The Great Bulk, Part 6: The Shattered Chain
Derailed
We had been pursuing our latest target for a while now. Tauros the Firebrand was a strange Pokemon – unlike the rest of his kind, he had coal-black fur and the ability to shoot flame from his horns. He got his moniker not only from the fire he used, but from his tendency to start fights over the pettiest of things. We first encountered him near my hometown of Oasis of all things, but he fled after we injured him sufficiently. Not wanting to miss out on a 12 grand bounty, we chased him across the Sand Continent, leading us to the town we were in now. There was a mine nearby, alongside numerous dwellings and buildings, ranging from finely built ones made of stone, to ramshackle houses made on short notice.
Our surroundings made me feel on-edge – none of the town's citizens seemed happy, and feeling out their Auras painted an even bleaker picture. There was a malaise hanging over everyone's heads, and the Pawniards stationed around creeped me out. The gazes of the sentinels were piercing yet watchful, waiting for any of the Pokemon around them to slip up. I turned to Makuhita, who looked visibly uncomfortable. “We should ask around for the location of our target and leave immediately,” I advised. “I recognize where we are; it's far too dangerous for us to linger needlessly.”
“What do you mean?” Makuhita asked.
“This is the Shah's territory,” I explained. “He's one of the worst criminals the Sand Continent has. He was the ruler of one of the Bisharp tribes of the North, who absorbed the other tribes two decades ago and conquered parts of this region. Since he controls most of the best mining towns, the rest of the Continent is forced to trade with him if they want quality minerals – the caravans I used to guard had to stop by the border towns in order to buy them. This town, Kimberton, is one of them. I've been here a few times.”
I began to elucidate further. “Many bounty hunting teams and groups have tried to get rid of the Shah, but all have failed due to his army and his absurd amount of raw strength. Rumors state that he was able to split a block of steel down the middle without breaking a sweat. Between him, Cacturne, and the recent crime wave, more Pokemon are considering working more closely with the Federation, which is quite surprising. Those working on the Sand Continent are notoriously stubborn when it comes to preserving their “independence and autonomy”; many bounty hunters even refuse to team up or provide services to those they know are aligned with them.”
My partner frowned, looking deep in thought. “So this is the turf of a tyrannical, overgrown warlord pretending to be some sorta ruler?” He questioned. “It could explain why everyone looks so depressed.”
I was about to answer him, but I was cut off by a scream. The two of us turned and looked towards the source, finding a Gothorita surrounded by a circle of at least a dozen Pawniard, with a Bisharp standing in the center in front of their victim. “You owe your monthly taxes to the Shah!” The Bisharp boomed, looming over his shivering target like a spectre of death.
“I already paid for this month!” The Gothorita protested. “You do know that your boss won't like you taking more than what's required, right?”
“His opinion is irrelevant!” The Bisharp responded harshly. “He's nothing more than one of our ruler's soft, weak sons, and we're underpaid enough as it is!” He took a moment to calm himself before continuing, his voice becoming steely and cold. “I do hope you remember that we speak with the Shah's voice and authority, and any refusal of orders will be punished. Don't make this any harder than what it needs to be.”
The Gothorita was hopeless. I turned towards Makuhita in order to tell him to leave, but he ran off towards the group before I even said anything! Reaching the group of Pawniard, he took a deep breath. “Hey, quit harassing that chick!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. “She paid your stupid fine, so leave her alone!”
The Pawniard all looked at my partner simultaneously, the Bisharp commanding them folding his arms. “Are you an outsider, or are you just stupid?” He sneered at Makuhita. “You don't disobey orders from the Shah's army, and if you do, hard labor is the lightest punishment you'll get. Besides, you're outnumbered thirteen to one.”
I approached Makuhita, my glare cutting into him. “What do you think you're doing, you obese half-wit?” I scolded. “The last thing we need to do is pick a fight with the Shah's men, out of all people!”
“It's not like we're going to stay, Assy,” he replied. “We're just gonna kick their butts, then leave, since you said we shouldn't be here anyway.”
“Oh, you brought your girlfriend along?” The leader of the Pawniard asked mockingly. “I can see she's already cut up.” He turned back towards his subordinates, smirking devilishly. “C'mon, men. Let's rough her face up worse – maybe that'll shut the fatso up.”
“Look what you've done, you idiot!” I yelled, as the swarm of Pawniard rushed towards us. Using Detect, I saw glimpses of the future; of the moves they would make. I moved to avoid a slice to my neck and Brick Breaked the Pawniard responsible as hard in the side of the head as I could. Another moved to jab me in the ribs, but I grabbed their arm mid-swing, throwing them into a third assailant that was looking for an opening.
I heard the sounds of Makuhita fighting off the others, but I couldn't lose focus, for I was still in danger. I could Sense two more members of the horde drawing closer, so I kept my eyes on both them and their Auras, attempting to discern their next moves. Thanks to sensing Aura flare-ups in their muscles, alongside their predictable attack patterns, I was able to evade every thrust of their bladed hands. The second they let up, I used Brick Break once on each of them, swiftly defeating both Pawniard.
With all the Pokemon assaulting me knocked out, I looked towards my partner. He was cut up some, but was still fighting as hard as he always did – I could see the unconscious forms of five Pawniard around him, and the remaining two cautiously sizing him up. One charged at him, aiming to run their arm through him, but he simply side-stepped and grabbed his opponent with one arm, and then hitting their head with the other. He dropped them to the ground, leaving only one enemy left.
The sole Pawniard remaining began to shake in fear, and I couldn't blame them for it - Makuhita towered over them like a great mountain, and he took on half of their number without faltering. The Bisharp that led the group growled in anger at the Pawniard. “Are you seriously letting your cowardice take control of you?” He asked. “You're pathetic.” He marched up to them and hit them, full force, with the blunt part of his hand, causing them to unceremoniously drop to the desert floor. “I always have to do everything myself,” he lamented.
Makuhita trembled with rage, visibily taking deep breaths in an effort to keep his anger under control. “What sort of leader are you?” He asked, his barely restrained fury leaking into his voice. “The last thing you should be doing is harming your own men!”
“I'm one that gets things done,” the Bisharp retorted. “It isn't my fault that these soldiers are all weaklings. You and your friend are going to regret ever setting foot under the Shah's lands once I'm done with you-”
“Tabar, what is going on here?” Shouted a voice from afar, cutting off the Bisharp. He froze in place, allowing the new intruder to approach and reveal themselves – it was another Bisharp, taller than the one we were preparing to fight.
“Shamshir, sir, we were collecting taxes when these two foreigners came along and started a fight with us!” the shorter one, apparently named Tabar, reported.
Makuhita pointed towards the Gothorita the group had been harassing. “That lady said she already paid her taxes; that's why we fought them. It's true my friend and I are foreigners, but I know he was trying to squeeze more money out of her for his own benefit.”
Shamshir walked towards the Gothorita, looking down upon her. He looked like an even rougher Pokemon than Tabar, which made me begin to fear for her safety. “Are the foreigner's words true?” He asked, with no emotion in his voice. She nodded in silence, Shamshir returning his attention towards Tabar. “This is not the first time you've done this. I've instructed you to only take what is needed, yet you keep defying my instructions. Why?”
“Why should I even be obeying you?” Tabar retorted, a cold anger burning in his eyes. “You're nothing more than one of the pissant sons of the chief of the Blades. You're a weakling who knows nothing of war; of combat. You and your brothers get most of the Shah's Poke that he doesn't hoard, and get to sit back on campaigns while we're sent to drown the enemy in our corpses! You deserve no honors, no respect, and no accolades.”
Shamshir narrowed his eyes. “I treat everyone under my command the best out of anyone, yet you still insist on stirring up trouble due to your own insecurities and anger against my tribe? If you are not willing to follow my orders, then you are not welcome here,” he told Tabar, a bit of ire leaking into his voice. “Leave, and never come back. You're lucky you were my lieutenant, and not anyone else's – all the other members of my family would've had your head for such blatant insubordination.”
Tabar grumbled to himself and began to walk away from the village, seemingly unwilling to fight his superior one on one. Shamshir took a look at all the Pawniard, checking them over for injuries. “Were you all coerced into this?” He asked them.
One of the Pawniard – the one that Tabar had punched, got up, rubbing his head. “He said he'd cut off an arm off of each of us who disobeyed him,” he told Shamshir. “He clocked me pretty hard when I didn't want to fight the foreigners, too.” The dimunitive Pokemon sighed. “I don't know why you take such pity on us; asking us about our welfare and trying to pay us out of your own pocket. No one else would do that.”
Shamshir stared at the Pawniard. “It isn't pity,” he clarified. “You're my soldiers, at the end of the day. Anyone with the courage to fight should be treated with respect; not bossed around by savages who see you all as disposable.” The tall Bisharp cleared his throat, preparing to address those around him. “All men who are able to walk shall escort those who cannot to the infirmary,” he ordered. Then, he pointed his hand at me, my body shaking slightly from my nervousness. “You and your friend are coming with me to my residence. You are not in trouble; I merely wish to discern your intentions.”
The two of us followed Shamshir with some hesitation, all the while I observed the town, noting down any potential escape routes. This had the potential to become violent fast, and it was all my partner's fault! He might have a good heart, but he needed to learn that acting on impulse endangers us both!
Breaking Tradition
When we entered Shamshir's home, we were met with an unusual sight – a Tinkatuff sat at the dining room table, giving us a quick wave. Weren't they and Bisharp natural enemies? What made the guest even more bizarre, however, was her hammer. It wasn't cobbled together from scrap like I would have expected, instead it was finely crafted and intricately detailed. It was as much of a work of art as a weapon, and it looked durable enough to withstand just about anything.
“You're back a bit late, Shammy!” The Tinkatuff remarked. “Did you get into any trouble while you were gone?”
Shamshir nodded. “Tabar was acting out of line again,” he informed her. “I had to exile him.”
“He didn't fight back against you?” The Tinkatuff asked. “That isn't like him. He's usually chomping at the bit to bully others and throw his weight around.”
“He knew he couldn't beat me in a fight,” Shamshir responded. “If you're wondering who the guests are, they're the ones who informed me of his behavior.” The Bisharp looked downwards, his expression hard to read. “It's a shame they had to fight my men to stop him from mugging a citizen, but they didn't help Tabar out of their own free will.”
Makuhita frowned, looking quite remorseful. “I'm sorry it had to be that way, buddy,” he tried to comfort him. “I didn't have much of a choice. We either had to watch or take action, and I wasn't in the mood to stand around. There's nothing I despise more than people who abuse their power.”
“I see,” Shamshir replied, slowly nodding. “If you hold such convictions, however, why did you travel here? My father must be the embodiment of what you stand against.”
“We came here pursuing an outlaw named Tauros the Firebrand,” I revealed. “I didn't think it was wise to start the fight we were in – Makuhita practically dragged me into it.” I scowled, making my displeasure towards my friend's recklessness known.
“They're the one with black fur, right?” Shamshir asked. I nodded. “We captured him yesterday after he tried to rob some Pokemon. He is being sent to the capital to determine his fate; most likely he will be sent to the mines to be used as a packmon. Minerals don't haul themselves. Also, you two are free to stay the night here, if you wish. However, I don't think I've got your name yet, little Meditite.”
“I'm Asana,” I introduced myself. “I don't know if it'd be wise for us to stay here.”
“Oh, c'mon. Relax a little,” the Tinkatuff reassured me. “Shammy's not bad like the rest of his family, mainly because I taught him to be that way. His exterior might be made of steel, but he's anything but cold, once you get to know him-”
“Bismuth!” Shamshir shouted. “You know I don't like your compliments. I don't deserve them. Do you know how hard it was to hold myself back, earlier today?”
Makuhita shook his head. “Don't say that. You aren't the only guy stuck with a crappy family, or with temper issues,” he said. “I...” He took a moment, thinking of how to phrase his words. “Even if you have trouble, you're a better person for recognizing and controlling your urges, instead of falling to them. I used to not be the best person myself, and speaking from my experience, I think it's never too late to take a better path and improve yourself.”
Shamshir grew silent. It was hard to spot, but I could feel the uncertainty rolling off his Aura, and see it in his eyes. “You don't know what I've done. My hands are as stained with blood as the rest of my kin, and even now, I am forced into inaction while I watch the Pokemon of the North suffer.” Even though his voice still sounded cold and monotone, I could hear a bit of guilt creeping into it.
“Then why sit around?” Makuhita asked. “If your dad's as terrible and murderous as everyone says he is, why don't you rebel, and secure a better future for everyone? He only rules by fear, and that never works. They still hate him, even if they can't say it out loud.”
“He's absurdly strong, and he has many Bisharp patrolling his palace at all times,” Shamshir noted. “To attack him would be to court your own death, and if I were gone, someone worse than me would take my place.”
Bismuth frowned, looking a bit saddened. “My mom actually led a rebellion against him a few years ago – the Smith's Rebellion, to be precise. She almost defeated the Shah, but he feigned surrender and attacked her with the blade on his head while her guard was down. She didn't survive, and he keeps her hammer as a war trophy. Without it, I can't evolve.”
“Why not forge your own replacement?” I asked, my interest piqued by her wording.
“It's because of tradition,” Bismuth clarified. “In my family, the mother always breaks off a small piece of her hammer for her daughter to melt into the metal used for theirs, when it's time for them to evolve into a Tinkaton. That way, a bit of the wisdom and intelligence the parent has is passed on. Since the tradition's so old, we carry the sagacity of all of our ancestors. My family isn't as, uh... What's a good way to put it, Shammy?”
“Unhinged,” he uttered. “Words such as “deranged”, “crazed”, and “insane” also work.”
“The point is, my family's different from the rest of my kind,” Bismuth finished. “All the other Tinks think -we- are the crazy ones, too, when they don't know a thing about crafting their own weapons. They make due with scraps, while we smith our weapons ourselves. This hammer of mine could crush any of theirs without getting a scratch, but without Mom's, I'll never become as great as she was.”
“That's all the more reason to rise up,” Makuhita told her. “Your mother put her life on the line for the chance that you, your friends, and everyone else could live freely. She had a cause she fought for and believed in. If you want to be just like her, you need to find your courage.” He then pointed at Shamshir, his expression determined. “As do you. I know you don't enjoy watching your family's dictatorship. I think you're a far more capable commander and ruler than your dad will ever be, simply due to the fact that you value the lives of those under you.”
Bismuth was silently pondering to herself, while I felt the doubt within Shamshir's soul grow even more. “A rebellion would only result in our deaths,” he muttered, emotion beginning to creep into his voice. “You're acting foolish-”
“Shamshir!” Makuhita boomed. “The only way to save everyone is to crawl out under your father's shadow and fight! If you just stand by, that just means he can do whatever he pleases!” He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was to say next. “Hurt and abuse exists in a cycle. It's a chain, binding the last generation's pain to the next. Your father taught you and your brothers to be bad, and I bet his own father did the same. Do you know how far back it stretches?”
Makuhita's words clearly weighed on Shamshir, but it wasn't visible in his body or on his face – it was his dimmed Aura, bogged down by negative emotion, that shown his true feelings. “I don't know,” the Bisharp replied. “Father said things have been this way since time immemorial.”
My partner looked angered by the Bisharp's words. “The only way to stop the chain from growing is to break it,” he said with conviction. “Otherwise, those that come after you will be damned to repeat the cycle, all over again.”
“Even if we go through with this, how're we even going to pull it off?” Bismuth asked. “I dunno if the four of us alone can fight past the Shah's guards.” Shamshir looked at her, still not speaking a word.
“This is absolutely insane, Makuhita!” I reprimanded, having finally found my nerves. “We aren't even close to being the best in our field, and you wish to tempt fate like this? All you're doing is putting everyone in danger!”
My partner flinched. “I'm not doing this because I'm a suicidal dunce,” he sputtered out. “I have a duty; an obligation to stop this in its tracks.” Shamshir and Bismuth began to whisper amongst themselves as Makuhita still spoke. “If you don't want to help us, then you're free to walk away.”
I paused, mulling over my options. The smart thing to do would be to leave, yet I felt a tightness in my chest – even if my brain wanted to flee the Shah's lands as fast as it could, my heart wanted to stay and fight with my companion. Even if he wasn't making the right choices, it'd be cowardly and irresponsible of me to abandon him. Having figured out my choice, my head hung down. “...I'm staying,” I informed him.
“In that case, Asana, we must devise a strategy,” Shamshir addresed, the weight on his Aura having lessened. “I have precise knowledge of Father's security setup in the capital, alongside the capabilities of both his troops and mine. If we do manage to overthrow him, there'll be a fight between the rest of the family to determine succession, although I am capable of dealing with them myself. Now, here's what I know...”
The four of us talked about tactics far into the night, trying to devise the best way to win with the resources at our disposal. Hearing about the Shah's preferred tactics painted a gruesome picture. The Bisharp that Shamshir had exiled alluded to it, but hearing it described in detail was much worse: The Shah was fond of using brute, overwhelming force in his campaigns without any care taken for the lives of his army. While he won often, casualties were high, especially among the Pawniard, due to his choice of tactics. In fact, it was why he made no moves after the Smith's Rebellion – he needed time for the population to replenish before he could take more land.
As for our plans, the strategy we came up with was simple, but effective. The four of us would enter the palace itself and face the Shah, while the army Shamshir had would hold any resistance off for as long as possible. It was a very risky plan, but we lacked many other options. All I could do was pray that we made it out alright.
The March
A few days later, the four of us had arrived to the outskirts of the capital of the Shah's so-called “empire” with all of Shamshir's men, but for whatever reason, he stopped us all in our tracks. “Before we do battle, I wish to give a brief speech,” he said.
Bismuth snickered. “Aww, you care about your soldiers that much? You've sure changed, Shammy-”
“Be quiet,” Shamshir interrupted. “As I was about to say, we're all here for a reason. Whether your tribe is that of the Crossed Blades like myself, the Axeheads, the Cloaked Daggers, or have none like my three friends by my side, we will fight as one. It'll be for something far greater than mere glory or accolades – we're doing this to secure the freedom of each other and every other Pokemon under my father's reign. However, this is not without risk. Many of you might not make it, or we might not even succeed, but it is better to have struggled and lost, than to to sit idly by and gain nothing. If any of you are uncomfortable against the odds we face, leave.”
A single Pawniard's arm raised up. “I'm staying!” Cried out a voice that I had not expected – it was the one who was scared of facing Makuhita, back when we first arrived to the North. “I'm not the bravest Pokemon, but you've done so much for me, and everyone else here. With you, I feel like an actual man; not the gutter trash other Bisharp claimed me to be. I'll gladly march with you, and if I don't make it out alive, someone else will take my place!”
Shamshir's stony facade cracked for a few moments, having been startled by the Pawniard's declaration. More voices of affirmation followed from the crowd; their Auras each their own individual bulwark of iron will and determination. “I never expected you to say such a thing, Scalpel,” Shamshir remarked. “Yet, I'm glad you all feel the same. We shall now storm the Shah's palace, and usher in a new age – a chance for redemption, and for justice!” All the Pokemon in the crowd cried out at once, following the four of us into the city. Civilians watched in terror while the Shah's soldiers stationed throughout the locale tried to stop us in our tracks.
Up first, were the Shah's Pawniard. They were disorganized and in disunity, and the fear in half of their Auras was palpable. The solution was simple – the Bisharp on our side simply swept them aside, being careful to leave as many alive as they could. Apparently, they could tell just as well as I that they weren't fighting willingly. As we got closer to the palace, though, the ranks of Pawniard began to be replaced by more powerful, disciplined Bisharps.
They offered more of a challenge, but they had a weakness – they each fought as their own, seperate Pokemon, and not as part of an army. The teamwork on our side, on the other hand, was exceptional. Multiple Pawniard would swarm and confound a single Bisharp, weaking them through a thousand cuts, then being fed into the Bisharp on our side. We lost some men, but we were still strong by the time we arrived at the Shah's palace.
The area surrounding the palace was where the fighting became the most intense. Even if the teamwork between the Shah's men wasn't the best, there they had a numbers advantage. It took every bit of skill and cunning from those on our side to hold them off, while the four of us stormed the building itself. We navigated it, Bismuth making quick work of any guards we met with her hammer, until we entered the throne room. Speaking to the Shah's arrogance, it was quite large and opulently decorated, and in its center, he sat, flanked by four more Bisharp.
His appearance itself was frightening and strange. I've heard descriptions of his long moustache and imposing frame, and heard that he was a rare evolution of Bisharp called a “Kingambit”, but mere words didn't do justice. If he got off his throne, he would stand at least seven feet in height. His body was broad and muscular, and his glare felt sharper than any blade I've seen in my life. His Aura radiated malevolence like a twisted, warped parody of the sun, almost blinding in its intensity.
“Son, what is the meaning of this?” The Shah asked, his voice dripping with anger. “You better not be staging a coup against me. You know fully well what happens to those who defy my will.”
“I'm doing exactly that,” Shamshir affirmed. “I've been complicit in regards to your excesses and mistreatments for far too long. You take what belongs to your soldiers and your people, and intimidate all who dare protest against it.”
“As all good rulers should,” the Shah replied. “Fear is the only thing that keeps the Ratatta I call “citizens” and the army listening. It's how things have always been done, from my father, to his father, and so on. To abandon that which works is foolish.”
Makuhita stepped forward, looking visibly irate. “Maybe if you didn't treat your people like shit, we wouldn't have been able to waltz right in here!” He yelled. “Everyone on your side is either fighting for themselves, or are coerced by threats. I've seen the hopelessness in the people's eyes, and do you know what that tells me?” This was bad. I've never seen my partner as heated as this before – it was as if he was becoming a different Pokemon.
“You're the weakest excuse of a man I've ever met!” He yelled, his feet stomping on the ground. “You're nothing more than a coward who sits behind his troops and sends them all into the meat grinder!”
The Shah laughed off all of the venom Makuhita was spewing his way. “I'm assuming you're the one who poisoned my son's brain, due to your hatred,” he observed. “All you've done is guarentee the deaths of you and your friends here today.” He pointed a blade-covered arm towards his guards. “You four, go and destroy them. You know the consequences if you fail.”
“Right away, sir,” the four said unaminously, running towards our group. One of the Bisharp, shorter than the rest, approached me, readying an attack. Using Detect, I dodged it, and used the valuable window of time the move gave me to empower my limbs with Aura. Distributing it this way would make my torso and head more vulnerable, but my mobile fighting style would offset the drawback some.
As Detect wore off, it became more difficult to dodge the Bisharp's rapid cuts and jabs, even with the forewarning sensing Aura provided me. It was clear this one was a cut above the rest, but I was not deterred. As I lept out of the way of a Night Slash, I began to think of a plan. Between Shamshir's army and Bismuth's hammer, I had hardly gone through my bag of items. I rummaged through, and found an X-Eye Seed. I threw it at my opponent, who began to stagger back and forth, hallucinating.
As he slashed at foes that were not there, I looked for an opening. Once I had found it, I lept up and hit the side of his head with an Aura-empowered High Jump Kick, causing him to fall to the floor. As he tried to scramble back up, I hit him with a few Brick Breaks for good measure, knocking him out cold. Without the opening my item provided, this task would've been far greater in difficulty. I made a mental note to thank the Kecleon brothers for their services later, and looked at how the others were faring.
Bismuth finished clobbering a Bisharp in what looked to be a one-sided fight with no injuries suffered on her end. She went to help Makuhita, who was visibly struggling against another guard. Seeing how he was covered, I rushed over to Shamshir, who was locked in combat with the last of the four.
While his opponent was busy fighting him, I hunted for another chance to strike. Once I did, I performed a High Jump Kick like I did to the last – this time, it did knock them out cold, probably due to prior injuries. “You didn't need to do that,” Shamshir noted.
“Yes, but the more energy we save for your father, the better,” I responded.
The two of us watched Bismuth and Makuhita make quick work of their foe – the latter served as the perfect distraction for the former. Once they were done, they walked right back to us. We stared at the Shah on his throne, wondering if he was going to lift a finger. I felt the anger in his Aura build as he scowled at his prone bodyguards. “Do I have to do everything myself?” He asked. He got up off of his throne, his terrifying build on display – he was seven feet of pure muscle, willing and able to end anyone who even did so much as slight him. “I should've figured you four were useless. I'll deal with you later.” He stepped forward, staring down at Makuhita. “For now, however, I'll crush this little “rebellion” before it even begins. Did you four at least remember to write your wills before attacking me so brazenly?”
“We don't need them,” Makuhita affirmed. “You're gonna get what's coming to you, you crooked old bastard.”
Check
The Shah lumbered forward, clumsily slashing at Makuhita's direction. Thankfully, the attack was so slow, even he could dodge it. Bismuth then swung her hammer at him, hitting him and distracting him from my partner. Shamshir and I then attacked the Shah at the same time, with a Night Slash and Brick Break respectively. He hardly flinched, but it gave Makuhita the time to Bulk Up, increasing his odds of survival.
My companion began to look through his bag while the rest of us assailed our target, weaving out of the way of his unskilled attacks. Yet, nothing made him break stride, not even Bismuth's hammer. I was at a loss for what to do, but Makuhita found a solution – he hurled a Sleep Seed straight at the Shah, allowing us a valuable window of opportunity.
We unleashed everything we had. Shamshir used X-Scissor, Bismuth used Play Rough, Makuhita pelted him with Arm Thrusts, and I even got a High Jump Kick in, leaving a visible dent on the Shah's armored head. In spite of this, he got up, looking merely angered at the injuries we left him with. He aimed a cut towards his son's right shoulder - it wasn't a solid hit, but it still cut through what armor it could like a knife through butter, leaving a visible gash on his pauldron. I made a mental note to myself to avoid getting hit at all costs. If he could cleave through solid steel effortlessly, flesh would offer even less resistance!
Bismuth lept up and hit the Shah in the side of a head with Play Rough, her hammer only boosting the move's power. This caused him to visibly flinch, but he recovered too quickly for Shamshir or I to attack. “You're just like your mother,” the Shah remarked towards Bismuth. “That accursed toy of yours gives you your strength. I won't make the same mistake I did with her!” In a burst of motion, he cut down through the middle of the head of the Tinkatuff's hammer, splitting it in half. He followed this up by backhanding her, sending her flying towards one of the palace walls.
As that happened, I could see Shamshir's eyes filling with a burning hatred. He cut at his father again and again, his cold, detached exterior having melted away. It was, in a way, entralling to watch – he was able to evade his father with ease, all the while assaulting him like an avatar of wrath. However, this luck would not last forever.
With a single, lucky hit, the Shah cut open his own son's chest, sending him reeling back. Makuhita, seeing Shamshir's injury, charged forward and assaulted the Shah with a series of Arm Thrusts. He simply scooped my partner up with one arm, staring into his eternally closed eyes. “I'm tired of you and your idiotic friends,” he said, loathing in his voice. “You're nothing but pests; insects to be trodden upon. I think I'll start with you.”
The Shah began to stab my companion in the chest repeatedly, his natural bulk doing nothing against the tyrant's unreal strength. “Get off of him!” I cried out, launching into a High Jump Kick, but all I got for my troubles was getting swatted out of the air with an arm, not being able to stop the nightmare before my eyes in the slightest.
Once Makuhita started to move less, the Shah threw him to the floor, cracking the floor underneath. Shamshir launched into another frenzy of attack while I rushed over to my partner's side, panic creeping into my thoughts. Trying my best to remain rational, I looked through my bag to see if anything could help him. He was far too injured for an Oran Berry or even a Reviver Seed to fix, although I had none of the latter. Everything looked hopeless, until I reached the bag's bottom. There, I saw an old present from my time in Redkiln – the Life Seed Sonora gave me. I took it out and stuffed it down Makuhita's gullet, his numerous deep stab wounds vanishing nearly instantaneously. Hearing footsteps headed my way, I looked towards the source, which turned out to be Bismuth.
“Get Makuhita out of here!” I commanded. “You can't fight without your hammer, and he isn't getting up anyway! Please, you might be his only chance of survival!” She looked hesitant, yet still nodded, lifting up my partner's body and scurrying out of the throne room. A sense of dread permeated my body – I knew the odds were growing worse by the moment.
As Makuhita lost consciousness, a memory of his resurfaced... Two brothers sat in a bedroom. The younger one was short and thin, while the elder one was fit and broad. “Drew, why'd you hit that guy from behind in school yesterday?” The older brother asked his sibling.
“Mark, what else was I supposed to do?” The shorter one, Drew, replied. “He wouldn't stop bullying me. I had to do something, or else he wouldn't ever stop!”
The other brother, Mark, frowned. “You shouldn't hurt other people unless you're defending yourself or someone else, though,” he informed. “All he did was call you names – you could've had better results by telling the teachers, or just standing up to him and telling him to back off.”
Drew adjusted his glasses, fidgeting in place. “Yeah, but you know how hard it is for me to do that!” He exclaimed. “I-I have it bad enough here, and if I speak up things just get even worse. That, and it's kind of... Lemme think of the right word; I found it in a dictionary once. Hip... Hippo-something.”
“Hypocritical?” Mark asked.
Drew nodded. “Yeah. You get into a fight every other week, Mark. If I had a dollar for every time you came home with a bruise, I'd be filthy rich,” he quipped, snickering to himself. “I thought if I started fighting back like you, no one would bother me.”
Mark paused, the room filling with an uncomfortable silence. Neither brother spoke for a couple of minutes, until Mark finally broke the ice. “You're right. I haven't been setting a very good example for you. If I'm poked enough times, I'll act like a bear woken up from a nap, and it's gotta stop. How about we promise each other something, Drew?”
“What would that be?” Drew inquired.
“Let's both promise to be better people, for each other's sakes,” Mark proposed. “You stop getting cheap shots in on bullies, and I'll try my best to stop being so irritable all the time. The last thing I want to do is end up like-”
Checkmate
“-Father, I'll make you pay for every sin you've committed here tonight!” Yelled Shamshir, his body wracked with cuts. He ingested an Oran, causing some of the less severe ones to vanish, before continuing to dance around the Shah's stabs and cuts.
“Don't worry, I've got your back!” I exclaimed, using an Aura-empowered Brick Break to slice into the Shah's side. He turned his head to look at me, and I could Sense he was going for another attack. I dodged out of the way – even without my abilities, the Shah's movements were clumsy and and telegraphed to the point I could read him like an open book. The real challenges would be protecting Shamshir, and running too low on stamina.
My only remaining ally charged at the Shah, yelling as he slashed at him like a tornado filled with blades. He got another wound for his troubles, this time on his side. “Calm down and focus!” I yelled at him. “Don't get hit; we need to chip away at him for as long as we can!” Shamshir nodded, the alertness in his gaze slowly returning. The two of us whittled away at our enemy, bit by bit. Every move executed served to bleed away the Shah's vitality, piece by piece. The irony of it all was that if he didn't believe his power and strength was absolute, we would already be dead. If he simply tried to improve his skill in combat or trained, he would truly be unbeatable, but he was too proud to think himself anything less than perfect.
The Shah was beginning to look worn down, numerous injuries and dents having accumulated on his body. He was breathing raggedly, and I could feel the intense rage rolling off his Aura. He was like a burning star compared to Shamshir and I, but I knew now that he wasn't invincible. I could hear his breathing slow down, and saw a glint appear in his eye. The Shah sized up his own son, and then attacked with a single Throat Chop. It caused Shamshir to choke, but oddly enough, it didn't cut as deep as I thought it would. He then followed up with a few more slashes, his son dropping to the ground.
“I'm saving you for last, you disgrace,” the Shah muttered venomously. “You're going to see what happens when you raise your hand against me. First, it'll be your Meditite friend. Then, your army. After that, I'll track down that Makuhita and that pink pest who carried him out. You will see everything you fought for be taken from you, and you will be the last to join them.” I felt nauseous. This Pokemon was even more barbaric than the stories painted him out to be! It was all the more reason to defeat him in Makuhita's stead.
I braced myself for what I had to do. I had no idea how the battle was going outside, but in here, I was the last line between victory and defeat. It was an almost impossibly heavy burden, but I had to bear it. I ducked out of the way of a stab and repositioned myself, leaping up and hitting the Shah's torso with a Brick Break. I evaded yet another of his wild Night Slashes and consumed a Quick Seed, aiming to outfox and overwhelm him with speed.
The Shah had trouble tracking me as I bounced from one part of the room to another, hunting for weaknesses in his guard to exploit. When I found them, I assaulted them with my moves, his metallic hide far too tough for any normal attacks to penetrate. It was enough to force him to act defensively, but I still kept my guard up – if he got in even a single hit, I would be done for.
I backflipped up into the air and landed behind my opponent, and as he turned to re-orient himself, I lept up into an empowered High Jump Kick, creating another dent on his helmet. Unlike the first one, this dazed him, most likely due to already being worn down from the abuse he was given prior. I followed up by attacking with numerous Brick Breaks, taking full advantage of the window given to me. As he regained his bearings, I lept away from him. I noticed that my Aura reserves were beginning to run low, and I could feel tiredness begin to creep into my muscles.
The Shah glared at me, his eyes and body weighed down with fatigue as well. “I can't be beaten,” he remarked. “Just give up already!” He charged forward head-first, in a desperate effort to impale me with an Iron Head, but the technique was far too crude – I evaded it, although it wasn't as smooth as I would've liked it to be. I ran around him and prepared to strike him in the back, but in that moment, I felt the effects of my Quick Seed leave me. He turned around as I lept into another High Jump Kick, and cut my chest.
I dropped to the ground, right in front of the Shah. He towered over me, letting out a weak cackle. “That's what you get for defying my will,” he boasted. “If you have any last words, now would be the time to say them.” I began to think of a proper eulogy, but my thought process was halted by the sound of numerous pairs of footsteps. Was I so drained that I was beginning to hear things?
I heard the sound of something flying in the air, and I could just barely make out the source – it was a feathery arrow surrounded by an ominous purple light, and it streaked straight towards the Shah! It hit him in the arm, and even though it only barely penetrated his armor, I noticed a secondary effect – his shadow was frozen in place, and when he tried to move towards the source of the attack, he couldn't. He tried to move to finish me off instead, but he couldn't even get his feet off the ground! I looked towards the direction it was fired from, and I saw a Decidueye with numerous other Pokemon behind him.
“This is the end,” the avian cawed. “We're sick of cowering in fear of you. You're going to pay ten-fold for every innocent life you've ruined!” He turned towards the crowd, pointing a wing towards the Shah. “How about we all show this man what we think of his “glorious and eternal reign”, hmm?”
The group marched forward, the first Pokemon to emerge from the crowd being a Diggersby. He slugged the Shah with his two arm-like ears, his squinting eyes full of hatred and contempt. “This is for sending my brother to the mines!” He yelled.
Another Pokemon, this time a Golem, stepped up to him and Rock Blasted his face, a lucky hit snapping off half of the Shah's moustache. “You took over our caves and treated us like your slaves!” He scolded. “Us mountain-dwellers and the miners have lived in harmony for generations. We had agreements, borders, and everything, and you violated those out of mere greed!” The Shah struggled in an attempt to free himself from the technique that bound him, but it was of no use.
A Granbull walked up to the Shah and bit him in the leg. Once their mouth was free, they spoke. “You squeezed just about everything out of us merchants with you and your taxes!” She shouted. “I'm sick and tired of barely scraping by!”
A Monferno stepped up and engulfed the Shah in a Flamethrower. “My brothers were all part of the Smith's Rebellion, and what you did to them was unforgivable!” He exclaimed. “If I knew Electrum's daughter and her friends were going to fight, I would've joined them.”
More Pokemon repeated the same routine, physically venting out their anger on the Shah while reminding him of his slights agaisnt his people. Even many of his own men joined in on the activity, although by the time he couldn't take anymore, his son got up. “Citizens of the North, your assistance is appreciated,” Shamshir said. “However, as the leader of this coup and his own son, I shall decide his fate.”
He walked up to the Shah, rage burning in his eyes and in his Aura. “You've taken so much from these Pokemon. You lack even a single shred of remorse for your actions. Do you know what you've earned yourself?” He raised one of his arms, seemingly ready to attack his father.
The Shah's eyes lit up. “By all means, execute me,” he muttered weakly. “Do it, and see what happens next.”
Shamshir hesitated for a moment, thinking to himself. He shook his head, lowering his arm. “No, I won't. My friends wouldn't want my wrath getting the better of me, and besides, I do not wish to make you into a martyr for the rest of the family,” he stated. He walked up to me and helped me up. “My friends, Makuhita and Asana, will detain you and escort you to the authorities. You'll never see the outside of a prison cell again, father, and all the lands you've taken will be returned to their rightful owners, once my brothers are in line.” He looked at the group of angry citizens who stormed into the throne room. “Please, get the heaviest and best-quality chains you can. I don't wish for him to break free.”
Twists of Fate
I had been sitting to myself for hours now, waiting for an update on Makuhita's condition. To my surprise, Bismuth, of all Pokemon, walked in. “Have you been crying?” She asked. I shook my head, as I didn't want her to know the truth. “Don't lie to me, Asana. Your eyes are all red. It isn't shameful to care about others, you know.”
“I have a reputation to uphold,” I replied. “Although, if you're able to see past through my bluff so easily, I suppose there's no use in lying.” I sighed, mustering up the courage to say my true opinion on the situation. “I'm scared. I never asked to be a part of this, but I tagged along anyway to keep my partner safe. Then, he nearly got stabbed to death, and there was nothing I could do about it! I fought against the Shah for the longest out of anyone, but even then, I fell victim to fatigue. If it weren't for the residents of this city, I wouldn't be alive. I failed to protect Makuhita, and I failed to carry out his will. I-”
“Stop,” Bismuth demanded of me. “How do you think I felt when I couldn't fight with Shamshir for any longer? Without my hammer, I'm defenseless. I told myself that I was going to finish what mom started and create a better future for the two of us, but I did the least out of anyone. I wasn't nearly as strong as her, Asana.”
She approached me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I wasn't useless, though. Shamshir would've never had his change of heart, if I weren't around. The only reason I didn't face exile or worse like the rest of Tink-kind was because I was a smith – I was too valuable to discard, and Shammy was assigned to me to make sure I didn't “act up” like mom did. He was a real lonely guy. I saw he had no friends, and deciding to make the best of things, I became his first, slowly thawing out that cold heart of his.”
“What is the point of telling me this?” I asked.
“Well, by opening his heart, I had my role in freeing the North, and so did you,” Bismuth clarified. “By lasting the longest and whittling him down as much as you did, you bought enough time for reinforcements to arrive, even if they weren't... Planned. I think Makuhita will be proud of us both, once he wakes up. I faced the monster who ripped my family apart, even if it was only for a few moments, and you helped put an end to his reign. Don't fret over what you couldn't control. You aren't any lesser for your failings – you and your friend are two of the most selfless Pokemon I've come across, and it isn't good of you to mope around. There are still more friends to make, chains to shatter, and innocents to help. You're like the heroes in the stories mom used to read to me before bed, when I was still a-”
“S-stop,” I stammered out. “I hate it when others call me “good”.”
Bismuth simply giggled at my reaction. “You're just like Shammy, then. You keep judging yourself for your past mistakes, when it's your future and present you should be concerned with.”
I heard the sound of footsteps. A Pawniard approached the two of us – to my surprise, it was Scalpel, the first of Shamshir's number to declare his loyalty to him. “You're my commander's friend, correct?” He asked of me. I nodded. “Good. I came to pass the message that Makuhita is conscious. He's still a bit dazed, but whatever you did to save his life prevented any major injury. You and him will be able to take our ex-ruler with you by tomorrow morning,” he revealed, saying the last part of his announcement with a bit of contempt. I lept up from my spot and rushed towards the hospital, Bismuth struggling to keep up with me.
I stormed into the hospital and ran into Makuhita's room – he did a double take, unsure of if I was really there or not. “Assy, what the heck's gotten into you?” He asked.
“What's gotten into me?” I responded. “You dragged us all into a losing battle, and if it weren't for the civilians being fed up with the Shah, we all would've perished! I had to watch you get stabbed and not be able to do a damn thing about it, and it was only because of an item I had that you're still here! Do you have any idea of how harrowing that scenario was, Makuhita? Do you even know what I think of you?”
He paused, looking uncertain. “I couldn't just sit there and watch everyone suffer, Shamshir especially. I had an obligation to help him, because he and I lived such similar lives-”
“So what?” I asked. “That isn't an excuse to throw away your own life! As absurd as it sounds, you're closer to me than any of my family ever was. You're... Y-you...” I stuttered, having trouble forcing what I needed to say out. “You're like a brother to me. If you were gone, I would be utterly lost. Would it seriously hurt you to be more careful in the future; to not do any more suicidal stunts such as what happened here today?”
My companion frowned. “I didn't know you saw me like that,” he said. “I don't wanna stop helping others, Asana, but I guess I could start planning stuff out more. It was just maddening, seeing Shamshir go through stuff similar to me, and I acted rashly. Next time something like this comes up, I'll talk with you about it first, got it?”
I slowly nodded my head, breathing out a sigh of relief. “That's all I ask of you. Now, rest up – we're hauling the Shah off to Magneton tomorrow, and you'll need all the sleep you can get for that trek.”
Epilogue
The journey back to Sahra was long, but mercifully quiet – the Shah wasn't much for talking. He didn't even try to bust out from the numerous steel chains wrapped around his body, his pride having perhaps been crushed. When we arrived, we walked straight into Deputy Magneton's office, and his reaction was telling.
It wasn't shock, but silence, as he analyzed the outlaw we brought in. ”I HEARD THE NEWS BEFORE YOU ARRIVED, BUT I CAN SCARCELY BELIEVE IT MYSELF. YOU TWO REALLY DID BRING IN THE SHAH, DIDN'T YOU?” He asked.
“We weren't the ones who beat him, though,” I clarified. “It was the people of the North that did. We merely wore him down.”
”YET, YOU TWO INSPIRED THEM AND TWO OTHERS TO RISE UP. LEADING BY EXAMPLE IS A QUALITY OF ITS OWN,” Magneton told us. “JUDGING BY THE REPORTS, WHATEVER YOU SAID REACHED FAR. YOU HAD ONE OF THE SHAH'S OWN SONS AND THE DAUGHTER OF ELECTRUM FIGHTING BY YOUR SIDE, IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN.”
“I don't really recognize that name, Deputy, but I do know who you speak of,” I responded. “Her name's Bismuth. She really idolized her mother, and she helped save my partner's life.”
”IN ANY CASE, YOU TWO ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE,” Magneton droned. He used his magnetism to lift up a very large sack of Poke, depositing it in Makuhita's hands. He struggled to hold onto it, falling a few seconds after. ”THAT IS FOURTY THOUSAND POKE. YOU DESERVE IT FOR THE TRIALS YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH.”
He then floated over to the Shah, and began to escort him out of the office. The former tyrant of the North looked like a broken man, although I pitied him none. His fate was karmic – instead of establishing an empire lasting centuries or perishing in combat, he was humbled by those he thought were below him, and was condemned to spend the rest of his life with nothing to his name.