Zeiryu City...the City of Hope. It is the only city remaining in Kanto that had not been destroyed or taken over. It stands directly on the ruins of Cerulean City, directly in sight of Saffron City, Team Rockets home and base. A rippling, clear shield surrounds it, in a dome shape. No Andros can penerate this barrier. Therefore, it is safe. It is whare all the survivors go if they do not want to move to the safety of Johto, Hoenn, or the distant Orre.
It is massive, and far outstrips the famed Celdadon City in terms of size. The center of Zeiryu is Zeiryu Academy, where the young enlist when they are twelve, and remain until they are seventeen, training for war with their recieved pokemon. This particular academy is where our story truly unfolds...
The large room bustled with the sounds of students talking and laughing. Forks and knives clattered on plates, while chairs scraped the floor. The students pokemon were also there, so it was controlled chaos.It was dinnertime, although the sun had not set yet. The teachers and the headmaster ate at their own table, discussing battle tactics and the like. In a quiet corner, a girl sat alone at a small table. Her dull greyish brown hair fell over icy, eerie blue eyes. Eyes that held a haunted, almost feral look. Old scars shone dully on her pale, ivory-skinned arms. She wore a simple bluish-black skirt with a white shirt, over which she wore a black jacket. She had no pokemon, for she only worked at the academy, sweeping classrooms in exchange for a room and food. Serra dully pushed the food around her plate but not eating them. A lot had happened to her in the two years since that fateful day she had awoken, bloodstained and shivering, in that blackened crater. None of them were good.
The students quieted as the headmaster stood up, clearing his throat and raising a hand for attenion.
Students, it is my pleasure to inform you we have a special visitor. May I present to you Aeris Skygale, the Champion of Johto!
The doors swung open, and a young blonde woman walked in. As Serra and the other students craned their heads, getting a better look, the woman waved and bowed, smiling prettily. She wore jeans and a dark green army vest over a white long-sleeved shirt. At her belt hung four Pokeballs.
Serra was startled to notice that Aeris looked about eighteen, a mere two years older than her. Aeris went over to the buffet and heaped food on her plate, then turned around, searching for a table to sit at. All the male students immediately shifted to make room, hoping the beautiful Champion would sit at their table. Aeris walked through the room, weaving her way around the myriad tables. Serra, who had gone back to picking at her meal, was atonished when the Champion plopped herself at the space opposite her. A unison of sullen muttering rose at this from the other students. Ingoring them, Aeris greeted Serra.
Hello! Whats your name?
Uh...S-Serra, madam.
Aeris chuckled merrily. Oh, dont call me madam! It makes me feel old!
Serra, flustered, apologized. Aeris shook her head. Dont worry. Say, whats your Pokemon?
Serra looked down. Im not a student. I only work here in exchange for a room and food.
Oh, I see! Well, would you like to meet my team?
Smiling, Serra nodded. Aeris looked around, checking that there was a good deal of space.
Then she activated her four Pokeballs.
Meet Maverick, Skyfang, Fury and Bruiser!
Tototototototo! Tot-a-diiiiii!
Eeeeeeroda! Dac dac Aerodactyl!
TAAAAAAUUUUR! Taur taur roooos!
Keeeeeeng!! Nido nido keeeeeeng!
At the head table, the headmaster chuckled as he watched Serra from afar, chatting with Aeris and her partners.
Its so good to see Serra socializing. She was always a very sad, quiet girl. Ill never forget that day when she appeared at our door half a year ago...Shivering in that terrible blizzard, barely any warm clothes, with only a small bag of belongings...and those bruises..she must have been through hell, though I never asked. How could I turn her out, especially with these frozen tears shining on her face...and that terrible, scared look on her face....reflected the headmaster.
After dinner, as she parted with Aeris, each waving happily and calling goodbyes, Serra felt something she had not felt since that day two years ago...happiness. Aeris was staying at the Red Bull, a nearby inn. However, Serra had a private room in the girls dormitories. As Serra walked down the path to the dormitories, she hummed quietly. Dry leaves crackled behind her. Stiffening, she whirled around, and blanched. Three male students walked towards her, and she knew them. Sneering, blond Matt was the leader, while Drake and Rowan were his ringleaders. Drake was brownhaired and beefy, and had a consant face of slack dullness. Rowan was small, lean and wiry, and excellent at weaseling his way out of unfavorable situations. All three were hated and feared by the younger students, for they were all seventeen, therefore the top dogs. And those three were bearing down on her, obiviously intending her harm. Serra turned to run, but too late, they had caught up with her. Drake gripped Serras left arm painfully, while Rowan held the other. Matts hot breath hissed into Serras right ear, and she flinched.
So you think you can suck up to Aeris Skygale, *****? Youll pay! Take her to the warehouses, guys!
Matt clasped a hand over Serras mouth, muffling her shrieks. Together, the three of them dragged Serra to a series of warehouses next to the dorms. The warehouses were mostly empty, but were used to store unneeded crates and metal tools and the like. Selecting the middle warehouse, they opened the door and dragged Serra in.
Lets have some fun, shall we? snarled Matt.
Matt slammed the door, and the room was plunged into darkness. One of the boys flipped a switch, and the single lightbulb hanging from the roof flickered to life, giving off weak yellow light. Drake threw Serra forcibily, and she slammed into the wall, knocking down crates, then sank to the floor, moaning in pain. She was roughly picked up and slammed against the floor, and her head banged painfully on the metal floor. A gash opened on the side of her head, bleeding steadily.Ingoring the girls pleas to stop, the three boys activated each of their pokeballs. The dim room flared with light three times as Matts Raichu, Drakes Machoke, and Rowans Marowak appeared in succession. The three pokemon stared at the bleeding girl, no emotion appearing on their blank faces. With a nod from their grinning masters, the three pokemon attacked in unison. The Raichu unleased a Thunderbolt, and Serra shrieked as a thousand volts coursed through her body.The Machoke and Marowak pummeled the girls fragile ribs with fists and bone club, ingoring the her sobs of pain.
Aeris had barely settled down on her bed when Maverick leaped out of his Pokeball, shrilling and dancing. He was obiviously agitated about something. Alarmed, Aeris calmed down the frightened blue reptile.
Maverick, shh. Its all right. Whats wrong?"
Its totodaa Serrototodaaa!! Shes intodato troubledile! The warehouses! Totodile toto to to!She needs you tota tota diiile! cried the Totodile, jumping up and down to emphasize his words. The girl only half understood the Totodile's garbled half-English, but she got the gist.
Aeris didnt even stop to ask Maverick how he knew. Leaping from her bed, she grabbed her bow and slung the quivers over her shoulder. In the quiver were ten iron arrows. Their tips were barbed, capable of punching through Andros armor like a knife through butter. Wasting no time, she ran outside, Maverick clinging to her shoulder gamely. Aeris activated another pokeball, and Fury bellowed as he appeared in a flash of dazzling light. Leaping onto the Tauros back with practiced ease, she commanded the huge Tauros to run. Hooves thundered and flung up dirt as Fury took off.
When the three pokemon withdrew, exhausted, Serra was barely conscious. She bled from multiple cuts, and her ribs were badly fractured in several places. Black and purple bruises had appeared, in stark contrast to her pale skin. As the bleeding girl lay prone on the floor, tears slid down her cheeks, the Raichu, Machoke and Marowak glowed and were recalled to their pokeballs. Matt knelt next to the girl, a smirk on his face. Grabbing Serras hair, he yanked it, forcing her head up. Serra cringed as Matt stared coldly into her face, then flipped her over on her back, and pulled off her jacket, grinning smugly as he did so.
Serra felt boiling rage erupt within her. Not again! She had sworn to herself that she would not allow this to happen again. All rational thought was washed away in a torrent of cold, black fury. Deep in the core of her mind, something opened....and whispers of forgotten things surfaced briefly.
The strange girl sat up with such force, Matt jumped back, atonishment registering on his features. Slowly, deliberately, Serra rose to her feet, her eyes sparking with wrath. Matt was too shocked to observe that Serras normally icy blue eyes had become an eerie jade.How could she stand up after a beating like that? It was impossible....impossible! Matt thought fearfully as he backed away.
Serra opened her mouth, and to all three boys horror, large fangs glistened ivory in the dim light. There was a slight ripping sound, and the skin on Serras back bulged, stretching and rippling. There was another ripping sound this time, only louder as large, leathery bat-like wings erupted from her back. They slowly stretched and settled.
Aeris leaped off Furys back and thanked him as she recalled him. Running towards the row of warehouses, she suddenly stopped. Unsure of which warehouse to pick, Aeris looked around. She heard the distant roar of a dragon from the warehouse closest to them.
A dragon pokemon? wondered Aeris, puzzled and cautiously walking towards the warehouse. There was a boom, then a flash as the warehouse exploded in a torrent of blue dragon fire. Aeris was flung back by the sheer force of the explosion. Landing and rolling agilely, she leaped back to her feet. Shielding her face from the heat, Aeris ran towards the warehouse. She would never forget what she was soon to witness...
A silhouette of a girl appeared among the raging fires. Heat waves shimmered and rippled, distorting her figure, but Aeris recongized her insantly.
Serra! Are you okay? Stay there! Im coming! yelled Aeris. The figure turned, and Aeris was about to shout something when she stopped, staring thunderstruck. Huge wings unfolded from the figure with a snap, and the figure took off. Serra sailed through the air, and landed in front of Aeris, before staggering and falling. Her wings glowed and disappeared. Aeris ran to Serra and knelt, horrified at the sheer brutality of her wounds.
Serra..who..who did this to you? asked Aeris, her voice thick with rage. Maverick leaped from her shoulder, cheeping worriedly and licking at Serras wounds, trying to cleanse them with squirts of water. Serra could only cough weakly, then her eyes closed slowly. Her body went limp in Aeris arms as she lost consciousness. Maverick squealed an warning and Aeris snapped her head up. Another faint silhouette appeared among the roaring flames, and a badly burned Matt staggered out, a large metal pipe in his hand.
Ill kill you both. rasped the half-crazed boy, raising his weapon as he advanced.
Aeris took action. With silent effiency, she drew an arrow on her bow and raised it. Taking aim, she fired, the arrow hissing through the air like an angry viper. Matt jerked and fell, the arrow sticking out of his forehead. As he hit the ground, he shuddered briefly, then went silent, the pipe rolling out of his limp hand. By this time, people had come running.
Oh my god! What happened?
She needs an ambulance. Someone call the hospital!
By the time the wailing ambulance had arrived and Serra was safely on a stretcher, the dying fires of the warehouse continued to burn steadily, a stark reminder of what had taken place.
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