Shattered, Part Three

    "What the hell are you doing? Hurry up and get those sails unfurled! We've gotta catch the wind and get away from these damned raiders! Move it!"

    The afternoon sun blazed as it sank lower beyond the horizon, painting the sky and clouds multiple shades of red, orange, and yellow. A few of the brighter stars were able to be spotted as dusk drew near, and along with it the darkness of the night which would be illuminated by the crescent moon which was also visible, waiting for the bright orange ball to flee from the heavens and take up its place in the night sky. A strong breeze blew through the air as the night approached, and a few sea birds flew upon it, ready to take their last-minute hunting trips before making their way back to land.

    Down on the high seas, however, a more violent scene was unfolding. Two small trading vessels and one large brigantine sliced through the waves as six vessels -- two of them were earlier confirmed to be Gailamirian cogs, and the rest were brigs of unknown origin (more than likely mercenaries) -- pursued them. There were four ships in the Aetherian trading fleet, which included the two carracks whose crews were now attempting to flee for their lives; a third carrack which had been rendered dead in the water and subsequently boarded; and an armed brigantine which had been sunk when the hostile ships overpowered the lone escort and sent it to the bottom. With two ships down, the raiders now focused their attention on the last remaining vessels. Two of the mercenary brigs were closing in on their helpless targets, their crews prepping the cannons to expertly hit the main masts of the vessels to render them helpless in the water so that the Gailamirians onboard the two cogs could board them and take their supplies and crew to sell for profit.

    The Gallade captain of one of the remaining carracks was doing everything he could to try and keep his crew from panicking while trying to keep himself calm as well, but it was nearly impossible at a time like this. The enemy ships had come out of nowhere, and their numbers had made quick work of their escort as well as caused one of the trade ships to be raided of their goods and crew. Now, with their sights set on his ship, the Psychic-Fighting type had no choice but to pick a deity and pray that the winds would carry his ship and his fellow captain's ship away from the attackers and into the safety of Aether's waters where the coastal cannons would make short work of the enemy. His prayers had apparently fallen on deaf ears for the two hostile ships were coming towards them at high speed. Soon they would be within cannon range. Soon, their ships would be rendered dead in the water. Soon, the Gailamirians would board them, killing those who would resist, and enslaving those who did not. Their cargo would be taken, and the survivors would be whisked away to lands and fates unknown.

    He shook these thoughts from his head and growled as he gripped the wheel tighter. He would be damned if those blasted raiders got to his ship and his crew! He had to keep them safe. He had to somehow lose their pursuers. Somehow...

    "Captain! We're in range of their cannons!" shouted an Ivysaur as she pointed frantically in the direction of one of the brigs. As if on cue, there was the distant sound of cannon fire from that direction.

    "Oh gods, please protect us," the Gallade spoke under his breath as he readied to put the ship into a hard turn to the starboard side. "Hard starboard! Brace yourselves!"

    He threw the wheel to the right as hard as he could, causing it to spin at a blinding pace. The ship listed hard in the opposite direction as it turned to the right. Moments later, four splashes hit the water near the ship, sending geysers of water up into the air and showering the crew of the ship. They had missed being hit, but only barely.

    The second carrack was not so lucky. When the second brig had fired, it scored direct hits on the ship's rudder and mast. The thick, vertical shaft of wood folded near the halfway point, and its sails went down with it, slowing its speed to a Slowpoke's pace. The Gallade saw this, watching helplessly as the crew of the second ship began to panic and pick up whatever they had to use for a weapon.

    They were done for, and there was nothing he could do to help them.

    He clenched his jaw and returned his focus towards the brig that pursued his vessel. Another loud clap of cannon fire had filled his ears and he made another turn to port this time, repeating his warning to the ship's crew. There was one splash, and he started to breath a sigh of relief, assuming that the other three shots would miss their mark as well.

    BANG! BANG! CRACK!

    The three sharp sounds shook him to the core, and they were promptly followed by shots of terror and pain. He looked at the deck before him. One of the three shots had snapped one of the three masts in perfect halves, with the top half falling into the water, taking its sails and rigging with it and damaging the ship's starboard side. The other two shots had found the deck, leaving two large holes in the wood, and he knew they had went all the way through the bottom of the ship. Two Pokemon had been injured by the shrapnel from the hits, and a third remained motionless on the deck; he hoped that the poor Ivysaur was just stunned from the impact, but in the back of his mind he knew that the poor lass was no longer in the realm of the living.

    What now? his mind asked. They were hit, crippled, and taking on water. These elements combined slowed the ship down enough to the point where he knew that the ship could be easily boarded if they had not sunk yet. It was game over, and he knew it.

    He was about to give the order to abandon ship. The damned raiders can have the cargo! he thought as he opened his mouth to shout. He would be damned if they captured his crew. They could probably use the rowboats and row to safety. They could lose these pirates! All they wanted was the cargo, right? Well the bastards could have it and do whatever they wanted with it! They would not lay a hand on his crew!

    A chorus of cannon fire froze his blood faster than the blizzards of the north could. His heart stopped and sunk to the pit of his stomach. Those shots told him one thing, and they spoke as clear as a mother would to her misbehaving child.

    These pirates were going to send them all to the bottom. They were going to sink an unarmed ship with an unarmed crew that was just returning from a trading run and did nothing to incite the wrath of the Gailamirian fleet. This is where they would be buried: at the bottom of a watery grave just a few miles away from the safety of Aether's waters.

    Moments passed, and nothing happened. No splashes to indicate misses, and no explosions to indicate direct hits. Everything was silent for a moment.

    "WE'RE SAVED! LOOK! THE RAIDERS ARE BEING ATTACKED!"

    The Gallade broke out of his trance and looked behind them. The brig that had been pursuing them was now locked in combat with a much larger vessel -- a frigate to be exact. Its red sails billowed proudly in the breeze as it approached the brig and unleashed another hail of cannonballs upon the ship, wrecking its hull beyond recognition, and caused it to list starboard. Two more ships materialized out of the fog that he had failed to notice while he was focusing on the pursuers. To the left where the second carrack had been, he saw three more ships materialize, though two of these ships, he knew, were flying the colors of Aether, and the third was from another nation, possibly a pirate, but he was not sure.

    A wave of relief washed over him. They were saved!

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    Leading the three Aetherian vessels was a small, two-masted ship with large white sails. At the helm stood a rather dashing shiny Luxray. Somewhere in his mid forties, the Electric type had one sharp fang that hung from his closed mouth, as well as a small beard and mustache. He wore a pair of brown trousers with a brown belt with a cutlass in its sheath that hung from his left side. For his top of choice, he had a blue shirt with its top two buttons undone and its sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows. Around his neck was a golden necklace with a round golden pendant hanging from it; on it were the engraved images of a moon and two stars on either side of the medallion.

    Gripping the wheel and setting his sights on the allied carrack which had been boarded by one of the raiders' cogs, his sharp golden eyes twinkled in the evening sunlight as he saw that onboard the crippled vessel, the crew was valiantly trying to fight off the Gailamirians who were slowly overpowering the inexperienced fighters. He growled, disgusted at how the raiding party would be so cowardly as to pick on a smaller, weaker force. It sickened him greatly, and he bared his teeth.

    He would teach these dishonorable scum to mess with mere trading vessels!

    "All hands!" he shouted. "Be ready t' take up arms! We're going to board the trading vessel and help fight off those pirates!"

    "Aye-aye, Captain!" came the simultaneous reply of his crew. Shortly after, the two Aetherian frigates unleashed their awesome combined firepower upon the second enemy brig, destroying it in a united broadside salvo. The ship was nearly split in two with the force of the attack and immediately sunk.

    As the allied ships continued their assault, the Luxray's ship sailed closer to its destination. Quickly, the Electric type gave the order to close all sails, for at their current speed, he estimated, they would drift into position and halt on the port side of the carrack. His guess was correct, and the vessel slid to a stop beside the trading vessel.

    "All hands! Board the ship! Fight off the attackers!" he shouted, drawing his cutlass and running to the side of the ship. While most of the crew chose to either swing onto the carrack or climb over onto the ship's rigging from their own ship's, the Luxray's powerful legs were enough to carry him from one ship to the other in one graceful leap. As soon as he landed, he took in the situation within a millisecond.

    Most of the trader's crew was incapacitated, and the raiders outnumbered those on the deck. More, he assumed, were below deck trying to finish off their victims. A raider stood to his left, looking at him with stunned surprise at his sudden appearance. A second raider had spotted him, and unlike his ally, reacted, raising his blade to strike.

    The shiny Luxray simply rolled forward, dodging the raider's attack. The Ratticate had struck down his own ally, and before he realized it, the Electric type finished him off in one swing of his cutlass.

    He moved on, easily taking out any raider that attempted to fight him. A quick dodge here and a few swings there, and he, along with his crew, were quickly reducing the number of raiders on the ship. The carrack's crew, now feeling a resurgence of confidence and morale, shouted a fierce battlecry and began to fight back along with their reinforcements. It would only be a manner of minutes before the tables had been turned, and they had fought their way onto the Gailamirian's ship.

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    "Send those bastards straight to hell!" Bahadur shouted to his crew as they readied another salvo of cannon fire, directed at the wounded brig. "Fire!"

    The thunder of cannons was deafening as the Red Monsoon's guns blasted the mercenary vessel to smithereens. There was nothing that the raiders could do to avoid the deadly broadside of the frigate's guns as it completely destroyed the ship.

    "Enemy ship sunk!" Camelia confirmed, a grin forming on her muzzle. "She's going down! Two more ships left! We'll make quick work of these pirates."

    The Floatzel threw his head back and laughed hardily. Ship battles like this were his element, and he enjoyed every moment of them. The smell of gunpowder, the sound of the cannons and the splintering of wood, the adrenaline rush that it gave him...it all combined into one glorious symphony that made the Water type feel absolutely alive! Sure, his ship as well as the other two ships in his fleet would suffer some damage, but this was an inevitability that he had accepted years ago when he and his wife started to sail as a fleet-for-hire. Besides, he and his other two captains were competent enough to not get sunk by their opponents. Swiftness and adaptability were required for this line of work, and when he hand-picked his crew and fellow sub-captains, he and Camelia made sure that they had these qualities as well as discipline and loyalty to their captain. They could take on the world's strongest fleet together and easily wipe out a third of them before they could be overpowered.

    "I love the smell of gunpowder in the evenin'!" he souted, a wide smile on his face. "Its moments like these that make me proud to be a sailor! What about you, boys?"

    The crew shouted back in unison, answering their leader with a thunderous roar of approval.

    "Haha! Good! Good! Now let's finish this up so we can get to Aether!"

    A loud crash sounded from the ship's starboard side and all of the Pokemon onboard the ship looked to see the fleet's second ship, Black Undertow, ram the second cog in the enemy fleet, nearly slicing the smaller vessel in two and sending wood and crew flying through the air and into the sea. A loud victory chant could be heard coming from the Pokemon on the frigate as its black sails caught the wind.

    Bahadur's crew joined in the chant for a few moments until he calmed them down. "We aren't done yet!" he shouted. "We're gonna bring the ship around and take that last brig out! Along with the Reef-Shredder, we're gonna run that sonovabitch through the gauntlet and send her to the bottom!"

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    The crew onboard the Aetherian frigates watched in awe as the unidentified frigates tore the rest of the raider fleet asunder within a few minutes. Two of them -- one with green sails and another with red sails -- sailed alongside either side of the last enemy ship and unleashed their fury. The combined broadsides ripped the ship to shreds, destroying its hull, aftcastle, deck, and masts as the two ships sailed by. In an instant, the once "mighty" fleet had been reduced to floating planks and waterlogged raiders that flogged and bobbed in the salty waters.

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    The Luxray had his cutlass at the throat of the Gailamirian captain -- a rather plump Arcanine with several scars and a milky white eye. The Fire type stood stunned as the Luxray spoke to him.

    "Your mercenary buddies are all gone now," he spoke calmly, though his voice had a subtle menace to it. "I think it'd be best that you surrender now. There's no one coming to save ye'." As if to prove his point, he brought the blade closer to the Arcanine's neck, causing the fat Pokemon to gulp.

    "Alright," he replied in a panic. "I surrender! I surrender!"

    The shiny Electric type frowned. "Tch! You pirates are all the same," he growled. "No honor, and you chose to attack those weaker than you rather than taking on equally capable foes, and then when faced against stronger adversaries you attempt to flee."

    With his sword still dangerously close to the Fire type's neck, the Luxray roughly lead him off of the ship and onto the trader vessel, and immediately a victorious roar came from the victors, their enemies now either dead or captured. The Luxray smiled. A nice, comfortable dungeon cell will fit these scum nicely, he thought as he looked about the bound captives.

    An Aetherian officer quickly approached him, walking with a rather brisk pace. He was flanked by several other officers who began to roughly move the apprehended raiders onto their frigate.

    "We'll take it from here, Captain Ackrea," the officer spoke, taking the Arcanine and giving him a rough shake before he began to move him away. "Thank you for your assistance, captain. If it weren't for men like you, I'd say that all pirates were scum of the Earth...no offence, of course."

    Ackrea laughed. "None tak'n', my boy! Glad t' have been o' service."

    He noticed the officer look behind him, and he turned to look at what he saw. There, not too far away, were two frigates that were close enough for the gangplanks to be lowered, allowing the crews to traverse from one ship to the other. However, the frigate on the left had crimson red sails, and Ackrea recognized it as one of the ships from the rogue fleet that had assisted in taking out the raiders.

    He raised an eyebrow, sheathing his blade and stroking his short beard. "I wonder who those corsairs are," he spoke, noticing a Floatzel and a shiny Furfrou moving from their ship and onto the Aetherian vessel. "I have to admit, they fought better than most of the larger fleets I've seen before."

    The officer frowned. "Dunno. I hope that they aren't like the bastards we've captured today.

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    "As my husband had said," Camelia began taking a seat at the table across from the Aetherian captain, "we were hoping to come to Aether and sign up as privateers."

    The Espeon leaned back in his chair, removing his officer's hat and resting it on the desk behind him before unbuttoning the top button on his uniform, relieving himself of the uncomfortable strangling sensation that it always gave him. He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

    "You do know that means that you'd have to go through inspection as soon as your ships are docked in Aether, correct?" he replied dryly. "That means until all three ships have passed inspection, you all are stuck onboard the ship. No hidden weapons, no hiding anything, you'll have to get rid of any captives from other nations, or cargo stolen from any other ships. I will provide you a list of contraband items, and those must be disposed of or destroyed before we enter port. After inspection is complete, you all will be escorted to the King where you will fill out a few more papers to legalize your status as privateers of the Kingdom of Aether. You will also be granted citizenship by His Royal Majesty upon completion of this process, and will operate under the same rules that govern the Aetherian Navy. Do you understand that?"

    Camelia was about to reply when the sudden loud snoring of her husband caused both sailors to focus on the Floatzel who had fallen asleep propped up against the wall. The Furfrou stood up and quickly kneed her husband in the stomach, instantly waking him up and making him double over and fall onto the ground, coughing and swearing so much, the Espeon captain wondered if he kissed his wife with the same mouth.

    "I apologize," the Furfrou said as she sat down as if nothing happened. "Yes, we understand, and are willing to comply with all regulations and follow the steps required."

    "Excellent," the Espeon replied, kicking his feet up on the desk. "You may return to your ship. Order all in your fleet to follow us into the harbor. Your colors must be struck, or the harbor's defenses will light you up faster than you have done to the raiders."

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    Farhad, Nalini, Ivan, and Melnik took no time in reaching the docks where the attack was taking place. As they ran down the peer towards the Wave Shadow, Nalini stopped momentarily to look at the two dead dockworkers -- a Rattata and a Slowbro -- that lay motionless on the wooden pathway before she snapped out of her sudden daze and followed the others onto the ship. The crew had their weapons drawn, those that were not injured of course. Three of the crew members were on the ground with rather nasty looking--

    Bite wounds? thought Farhad as he looked at the bite marks on their necks. Two of them looked rather shallow, but the third one looked fatal; one of the crew members was tending to him, attempting to stop him from bleeding any more and losing consciousness.

    Ivan pointed up towards their enemy which stood on the edge of the crow's nest at the top of the main mast. "There!" he shouted. "That's the bastard who attacked us!"

    They all looked up at the Pokemon. It looked like it might have been a Lopunny, but it looked...different. It's ears were a lot longer than usual and had two small balls of fluff on each of them as well as fur around its wrists which made it look like it was wearing a pair of fur bracers. The fur on its head also had more volume than usual. Even from that distance, one could tell that it was only wearing pants, and it had a few bandoleers which hung across its bare chest and on them hung multiple daggers. They also noticed the blood around its mouth, and that disturbing element set all four of them on edge, especially Melnik. The Leafeon was unsure what this monstrosity was or what was wrong with it, but he knew that it was his enemy, and like all his enemies, this one will be killed. Quickly, he loaded his crossbow with a bolt that had poison slathered on its point, and shot it at the Pokemon.

    The Lopunny laughed and spread his arms as if welcoming the projectile before falling backwards off of his perch, dodging the bolt and plummeting towards the deck. The crew spread out from underneath him as he flipped a few times before landing gracefully onto the deck. The crew members promptly surrounded the Normal type as it stretched its arms above its head before wiping the blood from his lips.

    "Mmm...those guys weren't as tasty as that dockworker or that charioteer from Voluntas," he spoke before observing the Pokemon surrounding him. "Oooh joy~! More small fry to play with. Hmmm...let's see...where oh where is that darn...aha! Found you~"

    He pointed towards Farhad and smiled warmly at him, beckoning the Water type to come over. "Come here, you handsome boy. I've got a bone to pick with you."

    Nalini took a step forward, gripping two of her knives tightly in reverse grips as she bared her teeth at the lone enemy. "What the hell are you talking about?" she said menacingly, her blue eyes burning with anger.

    Melnik also took a step forward and pointed his crossbow at the Lopunny after loading another bolt. "You touch him, and you're dead," he threatened.

    Farhad growled, the hackles on the back of his neck bristling and standing on end. "You bastard...what did you do?"

    The Lopunny answered their statements in order. "What I'm talking about is exactly what I meant, little missy," he said to Nalini before turning to Melnik. "And hurt him? Me?" He placed a hand over his chest, feigning a hurt expression. "Why I'd never hurt someone as cute as him! Besides, his blood smells waaaaaay too lovely for me to kill him off without at least a taste. Besides, I kinda need him for something, anyways."

    It was then that Farhad finally recognized the mark that was painted over one of the Lopunny's eyes. It was the same as the mark that was on the back of his journal page!

    "You all, on the other hand," the Lopunny continued, leveling his gaze at Melnik and then glancing around at the Pokemon surrounding him. "You all are unimportant and your blood smells like yuck. Hehe, don't worry, I'll try to make your deaths as painless as possible."

    He then set his sights on Farhad. "And to answer your question, you handsome hunk you." His grin widened, exposing his sharpened teeth. "Well, the answer is pretty obvious, isn't it?" He threw his head back and laughed.

    Melnik snorted. "A goddamned vampire," he hissed.

    Nalini was the first to make a move. The Raichu took a step forward with her left foot, readying a knife with her opposite hand. "You sick freak! Get off our ship!" she shouted, throttling the knife. The Lopunny simply spun around to dodge the blade, grabbing it by its handle and effortlessly flicking it towards another attacking Pokemon, striking it in the head. As it went down like a sack of bricks, the Amphiros -- Logan -- charged forward, swinging his blade laterally at his target. The Normal type backflipped to dodge the attack and then shot forward after landing on his feet again, using Pound to strike Logan right in the gut and sent the Electric type flying off of the ship and into the water. Dodging another attack, the Lopunny quickly retaliated, disarming the attacking crew member with a swift strike to the wrist before following up with a nerve strike to the Pokemon's neck. He fell onto the deck, completely paralyzed.

    Farhad shot forward, weapon drawn. "I'm gonna SHRED you!" he snarled, using Aqua Jet to slam into the enemy's side, but the Lopunny was crafty, and used the Floatzel's momentum to flip him over his head before slamming him into the deck and sending splinters flying. Nalini attacked next, slashing at him several times. The Lopunny dodged every single attack that she made before hitting her with a vicious uppercut that sent the mouse Pokemon sailing backwards towards Melnik, who ducked to avoid getting hit.

    "Heh...a couple of crossbow bolts to the chest should be enough to kill this bastard," the Leafeon said, a grin forming on his face. Attacking from his current position was too risky for there were too many allies in the way, so instead, he used Agility to speed himself up. Now moving twice as fast, the assassin shot up the main mast and fired off a bolt before jumping off of the mast and sailing over the Lopunny, firing off two more bolts as he did so.

    The Lopunny flipped backwards to dodge the first bolt. As soon as he was upright again he sidestepped the second, and then the third one hit him directly in his left shoulder. He paused for what seemed like forever before laughing. His hand traveled up to the bolt embedded in him and he pulled it out, obviously not caring for the damages that would be done from doing so. As soon as Melnik landed, he looked right into the Leafeon's eyes as he brought the bloody projectile up to his mouth. He stuck his tongue out and slowly licked the blood from the bolt, at the same time revealing his teeth again, of which were sharpened to fine points. Some of the crew stepped back in shock, their eyes widening in disbelief.

    
    Hmmm..." he hummed, dropping the bolt to the deck. "Not bad, Leafeon, but I'm not like those stupid fairy tale vampires. You can forget about trying all those tricks that the books tell you to use against vamps."

    Melnik growled and loaded his last bolt; this one was coated with a paralyzing concoction, and the Leafeon fired it at him. The Lopunny's lightning fast reactions saved him, for he swiftly reached up and grabbed the bolt just as the point was inches from his face. He smiled wickedly at Melnik as he gripped the bolt harder, snapping it in two and letting it clatter to the deck.

    "Awww...what's wrong? Did cutie run out of bolts?" he teased before his face quickly turned into a dissatisfied frown. "Is that all you can do, little boy? Shoot arrows from that useless crossbow of yours? C'mon, show me something new."

    "How about I show you something!"

    Nalini was in the air and she threw a barrage of knives at her opponent, who countered by throwing a few of his own throwing knives. The projectiles clanged as they collided with each other in mid air and fell. The Raichu was not done yet, though, and she lifted her leg up as she prepared to use Mega Kick to hopefully strike the Lopunny on the head or the shoulders, but the vampire spun out of the way as the kick slammed into the deck. Immediately, Nalini fired off a Thunderbolt, but missed as he dodged once again. Farhad also attempted an aerial attack, using Waterfall to gain altitude before coming down with his cutlass, attempting to cleave the enemy in half and Ivan attempted to hit him from behind with Ice Shard. The enemy simply dodged both attacks before shooting forward at the Sneasel with Hi Jump Kick, scoring a direct hit on the Dark-Ice type before spinning around and using Pound, hitting Farhad in the ribs and winding him. A second Pound sent him flying into Nalini and the two hit the deck hard.

    "Hm. Maybe I should just kill you now," the Lopunny muttered, apparently disappointed at the Floatzel's capabilities. "It would save the others a load of trou--"

    He jolted as a large cutlass suddenly emerged from his chest. Melnik materialized behind him, holding the handle of his weapon. He had used his Shadow Scale during the confusion, making himself invisible before moving into position and stabbing him from behind. The Lopunny coughed up blood, his eyes widening for a moment before his entire body went limp. The Leafeon forcefully withdrew the blade from the enemy's body, kicking him to the deck.

    "Heh, told you if you touch him you die," Melnik said, grinning in satisfaction.

    Farhad got up, grunting painfully as his ribs burned. He figured that a few of them were broken, and that it would take more than an Oran-Sitrus cocktail to get him back into fighting shape. Rising to his feet, he went over to Nalini to help her up. "Anything broken?" he asked her, and she promptly shook her head.

    "Good," he said before observing the damages done to the crew. Ivan was alright, but his nose was bleeding something fierce; Logan had climbed over the side of the ship and collapsed onto the deck, swearing  as he coughed up water. Fifteen crew members, he counted, were injured or still able to fight while a total of three critically injured or incapacitated Pokemon and two that were dead.

    He noticed that the Pokemon with the deep bite wound to the neck was no longer moving and was lying stiff as a board on the deck.

    Three dead, he corrected.

    He then saw Melnik standing over the body of the slain Lopunny. "Nice job, Mel," he said. "He didn't see that coming, huh?"

    He paused when the dead Lopunny exploded, turning into a cloud of vapor. Thoughts flashed back to when he and Melnik were captured by pirates and his pulse elevated.

"Oh dammit! Mel! That was a Substitute! Watch it!"

    The Leafeon took a step back and saw the wooden log that had appeared in place of the corpse and swore under his breath. He, Farhad, and the rest of the crew remained on high alert while Logan ran off to alert Zubayr of what had happened. After a few minutes, the crew relaxed just a little bit, but remained on alert. A few of them tended to their fallen comrades, covering their bodies with white sheets as the others helped the wounded. The remaining sailors stood guard.

    Farhad and Nalini walked up to Melnik. "I've never seen a Lopunny like that before," Nalini spoke. "And...ugh...I thought that vampires weren't real...that guy's one hell of a freak show, huh?"

    Farhad nodded in agreement. "Aye, I agree. Creepy bastard. Attacking the Wave Shadow in Aether Harbor? Heh, he sure has some gall to attempt something so suicidal, eh Melnik?"

    Melnik turned his head to look at them. "Yeah, but if he is smart that was just the beginning, a scouting party of some sort, maybe. I don't believe someone is that stupid."

    Ivan the Sneasel nodded. "I agree with this guy," he said, pointing to Melnik. "I'm positive that that guy was just scouting us out. There's no doubt in my mind that he or his friends might return."

    Farhad swore under his breath as he placed his sword back in its sheath. "I'll kill that bastard if he ever tries that stunt again," he growled. The fur on his neck began to stand on end again as he clenched his fists. Nalini placed a hand on Farhad's back.

    "Calm down, Far," she said. "Save it for when he comes back."

    Melnik growled as he pulled the hood back over his head. "I think I'll stay for a bit. Just in case."

    Farhad nodded, and then looked over at Ivan. "Where the hell is Captain Zubayr and Viktor?"

    "They went off to handle some business," Ivan replied. "Probably going to purchase more upgrades for the ship as well."

    Farhad sighed and sat down on the deck and Nalini sat down next to him, resting her head in her hands and sighing sadly. Melnik walked over to the edge and took a seat on the railing near them, his feet dangling above the sea. He kept his back turned his back to them and remained silent. When Ivan walked off to help someone with bandaging one of the more restless crewmembers, he three of them remained, but said nothing for a long time, and when Farhad decided to break the silence and say something -- anything -- Nalini interrupted him.

    It's true, isn't it?" she asked, keeping her gaze forward.

    Farhad looked at the Raichu and tilted his head. "What?"

    Nalini sighed again. "You and Mel are...together, right?"

    He had already felt his heart sinking lower and lower. She was not going to take this well, he thought, but he looked forward, sighing. It has to be done, he thought.

    I'm sorry, Nalini.

    "Yep," he replied. "We're...together."

    The Raichu sighed. "Figures," she grumbled.

    Melnik continued to remain silent, focusing on the horizon before him, but listening to every word.

    Nalini closed her eyes. "...why him?" she asked, her voice a bit shaky.

    Farhad shrugged. "Dunno, Nalini," he answered. "Love works in weird ways, I think. Maybe you and I were...well...just not meant to be. Maybe we are. Maybe Melnik is meant to be with me, maybe he's not, but..."

    He looked over at Nalini who had started to tear up and had fresh tears slowly running down her cheeks like little rivers.

    "...but right now, Mel and I are together, Nalini. I'm sorry..."

    The Raichu sniffled and stood up. She started to walk away.

    Farhad stood up and took a step towards her. "Nalini..."

    "I...need a moment to myself," Nalini replied; Farhad noticed how her voice wavered and took another step after her.

    "Nalini, please--"

    "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, OKAY?" she suddenly cried out before running off of the ship. Farhad ran a few paces after her, but stopped before reaching the gangplank. He watched as she ran up the pier and into the town before walking back over to Melnik, but not before slamming his fist into the mast and swearing loudly. He sat down on the railing and hung his head as Ivan walked back towards the two. The Sneasel had seen Nalini run off the ship and was concerned.

    "What's wrong with Nalini?" he asked. "She shouted and ran off the ship crying."

    "She hates me now," Farhad muttered. "I told her that Melnik and I were together."

    Ivan blinked and looked over at Farhad. "Together? You mean...'together' together, right?"

    The Floatzel nodded slowly.

    "Chert..."

    "Yep. And now she hates me," Farhad spoke before punching the railing. "Dammit, I knew this was going to happen when I told her. She was crushing all over me and everything, but...she was too young..."

    Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Don't girls get married around that age in some places though?"

    The Floatzel ran his fingers through his head fur. "Yeah, but...ah, goddammit!"

    Melnik turned his head. "Maybe you should treat her more like a lady than just a young girl."

    Farhad looked at the Leafeon and then returned his gaze to the ground. "Maybe I should...but..."

    "But what?" Ivan asked.

    "But...I dunno..." He ran his fingers through the fur on his head again, and sighed in frustration. "Don't take this the wrong way, Mel, but...what if we aren't meant to be? Like I told Nalini, maybe you and I are meant to be together, or maybe Nalini and I are, but we aren't gonna find out until like later and all, then there might be a big argument and crap starts happening and...I don't wanna lose any of you. You or Nalini, you know? You two are great friends and I care for both of you...I don't know what to do..."

    Melnik sighed and looked at Farhad. "You already know what will happen to me, Farhad. One of these days I won't be your Melnik anymore...just a lifeless puppet whose only purpose would be to kill. I will be gone. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe ten years from now. So...I dunno if we could stay together if I'm such a threat to your life, my friends' lives, my loved ones' lives." He stood up. "So...I don't feel like I should stay here if that is to happen to me, because the one thing I fear most is you not being happy...or even dying. I want...I want to find a cure or something to end this curse before we can live and love each other again."

    Farhad looked at the Leafeon. "Melnik..."

    "Yes?"

    "That's not gonna happen, Mel. I made a promise to never let you become that thing's puppet. And I plan on keeping it." Farhad rose to his feet. "So regardless of whether we're together or not, I won't let that happen."

    "But..." Melnik put a hand on Farhad's shoulder. "...but your life will be in danger..."

    The Floatzel nodded. "I know, but the thing about me is that whenever I make a promise I keep it, no matter what."

    Melnik's sad gaze fell to the ground. "Farhad...you may think that that you can deal with the constant danger, but I can't... I can't stand the thought of you getting killed because of me, because of this curse. Don't make this harder than it already is for me..."

    Farhad opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the words and instead just looked down at his feet.

    "That doesn't mean I don't love you anymore," Melnik continued. "I just...want to protect you."

    "...I understand..." Farhad replied. Melnik suddenly hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around the Leafeon, resting his head on his shoulder. They held the embrace for a moment before Farhad finally released him and looked towards the docks. "I have to find Nalini and make sure that she's okay and get her back to the ship. Last thing I need is her getting hurt...or Captain chewing us out for not finding her.

    Melnik nodded. "I'll...come with."

    "Alright. Ivan, if Captain returns and I'm not back with Nalini yet, tell him that we went after someone who had stolen something from the ship."

    Ivan nodded. "Hopefully you'll all be back here before I have to do that."

========================================================================

     It took a while before the two were able to find out where Nalini had gone. A Scraggy had told them that he had seen a female Raichu head past his shop and enter the nearby tavern so Farhad led Melnik to the building and entered it.

    Farhad looked around, observing each Pokemon that was inside. "Mel, do you see her?"

    The Leafeon shook his head, but continued to search until Farhad tapped him on the shoulder and pointed in the direction of one of the tables that was nearest to the far wall of the tavern. Nalini sat by herself, her arms folded across the table and with her head resting on them as she played with an apple. There were no bottles on the table much to Farhad's relief, but there was an empty glass that was across from where she was sitting at. The chair there was pulled out as if someone had been sitting there before Farhad and Melnik arrived. They made their way over towards the table and took their seats with Farhad sitting in the seat adjacent to where Nalini was. The Raichu stopped toying with the fruit in her hand and looked up at the Floatzel and then at Melnik. Her eyes showed no hatred or resentment towards the Grass-type, but they did have sadness in them.

    "Nalini," Melnik spoke, looking at the empty seat. "...who did you talk to?"

    The Raichu looked over at the empty seat and shook her head. "Just some guy," she replied as she went back with rolling the apple around on the table. "Asked me how was my day, why I was so down, stuff like that. Said he was sorry and wanted to get me something to drink, but I refused so he got himself something to drink and left."

    Farhad eyed the seat for a moment and then shifted his focus back to Nalini. "Nalini, I know you're feeling sad about what I had just told you, and I'm sorry--"

    "Stop right there, Farhad," Nalini interrupted. "I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have acted like that and ran off..."

    Farhad placed his hand on Nalini's shoulder. "I know it may be tough to swallow, but...sometimes love might not work out as you want it to. And I'm sorry that it didn't work out as you wanted...and I know it hurts like hell..."

    Nalini nodded and looked back up at Farhad. "I know," she replied. "And I understand..." She let out a sigh and stood up. "I...it may take me a while to get over it, but I'll be fine..."

    Farhad nodded slowly and held his arms out; Nalini stood up and hugged him, closing her eyes. Eventually, he let go of the Raichu and picked her up piggyback style and nodded to Melnik before making his way out of the tavern. The Leafeon followed, smiling at the scene.

    "What will you do then?" Melnik asked Nalini.

    The Raichu rested her head on Farhad's and closed her eyes. "I...dunno...right now..." she whispered. "I guess...I'll..."

    A yawn interrupted her sentence and she started to drift off to sleep, aided by Farhad humming a soft tune as he walked. Melnik looked up at the dark skies above as the trio made their way back to the ship.

    "You think she'll be alright?" Melnik asked, still feeling a bit sorry for the Raichu.

    Farhad nodded. "I'm sure she will," he said softly. "She's a strong girl."

    The two eventually made it back to the ship and Farhad saw that Captain Zubayr and Viktor had just made it back. Thanks to Logan, the two had to cut their business run short and rush back to the ship. Ivan was talking to them both, more than likely about the attack that had happened previously. Farhad stood beside Melnik. "See that Flygon right there? That's my captain. He might ask me about what happened here, so we might be here for a little bit."

    The Flygon eventually walked over to Farhad and Melnik, and Farhad explained to him what had happened.

    Captain Zubayr nodded. "That Pokemon you saw was definitely a Lopunny," he said after the Floatzel finished his story. "Though it sounds like it had a different form. I haven't heard of a Lopunny looking like what you and Ivan had described. Could have something to do with these...'Mega Stones' that I've recently heard about." He noticed Nalini on Farhad's back. "Is she alright?"

    "She's alright, Captain," Farhad spoke. "Just a bit tuckered out. She, Melnik and I went after the bastard after he attacked, but he got away from us."

    "I know. Ivan told me." The Flygon walked past them. "We're on full alert right now. I've sent Logan to alert Gawain about this attack. Go ahead and put Nalini in one of the beds and then get your ass back on the deck. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If this guy is still around, don't hesitate to take his head off. Understood?"

    Farhad saluted. "Aye, Captain." He looked at Melnik and nodded to the Leafeon, signaling him to follow. The two went below deck, and Farhad put Nalini in one of the beds below deck. He then exited the room and met Melnik outside. He noticed the sad expression on the Leafeon's face.

    "This might be the last time we see each other..." the Leafeon spoke softly, sighing afterwards. Farhad took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He tried to find words to say, but failed, and instead he pulled him into a hug. Melnik hugged back, a few fresh tears dropping onto the Floazel's shoulder.

    "I'll do my best," he said, "to make sure that this won't be the last time we see each other..."

    Farhad nodded softly. "Can you promise me something, Mel?"

    "Yeah?"

    He pulled away from Melnik, and the Leafeon noticed a few darkened streaks in the fur on the Floatzel's face which indicated that he, too, had shed a few tears. "Do what you can, alright? I...don't want you to die out there."

    The Leafeon nodded, and then noticed that Farhad's attention shifted to the doorway that led to the room where Nalini was sleeping. The Raichu had gotten up and was standing there, sadness also written all over her features.

    "...Melnik?" she spoke softly.

    He nodded. "Yes?"

    She walked over to the Leafeon and grabbed his hand, placing the handle of one of her daggers in it. "For good luck," she said. "That's my lucky dagger. I mean, you might not believe in luck or anything like that, but...just to be safe, 'kay?" She looked up at him. "I know that Farhad cares about you a lot, and you care about him a lot, and so do I, so I want him to be happy, and that means I also want you to be safe as well." She smiled. "Besides, you look like a really cool person. I'd love to get to know you better once you return. The friend of my friend is my friend, too...at least that's how I think the saying goes."

    Melnik nodded and put the blade in his belt. "...I'll take good care of it," he replied.

    Nalini then gave him a quick hug. "Be safe. I wish you the best of luck out there!" With that she turned and left the two alone.

    Melnik watched the Raichu as she disappeared back into her room before turning back to Farhad. "I guess this is it then, huh? Our last moments together..."

    Farhad looked back into his eyes. "Let's hope that isn't the case, Mel," he said. "Let's hope that you make it back in one piece."

    Melnik nodded, looking down for a moment before looking back up at the Floatzel. "Well...I can get a goodbye kiss before I go, huh?" he asked, smiling weakly.

    Farhad nodded ad leaned his head forward to kiss the Leafeon. After a moment, Melnik broke the kiss.

    "I should take my leave now," he said. He released Farhad and turned around, taking a few steps.

    "Melnik...?"

    He stopped. "Yeah?"

    "...be safe, alright?"

    The Leafeon nodded, and was about to take one more step before he looked back at Farhad. "One last thing," he said, reaching under his cloak and producing his own old cutlass still in its sheath. He tossed it towards Farhad, who expertly caught it.

    "That was my father's once," he said. "Take good care of it. You're gonna need it more than I do right now. Use it, and always remember me, alright?"

    Farhad looked down at the blade and then back up to say something, but Melnik had already disappeared and was gone. He looked back down at the sheathed blade, remaining silent for a long time.

    "Be safe, Melnik..."

========================================================================

    Horatius slammed the Lopunny against a tree, pinning him against the trunk by his neck and pressing harder and harder by the minute.

    "You goddamned fool!" he snarled as the Normal type strangled in his grasp. "What did I say about scouting out the enemy? You went and raised all sorts of hell, and now the whole blasted kingdom's gonna be on high alert because of your stupid ass! I told you to get in and get out, and you go and kill and maim nearly ten Pokemon! Ten! Goddamned! Pokemon!"

    He brought his face close to the Lopunny's which was starting to turn purple from lack of oxygen. "I should kill you right here and now, you maniac, but you're still needed here. Be glad, for that's the only thing that's keeping you alive right now, Octo."

    The Nidoking finally released the Lopunny who fell to the ground and gasped for air, coughing violently as he held his injured throat. Horatius turned to the shiny Lucario that was with them.

    "Be ready, Decimus," he said with a grin. "The time is near. Once the order gets out, we'll finish him. You have the plan memorized?"

    Decimus grinned back, his smile matching Horatius' in wickedness. "Oh, I was born ready, friend," he spoke. "I'll give that Gunjynh rat hellfire and fury before sending his soul to the Death Plains to be tortured for all eternity. He'll regret ever crossing me, and robbing me of my victory, and he shall have the name Decimus firmly burned into his memory for it will be the last thing he remembers when he dies!"

    Horatius chuckled. "I didn't ask for a full monologue, friend. A simple yes or no would have been just fine, but alright. We'll wait for the command from Novem or Nihil. Then we spring the trap."

=======================================================================

    The night was calm, and a slight breeze ruffled the leaves on the tree that two small figures stood under. One of them looked towards the east and sighed. He knew this feeling of safety was not true. He felt it in his bones. Soon, they would have to run again, and the armies of two nations would be hot on their tails. Hell was coming to Aether, and it would burn everything in its path to cinders...