The city of Ravios had only just begun to stir. Morning sunlight spilled over the rooftops and banners, casting long golden rays across the moss-lined cobblestones. Birds Pokemon chirped lazily in the trees lining the courtyard of the Ravelle Knight Auxiliary Barracks.
Ren stood in silence, dressed not in academy uniform, but in travel-ready armor. His cloak navy blue and silver-trimmed hung neatly from his shoulders, and a travel satchel was strapped at his side.
He reached down to adjust the leather belt holding 4 Poké Balls lucario,Braviary,fraxureand combusken
his most trusted companions. The weight felt familiar, grounding.
"Ren," came a voice from behind.
He turned to see Commander Seris approaching. As always, she moved with a calm, cutting presence, her silver hair swaying slightly in the morning breeze. Her Gallade walked silently beside her, hands folded across its chest like a monk.
"You're early," Seris said.
Ren gave a small nod. "You said first light."
Seris smirked faintly. "And I meant it. That discipline will serve you well at Eastwatch."
Ren's brows lifted slightly. "Is it that dangerous?"
"More... unpredictable," she replied. "Which is why you won't be going alone."
"...hmm?"
Ren's gaze flicked up in surprise.
Footsteps echoed down the stone stairway from the upper gallery.
Two figures emerged. The first was a stocky young man with rust-colored hair, his breastplate neatly polished and emblazoned with a silver crescent. He carried himself like someone trying to appear more confident than he felt.
"Sir Thomas Reddan, junior knight. Reporting in." He gave a crisp salute, then cracked a boyish grin. "And yes, I'm aware this isn't a parade, but my Doublade insists on perfection."
Sure enough, his Poké Ball clicked open as a Doublade floated out two gleaming swords bound by a violet sash, circling him protectively.
"Ren, right?" Thomas asked. "Heard you're something of a prodigy."
Ren didn't reply.
The second figure stepped forward a young woman with dark gray eyes, her black hair tied back in a loose bun. She wore lighter armor and carried a curved dagger at her belt. A Persian followed her at a slow, graceful pace, its pale coat gleaming.
"Lia Varnen," she said. No salute. "Scout class. Not big on talking. Don't slow me down."
Thomas gave her a sidelong glance. "She's friendly once you get past the first three months."
Seris folded her arms. "You three are now assigned to the East Watchtower detachment under Captain Roen. Recent reports suggest wild Pokémon are growing restless, and more have shown purple vein symptoms just like the Tyranitar."
She gestured behind them. "A carriage awaits at the outer gate. You'll ride until the edge of the forest, then travel by foot."
Her Gallade's eyes shimmered. "Do not treat this like an extension of the academy. This is a frontier post. Lives have been lost."
Ren gave a sharp nod. "Understood."
Lia said nothing, but her Persian flexed its claws.
Thomas looked less sure but smiled anyway. "Time to prove we're worth the armor, right?"
---
They left Ravios by midmorning.
The sky stretched endlessly above, blue and bright. The road east was well-kept at first paved stone and lined with signposts but soon gave way to overgrown paths, crumbling shrines, and mossy stone ruins that whispered of battles long forgotten.
Ren rode at the front, his Braviary occasionally soaring overhead for scouting. Lia remained quiet, Persian matching her stride on the forest path. Thomas, meanwhile, tried to strike up a conversation.
"I always figured we'd get sent to some muddy checkpoint," Thomas said. "But Eastwatch? That's close to Soldris Ridge, right? Not many patrols make it out that far."
"It's remote," Ren agreed.
"Think we'll see any corrupted Pokémon?" Thomas asked. "The kind with red eyes? I've heard reports of Ursaring, Gengar even a Charizard near the border."
Ren didn't answer.
Lia suddenly spoke up. "You're the one from Riverleaves? Or something . The commoner who beat all the nobles in class rankings."
Ren blinked at her directness. "...I guess."
"You're stronger than you look," she said, matter-of-fact. "Good."
That was the closest thing to a compliment Ren had received from her.
By nightfall, they made camp in a grove of old trees. The stone remnants of a broken watchpost served as cover, and Braviary perched above to keep watch. Lia's Persian nestled in the shadows, eyes constantly scanning for movement.
Doublade hovered beside Thomas as he stirred stew over a small flame.
"So," Thomas asked, "how'd you get Lucario? Must've been one heck of a bond."
Ren sat nearby, sharpening his sword. Lucario sat cross-legged beside him, calmly meditating.
"We trained together from the start," Ren said. "Back in Riverleaf. He was a Riolu then."
"Must've taken years."
"It did."
Lia was inspecting her dagger, but her gaze occasionally flicked to Ren's Lucario. She said nothing.
Thomas, though, continued. "Doublade used to be a Honedge. Found it near a battlefield memorial when I was ten. Thought it was haunted at first," he laughed. "Turned out it was just... picky."
Ren actually smirked at that.
Later, after everyone else had turned in, Ren stayed awake beside the embers. His eyes watched the fire, but his thoughts were far away.
Lucario sat beside him, aura pulsing faintly.
'Seris didn't just send me here to watch from a tower,' Ren thought.
'She wants to see if I'm ready. To lead. To protect.'
His fingers closed around the edge of his scarf .
"I won't let her down. Not her… not Mila… not myself."
---
Next morning
The sun was just starting to crest over the forest canopy when the group resumed their journey. A chill wind drifted down from the east one that smelled of mountain air, pine, and distant storms. Ren tugged his scarf up against the breeze, eyes locked on the winding trail ahead.
They had been walking for nearly two hours without trouble. The forest had thinned a little, and patches of rocky outcrops jutted from the hillside like broken teeth. Birds chirped faintly in the trees above, but there was something uneasy in the silence. Even Braviary, circling above, seemed unsettled.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
"It's too quiet…" he muttered
Lia's Persian suddenly froze, hackles raised.
Ren and Thomas immediately stopped.
"Ambush," Lia said flatly.
The warning came just in time.
From the treeline to the left, three crimson-eyed Pokémon burst forth a Scyther, a Pangoro, and a Mightyena, eyes glowing an eerie blood-red, veins just beneath the skin faintly pulsing purple.
"Contact!" Ren barked, stepping back and drawing a Poké Ball.
The trio moved fast.
"Let's spread out keep them from grouping!" Thomas shouted, stepping to the right and calling out, "Doublade, on me!"
The twin-bladed Pokémon emerged in a shimmer of violet steel, spinning once before hovering at Thomas's side.
Lia made a clicking noise with her tongue. "Persian. With me."
Her feline partner sprang forward with eerie silence, already circling the Mightyena.
Ren reached down to his belt. "Not Lucario this time…"
He pulled a different Poké Ball.
"Combusken. Go!"
The Fire-type exploded from the ball in a flash of light, landing in a crouch and immediately letting out a defiant cry, fire flaring around its claws.
"Let's go, Combusken," Ren muttered. "Time to prove yourself."
Mightyena lunged, jaws wide. Persian darted aside gracefully, its body a blur of sleek movement.
"Fake Out," Lia called.
Persian's paw blurred, slapping the Mightyena across the face with a sharp crack enough to stun it mid-attack.
"Now, Slash!"
Dark energy curled around Persian's claws, and it raked them across Mightyena's flank. The corrupted canine yelped, then spun with surprising speed, launching a counterattack with Bite.
Persian twisted away, barely nicked.
--
Scyther darted across the field like green lightning, twin blades gleaming.
"Parry and bind!" Thomas shouted.
Doublade spun defensively, catching both of Scyther's strikes with its twin hilts. Sparks flew.
"Sacred Sword!"
Doublade's hilts glowed with white-gold light. It slashed in a cross-pattern, striking Scyther cleanly in the midsection and sending it tumbling back.
Scyther hissed, then zipped into the air with alarming speed.
"Watch the wings!" Thomas warned.
---
Pangoro was the larger of the three and easily the most dangerous. It barreled toward Ren like a charging boulder, crimson eyes wild.
"Double Kick, Combusken!"
Combusken launched forward, spinning and slamming both legs into Pangoro's chest. The big Pokémon slid back, but not far.
It roared and countered with Hammer Arm, swinging one tree-trunk-sized arm.
"Dodge and Ember!"
Combusken rolled under the blow, then exhaled a burst of fire at Pangoro's back. The flames hit, singing fur, but Pangoro spun with a bellow, grabbing a boulder and hurling it.
Ren's eyes widened. "Quick Attack, now!"
Combusken zipped aside, narrowly avoiding the crashing stone.
"Keep moving!" Ren barked. "Stay mobile chip away!"
---
All three battles raged on at once. Lia was gracefully weaving Persian in and out of range, targeting pressure points. Thomas and Doublade fought like a choreographed pair of knights, defending and countering with textbook precision.
But it was Ren's fight that drew the most danger.
Pangoro wasn't just strong it was furious, eyes wild with rage. Its body pulsed with the same corrupted energy seen in the Tyranitar. Every blow it threw shook the ground.
"Double Kick again!"
Combusken darted in, kicked once,twice then leapt back.
"Follow with Flame Charge!"
Combusken ignited and surged forward, cloaked in fire, slamming into Pangoro's ribs.
It wasn't enough.
Pangoro grabbed Combusken mid-tackle and slammed it into the ground.
Ren gasped. "Combusken!"
His partner struggled up, bruised but not down.
Ren's teeth clenched. His aura flickered faintly around his shoulders. He kept it in check.
'Trust your partner. You both need this.'
"Use Peck, aim for the eyes!"
Combusken flared forward, ducking under a swing and jabbing its beak at Pangoro's face. It connected and Pangoro reeled back, stunned.
"Now finish it! Flame Charge!"
A second burst of fire, stronger this time, exploded from Combusken's feet as it rocketed forward and landed a burning punch to Pangoro's chest.
With a final grunt, the beast toppled down.
---
The other two battles had wrapped up by then. Doublade had cleanly knocked out Scyther after a well-timed Iron Head, and Lia's Persian stood atop the fallen Mightyena, flicking its tail in annoyance.
Thomas let out a long breath. "Whew… That was not fun."
He looked to Ren. "You've got command presence, you know that? That Combusken of yours fights like it's got something to prove."
Ren nodded quietly. "It does."
Lia returned Persian to its ball and glanced at Ren, eyes unreadable. She said nothing, but she lingered just a second longer than usual before turning away.
---
The trio continued, slower now. The fight had left them winded.
As they crested a ridge, the East Watchtower came into view an old but well-maintained stone spire with a circular battlement at the top. Surrounding it were smaller barracks, supply depots, and fenced training yards.
And beyond it, in the far distance, rising high above the cloudline like a spear piercing the sky
Soldris Peak.
Even from this far away, it loomed.
Jutting into the heavens, its snow-covered summit wrapped in swirling mist, like a guardian silently watching over Elvaris.
"...That's Soldris," Thomas said, awe in his voice. "I never imagined it would be so huge."
Lia nodded slowly. "They say legends sleep inside its caves."
Ren stood quietly, gazing at the mountain.