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August 13th, 1859 - The Sea of Johto
The area around the Whirl Islands is said to be protected by the powerful Ryujin, Lugia. A single stroke of His wing could whip the heavens itself into a frenzy, and the seas around his island home were some of the most treacherous between Kanto and Hoenn. And yet, this sacred protector, this deity of Pokemon, never made an appearance to protect those who lived on and around his islands, and let the Lord of Olivine sail uncontested across the small sea to ransack Cianwood.
Denboku Kamado sneers as he watches the small village come into view, standing on the deck of the ship alongside Beni and Tao Hua. From this distance, they can’t see the details of the damage, but the general haze that continues to hang over the town gives them all the information they need. Even with what was surely a tacit surrender, the Lord still decided to make an example of the town on his mad dash to Hoenn. The Lord was already long gone, with Denboku and his contingent having left Goldenrod once they heard of his movements, let alone his actions.
“I still say we should’ve tried wrangling that ‘Protector’ of yours for situations like these, Denboku,” Tao Hua says almost flippantly before turning and walking towards the steps down into the ship. “I’ll go prepare the medical supplies. Let me know when we are beginning to help the injured.” Neither Beni nor Denboku look away from the approaching shoreline, the buildings slowly coming into focus.
After a few moments, Denboku breaks his gaze from the shoreline. “Beni, go gather the men. Katana and daggers only, no polearms or larger weaponry. Enough for self-defense and nothing more.” Beni nods, and turns to step away before Denboku brings a hand up. “And no Pokemon. I’ll take Snorlax, but no others. We don’t want to risk the creatures picking fights without control.”
Without a word, Beni vanishes below the ship, and Denboku turns back to the shoreline. “Now let’s hope the survivors are willing to listen…”
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A Few Hours Later - Cianwood Village
As Denboku led his men down the gangplank onto the shore, he watched as more and more of the villagers began to come out of their houses. And while none of them were rushing them with the weapons that many of them were carrying, they clearly weren’t happy to see another warrior in tosei-gensoku leading men onto the beach. As Snorlax came around the ship though, wading through the waves, the attention shifted and people began to back off.
“Halt!” Denboku cries out, raising his hand to gather attention back to himself. “My name is Denboku Kamado, and I am a Socho of the Goldenrod Relief Forces. My men and I began our travel here when word reached us of the former Lord of Olivine abandoning his post.” While most of the people had relaxed somewhat, there were still some in the crowd that began to ready weapons when the Lord was mentioned.
“Then we’ll tell you what we told him!” A man wearing only a white hakama shouts as he steps through the crowd. He looks to be about Denboku’s height, with scraggly brown hair and a half-grown beard, and unlike himself, this man was barrel-chested and his arms were muscled. From the way he carries himself, a martial artist. “We have nothing for you, so turn around and leave now!” There’s a bit of murmuring from the crowd as they generally agree with him, a few even shaking makeshift spears above their heads.
“Well then, let me pack up all of these medical supplies that I’ve spent the last five hours getting prepared!” Tao Hua shouts from the top of the gangplank, carrying a basket of cotton rolls in each hand and a large pack on his back. “Maybe we can stop by the Whirl Islands and bandage the rocks that you steered us into last night, Taro.” One of the men behind Denboku audibly groans, and he can’t help hide the smirk that briefly crosses his own face.
“As my quartermaster said, we have plenty of medical supplies to help your wounded,” Denboku says, steeling his face back into the stern look he had been wearing previously. As he speaks, the men behind him part to let Tao Hua through to the shore, where he dumps both baskets of bandages down. “We don’t know how long it’s been or what your injuries are looking to be, so if you could lead Tao Hua to a place to treat them, we can get started immediately.”
The crowd in front of Denboku finally start to calm down, their weapons lowering and several of them stepping away. The shirtless man steps forward towards Denboku, and lowers into a bow. “I apologize for the rash decision then, milord. I am Shijima, the closest that this village has to an elder at this point in time.” With a cough from Denboku, Shijima returns to his full height. “We have a few villagers who are still too injured to be allowed to return home, or have no home to return to, in my dojo by the cliffs. I would be happy to lead Tao Hua there personally.”
“Learn manners quick when you get a gift, huh?” Tao Hua mutters quietly before gesturing to the baskets. “They’re not heavy, but you can carry them.”
“We also brought some food with us, in case your stores are running low,” Denboku says as Shijima approaches to pick up the baskets. “We’ll keep it stored on the ship for now while we get a count of how many people you have in the village and ration it out.”
“Thank you very much,” Shijima says, relief seeming to flood through him as he noticeably relaxes. “That Lord and his men ransacked a majority of our food supplies, and we haven’t been able to restock it yet. I can meet you by the market stalls after I get Tao Hua to my dojo.”
As Shijima walks off, Denboku begins having his men work with the villagers to get a headcount and begin distributing food. Everything is going smoothly for the first hour, until Denboku comes across a house that is locked. Looking at the building, he can see the windows are covered by furniture, though there does seem to be noise inside. He gives Shijima and Beni a quiet look, which Shijima quickly answers. “The Perilla girls. Their father passed away a few months ago, and the girls were targeted by some of the men during the attack. Since then, they’ve barricaded the windows and locked the door, and no one has seen them.”
“Beni, unlock the door,” Denboku says quietly as he steps back. Beni quickly steps in, producing two small wires in his hand before working on the lock and stepping back to give Deboku the space to move. He grips the door knob, and turns to Shijima. “Should I?” Shijima grimaces for a moment before simply nodding.
Denboku opens the door just as whoever is inside snuffs the lantern, leaving the majority of the house inside dark and unseeable. But not even a second later, a sound from Denboku’s left alerts him to a red headed teen barreling at him from the shadows, shoulder down first. Her shoulder slams into the armor on his stomach, knocking him back into the door, and he can feel a knife skitter off of the armor as the girl tries to skewer him. But obviously the girl wasn’t expecting the sudden movement of the knife, and she fumbles the knife and it clatters onto the ground outside of the house, and she stumbles past Denboku towards it, losing her balance.
Before she can fall, both Denboku and Shijima grab her by opposite shoulders, while Beni snatches the knife off of the ground.
“Zisu, what are you doing?!” Shijima shouts at her, pulling her up onto her feet just outside of the door frame, just before Denboku feels a smaller bump on his side. Looking down, he sees the younger sister, with both of her hands pushing against his side and trying to push him out of the doorway, her feet skidding on the dirt floor. Obliging her, he steps out of the doorway and she crosses her arms triumphantly.
“You can’t trust him, Shijima!” The older sister, Zisu, shouts back. “No one past the Whirl Islands cares about us! They’re going to rob us blind and take the rest of our food and money for their lord!” She jerks out from Shijima’s grip and glares at Beni. “They already stole my knife, see?”
“And you stabbed my friend,” Beni says softly, looking down at the knife and flipping it in his hand a few times to get a better look at it. “I’d consider it an even trade.” Zisu glares at him, and Beni sighs and hands it back over. “No more stabbing people who are here with food for you. Neither of you look like you’ve eaten in a week.”
Getting a better look at the girls, Denboku had to agree with Beni. Zisu seems to have already shed her baby fat, which made her face gaunt and her cheekbones uncomfortably sharp, while her younger sister still had some of her baby fat to give her face some shape, but her arms and legs were far skinnier than any kids’ should be. “Zisu, Suzue, why haven’t you come to ask for help?” Shijima says, kneeling down to look Zisu in the eyes. “The food stores in the dojo aren’t so low that I would turn you away.”
Zisu grimaces, then tries to stand tall in defiance. “Because…” She deflates a little bit as she likely struggles to come up with an answer that Shijima would accept. “... Because we’re weak, and we can’t help. We’re just burdens…”
Shijima sighs and opens his mouth to say something, but is quickly cut off as Suzue runs up and latches onto Zisu. “I said stop talking like that!” She tightens her grip and tries to shake her older sister, who sways with the motion.
Denboku beckons Beni closer. “Go grab them some food, now. Make sure there’s meat.” Beni nods and turns to disappear before Denboku places a hand on his shoulder. “Bring soap and bedding as well. Kids shouldn’t have to look this miserable.” Under his mask, Beni gives a small smile and disappears into the alleyways.
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August 20th, 1859 - Cianwood Village
Snorlax gets up from the ground and shakes his head before charging back at his opponent, an abnormally large Tyrogue that lowers itself into a stance to catch it. And a few dozen feet away, their masters clash together, hands clasping onto biceps and thighs, Denboku and Shijima struggling to find purchase on the other and toss them to the ground. Shijima has more muscle mass and more strength to move Denboku with, but Denboku has been wrestling for much longer and knows how to center his gravity and how to manipulate an opponent.
And near simultaneously, both matches resolve. As the Tyrogue catches Snorlax’s outstretched paw and sweeps his leg from beneath to down him, Denboku drops his body down slightly to overextend Shijima’s grasp, and use the additional momentum to twist and throw the larger man into the sand of the beach. For a few moments, there is only the sound of the waves hitting the shoreline and the sound of their breathing, until Denboku extends a hand to his fallen opponent. “Fair match.”
Shijima reaches to grab ahold of the offered hand and hauls himself to his feet. “Tougher fight than I anticipated,” he says with a groan as he tries in vain to wipe the sand off of him. “Didn’t expect you to be able to toss a man like me when you’re so scrawny under that armor of yours.”
“Scrawny to you, Shijima,” Denboku says, crossing his arms. “I may not be a specialized martial artist like you, but I am a trained warrior. It would mean my death if I wasn’t in fighting shape.” And standing shirtless across from Shijima, it was clear that Denboku was the smaller of the two, but he was still covered in lean muscles. And on top of those muscles sit scar after scar, none bigger than an inch, but more numerous across the chest and arms than houses in the village.
Shijima lets out a laugh, running a hand across the stubble on his jaw. “Fair enough there, Socho. And I’d challenge you to a rematch, but it looks like we have a spectator.” He nods his head forward, indicating to Denboku to look behind him.
Turning on his heel, Denboku sees that Zisu is standing a dozen yards away, a katana in her hand. Her red hair is no longer matted, and pulled back into a single ponyta-tail above her head, and she’s managed to put on a bit more weight since she’s been pulled out of her house. She still looks like a wet Eevee in the slightly too big gi she had taken, but the look in her eyes was serious.
“Take me with you, Kamado.” Her voice cut through the night with clarity as she stood there, the bare katana in her hand clutched tight. “Take me with you and train me. I want to be able to fight.”
Shijima steps forward to say something, but Denboku holds his hand up in front to stop him. “We’re fighting a war, Zisu.” He makes sure to project his voice slightly, letting the volume help nail down the weight of the situation as he starts walking towards her. “My people may be here bringing you peace now, but even a Relief Force like us faces combat. I know you’ve weathered an attack here, but war is much more than just a single attack.” As he approaches her, he drops the projection and lets his voice carry naturally to her. “Surviving is different than running into a battle. Surviving is different than planning what happens after you die. Surviving is different than taking another’s life.”
Zisu looks away for a moment. “But I ca-”
“You are not going to come with us. I cannot let a child deal with war like we do.” There was no room for argument, no space to challenge the call. His words were final.
“But I will start your training. And I’m sure that Shijima would gladly pick up where we leave off.” Behind him, Shijima gives a thumbs up. “And in 5 years time, when you’ve grown into a proper adult, not just one who can work for a living, but one who can properly live , then you can come find me. And hopefully this war will be over with before then, and it will be more peaceful.”
Zisu stands there for a moment, the katana still clutched in her hand, even with her body shaking. Finally, though, she takes the weapon and throws it aside before throwing herself at Denboku, sobbing as tension melts from her body. Denboku straightens up in shock, and looks back at Shijima.
“Guess you have an emotional apprentice, Socho.”
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April 12th, 1963 - Sprout Tower, Violet Forest
Denboku stares across the fields surrounding the Tower, heavily conflicted. The Monks of Sprout Tower had called in a request of aid, as the Lord of Cherrygrove was failing to honor their protection agreement as bandits made their way through the Violet Forest. And while Denboku and his men successfully fended off the attack, it was clear that they weren’t just a large group of bandits, but instead the remnants of the previous Lord of Blackthorn’s forces. And as such, instead of the carefully tilled fields, curated gardens, and long-lived trees, he is looking at the dug up gashes in the earth and splintered wood.
And yet, they had endured no casualties from the monks or his own Forces. Even with the remnants bringing in Ursaring from Blackthorn and Onix from the Dark Tunnel, Denboku has enough experience running disruption with his Snorlax and Golem that he was able to coordinate with Beni and stop most of the destruction from reaching the main Tower. But something wasn’t sitting right with him. Even with the disruption that he and Beni had caused, there should’ve been more carnage. More damage and loss inflicted on them.
A tap on his shoulder pulls his attention to his left. “Something’s troubling you,” Beni says as he leans against the railing of the pagoda balcony nearby. “Are you seeing the problems, too? How little they actually fought us? Despite supposedly wanting to raid this place, they barely made moves to enter the compound.”
“No, and they didn’t attack until we were half a day away, despite making noise in the surrounding area the week prior,” Denboku notes, leaning forward onto the railing and stroking his growing moustache. It was getting longer, and with how often he stroked it downwards in thought, it was beginning to cover the sides of his mouth when he spoke. “It could be that they were afraid to attack a temple under the current Lord’s supposed protection, but they had enough power from those Pokemon to break into this place without worry.”
“And they weren’t stupid enough to be making a mistake in timing, because they knew how to pressure us without taking major losses of their own,” Beni continues Denboku’s thought as he looks down over the field beneath the tower, watching the monks and their own soldiers milling about to catalogue the damage. “They hit the crops, the gardens, and the forest, but didn’t seem to be trying to breach. Just cause… chaos…” Both men seem to hit the same realization at the same time, straightening off of the railing and looking at each other with shock, and then anger. They had been played.
“Tai-i Kamado! Socho Yukimura!” From a room inside of the tower, the pair hear Taro call out to them. Denboku turns around first, stepping away from the balcony railing and straightening his posture, his face falling into his normal stern stoicism. Behind him, Beni pulls up his mask and steps into place behind Denboku’s right shoulder, barely noticeable past the larger man’s body. “A messenger from Shosho Wataru has arrived!”
‘What good timing,’ flies through Denboku’s mind before he calls out in response. “We’re on the southern balcony.” There’s a sound of recognition, then the stomping of hurried footsteps as Taro approaches with the messenger, both of them making their way onto the balcony a few moments later.
Denboku’s eyes narrow as he sees the messenger. A young woman with bright red curly hair, pulled up and back into two separate ponyta-tails, and simple gray eyes. She’s tall, nearly towering over Denboku and definitely Taro, with broad shoulders and a wide, well-trained stance. And, most interestingly, she has a naginata strapped to her back, when Denboku knows he had trained Zisu with a sword before leaving Cianwood 3 and a half years ago.
“I beg forgiveness for interrupting, Tai-i Kamado!” Zisu starts with an apology, putting her hands to her side and bowing at the hip as she speaks. “I come with a small squad of men who can help guard this Tower, and a request from Shosho Wataru for you to join with Tai-i Yanagi. Remnants of the former Lord of Blackthorn’s men are currently laying siege to Ecruteak, and when I left from Goldenrod, I heard talk that they had burned down the Brass Tower with Jushoku Matsuba inside.”
The balcony is quiet for several moments as the news sinks in. The Relief Forces in Goldenrod had been played so well that not only was its best defensive force in another part of Johto entirely, but their defense over a dear ally had been so weak that it had fallen entirely. And just like that, a major center of the region’s religion was literal ash, and a brilliant man was dead. “When is Yanagi mobilizing?” Denboku’s question didn’t relay any of the dread, any of the anger that had begun to boil inside of him. It had no place here.
Zisu straightens up, briefly making eye contact with Denboku before lowering her gaze to his nose. “Once I send word that you are ready, he and his men will begin to make their way to Ecruteak.”
Denboku nods to himself, then looks over at Taro. “You’re dismissed, Taro.” The man quickly bows, then turns and departs from the balcony, leaving Denboku and Beni alone with Zisu. After a few moments, Denboku takes a deep breath and lets out a slow and heavy sigh. “I asked for 5 years, and this is what you give me, Zisu?”
“People needed my help, Sensei. And I can handle myself,” she responds with an edge in her voice, the professional smile she had falling into a dissatisfied frown. “You and Shijima trained me well enough to handle whatever comes my way, and I can give to people with my skills.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re ready for battle,” Denboku says, his voice picking up slightly in volume, though he bites it back before it can truly peak. “Being able to defend yourself, or swinging a weapon does not mean that you are ready for this. You’re not ready to ki-”
“I’ve already had to kill someone, Kamado,” Zisu says bluntly, her eyes coming up to look directly into his. “To defend Cianwood, to keep myself alive on the road to Goldenrod, to protect others. I’ve already come to terms with it.” Her jaw is set square as she raises it, staring into his gaze defiantly. “It may not be a choice I like to make, but it is one I will make if I want to survive, and if I want others to survive. I am re-”
This time, Denboku interrupts her as he steps closer and slaps her across the face, the sound ringing across the empty balcony and echoing through the empty rooms behind Zisu. Zisu’s mouth snaps shut as her body tenses, looking away from Denboku after the hit, her expression steeled into neutrality. Denboku breathes in deep before speaking, “You should never speak so casually or calmly about taking another’s life. If I didn’t teach you that, then surely Shijima should have.”
“He did,” Zisu says with restrained anger in her voice as she turns her head back to face him. “He taught me to remain calm in many dangerous situations, to be able to watch out for others when they aren’t able to help themselves. That my blade isn’t for my own sake, but for that of others, and that if I’m to have any honor, I must put them first. ”
Denboku exhales heavily through his nose, then turns to take a few steps away from Zisu and looks over the battlefield. “Have you seen anything like this before?”
Zisu stands there for a few moments before lowering her eyes. “No. Not like this. I’ve dealt with skirmishes, bandits on the road.” She pauses. “Cianwood. That would… Be the closest.”
Denboku nods and thinks for a moment before turning to face her again. “Send a Murkrow to Shosho Wataru in Goldenrod, let him know that we are mobilizing a force of men and will rendezvous with Yanagi at the clearing between The National Park and the Violet Forest. I will personally be leading the force, while Socho Beni remains here to continue the reconstruction of Sprout Tower.” He glances over to Beni, who nods and disappears over the side of the balcony, going to gather men together for the trip, and to inform them of the changes.
“And am I to remain here with them, or return to Goldenrod?” While Zisu sounds like she is resigned to be apart from the action, there was a fire behind her eyes. Denboku meets her gaze for a moment, then huffs in approval.
“Once you send the Murkrow, take our Skarmory. Fly as fast as you can to the Indigo Plateau, and inform Taisho Wataru of what is happening in Ecruteak.” Ibuki and Mokho Wataru, the twin jewels of the Unification Army, and fearsome members of the Dragon Clan of Blackthorn. While Shosho Mokho was the one doing the groundwork in Johto, ensuring the region was settling well after the Reunification War from Goldenrod, Taisho Ibuki had been running the Unification Army’s entire operation from Kanto’s capital, Saffron, as well as the Indigo Plateau. “Tell her that this might be the chance she’s been looking for to remove the final rebel Lord from Johto.”
Zisu quietly nods, then speaks up after a moment of silence. “What should I specifically request, Kamado? How many people, what sort of resources do you need?”
Denboku looks out over the courtyard for a few moments, mentally counting out everyone below. “Knowing Yanagi’s crew, he most likely only will have 45 men with him, with maybe a dozen Pokemon. We have 30 men that we can take, with my Snorlax and Golem being our main Pokemon for battle, along with a few Machoke and an Electabuzz.” He turns back to Zisu, and sizes her up. “If you know the enemy we’re facing, then I trust you know what to request of Wataru.”
While he couldn’t see into Zisu’s mind, Denboku had to hold back a grin as one formed on the young woman’s face, seemingly from both his praise and his trust. “I won’t let you down, Sensei!” She bows quickly, and turns to leave the balcony, leaving Denboku alone for the moment.
And a few days of planning and travel later, Denboku came to the conclusion that he would never take another apprentice. Not because he wasn’t happy with his results, or disappointed with Zisu. But rather, he knew that no future apprentice could ever make him more proud than when he watched Zisu divebomb a raging Tyranitar atop a screaming Skarmory, while leading a pack of Dragonites from Mt. Silver.
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October 10th, 1967 - Cianwood Village
To Zisu Perilla of Cianwood, Nito-Gunso of the Goldenrod Relief Army
First, I would like to extend my hearty congratulations on your upcoming promotion to Tai-i, to Captain, in my command. While you have not yet officially accepted the role, I am certain that you will come meet me in Goldenrod to accept it after you hear my pitch.
Myself and Beni have gathered with several of our allies from the war, and we have made a pitch to the Johto Regional Government to attempt to establish a Village in Hisui, the island to our north. We have been in touch with the Gingko Guild, a merchant company that works between our three unified regions, and they tell us that though there are natives, they leave much of the land unclaimed and we could likely forge ourselves a new home, away from the trauma and war that has begun to fester here.
I would never seek to tear you away from your home. I know that your sister has settled in with her husband recently, and that you have been helping Shijima with maintaining his dojo while he trains his successor. But at the same time, I believe that you have a set of skills that are necessary for the Galaxy Team to survive. You have been an invaluable strategist, and your control over Pokemon puts every other soldier I have ever met to shame.
If you are willing to join us, we would welcome you with open arms, Captain Zisu of the Security Corps. Our official inaugural meeting to finalize our formation will be November 1st.
- Denboku Kamado, Shosho of the Goldenrod Relief Army and Commander of the Galaxy Expedition Team
Not even a week later, Zisu Perilla left Cianwood Village, her childhood home and the place for which she had trained so arduously to protect, for the final time on the back of her Honchkrow. Far beneath its beating wings, the waters of the Whirl Island churned, their protector and master awakening from his slumber for just a brief moment to watch over one of his children taking to the skies. As Zisu flew on and her life became a speck upon the horizon behind her, Lugia smiled, and fell back into slumber.