedly at two boys at the far left corner, who sheepishly hid a rather suspicious looking comic book.

“That’s all. Today being my first lesson with you all, it will be a free period. I will simply observe and perhaps get to know the class better in the process.”

Sitting at the teacher’s table, Gabriel simply put on his iPod earphones and relaxed.

The class was rather stunned for a moment, but it did not take long for them to realize he was serious, and immediately the class exploded into a flurry of conversation.

“Yoake-san, would you like to sit next to me? I have an empty seat right here!”

“Um, okay.”

Rowan couldn’t help but notice she was directly in front of him, but tried to avoid conversation, but to no avail.

“Hello, you’re a foreigner right? You can just call me Dawn,” she said.

“Uh, yeah. Okay,” replied Rowan rather lamely, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Hiroki.

“He’s Rowan, and I’m Hiroki. He’s a little anti-social,” said Hiroki teasingly.

“Shut up, Hiroki. Or I’ll make you.”

“Did I mention he has violent tendencies?”

“Hiroki… I’m not kidding.”

“Alright, you two have a good chat okay? I want to play bridge with the others,” said Hiroki, winking as he left.

Rowan just groaned.

It was going to be one really long period.

Chapter 2 [Manyula: Spawn of Evil]

Chapter Two: Slicer
Behind a steely, cold, icy exterior lays a frail and fragile soul. As weak and fearful as any other. The brave are merely good pretenders.

Even the bravest person will fall. Even the bravest person has doubts.

Even the bravest person, needs to feel loved.

Slicer fumed.

Competition.

He hated it. Unless he was the threat.

Never had he in all his years of working for Manyula, had Slicer ever been threatened. And now this puny Ralts made his appearance, and became a greater threat to him than even the most highly trained assassin.

That Ralts was weak.

And yet he could not even touch that Ralts.

For in Manyula, that Ralts was strong.

Manyula would never ever let him get close enough. He knew Slicer would take the opportunity. To kill.

Frustrated, he smashed his monitor screen with his invulnerable metallic claw.

Crud. He had to get a replacement again.

Meanwhile, Manyula had confirmed his beliefs. Having questioned the Ralts thoroughly, he was sure. That Ralts was a survivor. Now he just had to see how affected he was by the incident.

“Now. Dean. I’d like to… Take a blood sample.”

“Ah, okay, a… Wait. A WHAT?!”

“Calm down.”

“What’s the blood sample for?!”

“You need not know. Yet.”

Dean was silent.

“What a strange guy,” he thought.

“Okay… Just… Just. Be quick about it.”

Manyula laughed.

After taking the blood sample, Ralts was very, very woozy. Clearly his fear of needles was very overpowering.

Waiting for him to make his exit, Manyula than ran the DNA tests. The results shocked him.

“He received more exposure than I thought,” he mumbled.

Dean’s stats were not only perfect. They were beyond perfect. His stats were perfect and boosted five times over. Though nothing compared to Manyula’s own twenty-five times boosted perfect stats, he could see that Dean was no ordinary survivor. Manyula actually felt…

Unnerved.

Unnerved? No. He was never unnerved. But he could tell. If anyone ever defeated him, it would be Dean. But Dean was five times weaker. So the possibility… Just did not exist. But this reality… It made him think. The highest stat boost he had seen in an exposed one was three times. Dean’s perfect stats were boosted five times. Almost twice that of the previous one he had seen. And Dean. He was the only one who lived other than him. And all this made him think. How if there was yet another that lived? What if that one was equal to him? Or worse. Even more powerful. He shook the thought out of his head. Dean would be his second general. He would train him personally. He would be his pawn. A mere pawn to be sacrificed in a much, much, larger game.

Checkmate. You lose.

Aruseus…

Chapter 1 [Kiyoshi: A Journey on the Border of Good and Evil]

Chapter 1 

The blizzard’s intensity increased greatly, and would leave most shaking in cold and with a bad bout of hypothermia, but for Kiyoshi this was nothing. Years of training on this desolate mountain had made him immune to such cold and the thin atmosphere, and even that was nothing compared to the icy wastelands that were his heart. He had left everything behind him that day when he burned what was once his home.

Or so they said. To Kiyoshi, it was no home. It was but a temporary shelter for him to reside in until he finally outgrew it, to display the cunning he had learnt from the ninja academy. How ironic that they were destroyed by the very same powers that made them strong!

He had learnt much from them, but what gratitude would he have to a bunch of murderers? He himself knew that if he ever got captured on a job, he would not expect mercy or empathy for them either. That was the way he lived. Now in a way, he directed his inner hatred for the cause of good.

Working as a mercenary for the World Security Organization. On the surface, the WSO was a peacekeeping organization behind the “diplomatic” solutions to threats posed by other organizations that abused the power of Pokemon for their own ends, such as the Aqua/Magma threat of years ago.

But underneath the facade of pacifism and peaceful diplomacy, the WSO had an unknown number of mercenaries under its employ. Their paychecks funded by the so-called defense budget. Kiyoshi smirked, envisioning the expressions of certain taxpayers if they knew where their money was going.

Typically the WSO never sent them on “death jobs”. Most assignments involved merely breaking in, and in the boss’s words, “claiming what is supposed to be ours anyway”. And of course there were also the almost daily recon missions. Kiyoshi himself had many experiences with the common two jobs, and had never actually been assigned to a “death job”.

At any rate, even if one day he did get assigned to one, unlike most of the other mercenaries, he had no nagging conscience to hold him back. He had been trained in the ninja academy to feel nothing. Lack of emotion was the key, along with numbness to pain and hardship, to the door of success. The same was also important in the training of one’s Pokemon.

Naturally in recent years such a view would be considered as unorthodox, with top trainers swearing by it. Then again, most of these trainers were in reality weak, and only made it to the top by pure luck, as well as the fact that everyone else practiced the “kindness” method. However, one century earlier, such focused training was the norm, and anyone practicing the “kindness” method would be ridiculed. 

Kiyoshi had no idea how it had changed. Trainers practicing the kindness method typically were completely ignorant of the finer aspects of battling. If one spoke of effort values, or natures, and sometimes embarrassingly, even type match-ups, practitioners of the kindness method would simply shrug in confusion. They had absolutely no knowledge of where true power originated. 

The mechanical side to the art of battling had been completely lost in a hundred years. Or almost at least. Still practitioners of the mechanical method survived, and it was from then whom Kiyoshi learned these lost arts. 

He looked to his Pokemon, a Weavile, Combusken and a Glaceon. They had done well enough, if not far better than most Pokemon their level, he had spent all these years on increasing their effort values to the limit, and finally he was done. They were ready for anything the outside world could throw at them.

“We’re trekking down, it’s time.”

Chapter 1 [Wings Of (the) Dawn]

Chapter 1

“No!”

“Dawn, it’s not like I’m banishing you…”

“Yeah, it’s not, it’s just a ‘nicer’ way of doing it.”

“Gabriel, don’t just stand there, help me talk some sense into her!”

Archangel Gabriel just sighed, Dawn was just impossible, she had made her mind up, and there was no changing of it.

“Gabriel…”

“Yes, yes, uh, Dawn, you must realize that all we’re suggesting here, is you spend 1000 days on earth and see if you might like it there, if you don’t, you can always come back.”

Dawn just pouted.

“How about this, if you listen and go to earth for a thousand days, assuming you don’t like it, when you come back you’ll get first priority on the dawn chariots for the next century, and if you like it, then staying on earth will be your reward! It’s a win-win situation! How about it?”
Dawn did not even take a moment to consider.

“You mean it?”

“Yes. If you go.”

“It’s a deal.”

Dawn was ecstatic.

“I’ll go pack!”

“Uh, Dawn, you can’t bring anything down with you.”

“Not even the harp?”

“Not even the harp.”

“How about my wings? Can I keep my wings?”

“Sorry Dawn, you can’t. I’m sure you can do without them for a thousand days…”

Dawn nodded sadly and went to pack.

“She’s going to just sneak her wings along with her isn’t she?”

God just sighed.

“I think she can be trusted to keep them well hidden.”

“Still, I think I should follow her to earth. You know how she has a knack for trouble,” said Gabriel.

“Yes, yes, very true,” said God, laughing.

“And what do you plan to go as?”

Gabriel just smiled.

 

“We need a new teacher for Philosophy, Headmaster…”

“Why is that?”

“The old guy just started laughing and resigned.”

“Weird.”

“I know.”

 

Rowan sighed. Sometimes Rowan wondered if anything was constant or real in this world. A world where reality was relative, where truth was not necessarily right. A fallen world, where light could very well be darkness, for no one knew what truly was the light.

He had more than his fair share of changes, or at least he perceived it that way. Orphaned, adopted, sent abroad, orphaned again. It had been said that all things worked together for good. And he certainly hoped so.

It was late winter; the sky had just begun to show signs of spring. Snowfall had been steadily decreasing. Rowan was somewhat happier. It wasn’t so much that he hated winter. Rather, he feared what it might bring. And the memories that winter reminded him of.

He did not want to lose everything again.

At least it can only get better from now, he thought.

“Hey! Rowan!”

“Oh, hello Hiroki-kun.”

Hiroki was one person Rowan did not want to lose. His very first friend, his only true friend really. Others to him were mere acquaintances. Rowan was wary in committing himself to a relationship. People usually regarded him as weird. An ‘anti-social hermit’ they said.

Once he would be sure he would never allow anyone else into his life, but now, he had learned not to exclude even the near impossible.

I’ve been wrong once, he thought, as he idly conversed with Hiroki.

Chapter 1 [Manyula: Spawn of Evil]

10 years later…

Chapter One: Dean
Assumptions. Reality. Can we trust our experiences? Or has even that too, been claimed by the slippery clutch of stereotypes?

“Lord Manyula.”

The same Sneasel, now a fully evolved Weavile, was looking across the exact same sea he had swum ten years ago. Looking at a rock, the very same one he had swum towards ten years ago. Standing, on a cliff. Just as he had done many, many, many, times ten years ago. Coming out of his reverie, clearly annoyed by this interruption, he averted his gaze, and spoke into his ear transceiver.

“Yes, General Slicer?”

“Latios is taken care of.”

“So. Latias… Isn’t?”

“I… We… Well. Actually. Um… Hmmmm.”

“Well?”

“Latias, well, yes, regrettably she has not been… Disposed of.”

“I see.”

General Slicer, a Scizor, pondered carefully. One wrong word and it could land him in very serious trouble indeed. “What Lord Manyula wants, he gets. Or else,” he thought.

“My troops are in position and ready…” he hesitated, “If you so wish… We could move in.”

Lord Manyula remained silent. He had wanted an underground job. Quick. Sneaky. Untraceable. Clearly it could not be done now.

“No.”

“I’m sorry, sir?”

“No. Recall your troops. Turn back to headquarters. Now.”

“Yes, sir.”

General Slicer cringed. Lord Manyula did not sound pleased at all.

Lord Manyula made his way back to his headquarters. There was much to be done. Entering his office, he sat down and closed his eyes. He decided that Plan B was to be carried out. He sighed and slouched back into his seat. They ought to be back soon.

Wait.

Immediately he was alert. An intruder. He detected the presence of an intruder. But this was no ordinary intruder. No. This intruder… It had a distinct aura.

The intruder was like him.

Slightly weaker, but yet…
He waited.

Before spinning around, claws pointed right at the heart of…

A Ralts.

Manyula was shocked. Had he been wrong? No… He could most definitely detect the aura around this Ralts. It was a survivor. But that was impossible! Or was it? No one else could have survived it! No one! At least, he thought so. But now, everything he believed was shaken. He wasn’t sure of anything now. As he pondered, the Ralts slowly turned his head back towards him.

“Boy did you scare me. For a moment, I thought you were going to kill me!”

“I was.”

The Ralts appeared uncomfortable. Manyula lowered his claw.

“Name.”

“I’m Dean! Glad to meet you!”

Manyula was taken aback by the Ralts openness.

“Lord Manyula!”

“For once! Could you not kneel?” snapped Manyula.

“Yes my lord,” said General Slicer, rising.

Then he saw Dean.

“You! That Ralts over there! Did I not tell you to fix that coffee maker in Room B-14?”

“Y-y-yes-s. Sir.”

“Well then get to it!”

“Yes! Um, Sir!”

Dean made himself scarce.

“Wait!”
It was Manyula.

Slicer looked up, confused.

“Dean, I want to have a word with you later. Forget the coffee maker. Wait outside while I converse with General Slicer.”

“Yes! … Sir!”

As he exited, Slicer asked Manyula, “Why?”

Lord Manyula looked at him, and said simply, “He’s a survivor. Like me.”

“What?”

Slicer was stunned.

“I never expected any others either. Slicer.”

Slicer appeared uneasy.

Manyula laughed, “But don’t worry Slicer. You’re still staying a General. Though you might soon have a partner…”

Slicer still seemed to be unconvinced.

“I can’t make you believe me Slicer. But I have supreme faith in you. And I hope you trust me as much. Now come. I have a new plan that we are to execute…

Chapter 0: Prologue [Wings of (the) Dawn]

Prologue

Anytime now, thought Rowan.

And it came.

At first it was nothing, just a little glint at the very edge of the horizon, the sky was a beautiful orange-red, the light seemingly seeping out from sky, trickling slowly as water would from a stream, eventually the sun emerged in a burst of brilliance.

Rowan sighed. Sunrises were one of his few escapes from the harsh realities of living. Sometimes, he wondered how many sunrises he had left, and when he did, sometimes, he wondered if his life had any meaning at all…

Was it his imagination, or was someone waving at him, somewhere up in the heavens…

Chapter 0: Prologue [Kiyoshi: A Journey on the Border of Good and Evil]

Prologue

Kiyoshi laid down the unconscious body of Willow on the ground, with much relief concluding that he was not yet dead. His Weavile behind him seemed to heave a similar sigh of relief as he examined a fallen Donkarasu. Kiyoshi quickly rushed him to a nearby inn, his Weavile following with the Donakrasu in his arms, as the wooden building behind them collapsed, turning into naught but a heap of glowing embers.

Chapter 0: Prologue [Manyula: Spawn of Evil]

Manyula: Spawn of Evil
Part 1: A Darkness in the Light.
Because everything is relative…

Prologue
Can we ever tell evil from good? And is what is good necessarily right? Or is evil necessarily wrong? If that is so, then must we open our minds before saying what is good and evil?

Or will we forever be stuck with the stereotypes. Will we mistake good for evil? Or vice versa?

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

It had begun to drizzle lightly, awaking a young Sneasel, who promptly groaned. He had overslept. Yet again.

Rousing himself, he exited his cave and leaped off a cliff, into the sea. Swimming frantically towards a rugged rock. A rock that was the last fading remainder of a once great continent…

End of Prologue

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