Azure

Azure

"Princess, I've told you many times not to go out on the woods at night," said a father to his daughter. There was a disappointed look on his face as pulled at the girls hand.

They walked hand in hand. The man was leading the young girl back to their home away from the woods into a vibrant plain with a cozy two story house.

However, the little girl turned her head away from her father and pouted.

Despite this, the man continued to talk to her. "You know how dangerous the woods can be at night," he continued, but to no avail.

The girl continued to pout. He didnt understand... he didnt know what she knew...

"You don't know that," she mumbled as she kept looking away.

The man stopped briefly, turned around, and rested his hands over his daughter's shoulders.

"You don't know about the incident that happened 3 years ago," he said with a caring voice. "You were too young to remember, but there was an alert for a very dangerous animal or pokémon that wrecked the forest,"

Despite the explanation, the daughter kept her gaze away from him.

"All I wanted to do was see if the stories I heard about Azure were true," she mumbled weakly. Her frown still in place.

"Azure? Whats this 'Azure' you talk about?" he asked confused. His voice growing a little more concerned.

The little girl realized her mistake and bit her lip lightly. "I promised not to tell," she said, gazing at the grass below her feet.

The man felt a growing knot on his throat as the supposed 'secret' came up.

He smiled weakly, and turned her around so she was looking directly at him. "Princess, you know you don't have to hide anything from me. You can trust me, is this about the group you were about to meet?"

"It's a secret…" she replied stubbornly.

The man knelt and scooped his daughter in his arms. "Common princess, you know you can trust your papa with anything right?" he coaxed, bringing up the most heartwarming smile he could.

Her father had the imposing figure of a body builder. Hiking was his job, so his figure and muscles made him stand out above any average person. But his smile was his best feature. It could melt away the coldest ice.

The little girl refused to look her father in the face. Knowing full well she would divulge the secret if she were to look at him.

0-0-0

A young girl strode along the streets of Nimbasa City. She had been asked to venture into town and buy some groceries for dinner. On her way back around route 16, the girl had spotted a growing crowd.

She became curious and decided to see what the commotion was about.

Children and adults she recognized sat around a man who appeared to be telling a story of some sort. He was dressed in some rather heavy clothing. Which wasn't unusual since there was a desert not far from Nimbasa City. The only thing visible was the lower half of his face, since dark shades covered his eyes.

The man waved his arms to add drama to the story. Then he turned and stared at her.

'Would you like to learn the legend of Azure?' he asked with a voice full of allure.

Everyone who was sitting in the circle awaited her answer, anxious to continue hearing the story of the one named Azure. Apparently she had gotten there just in time to hear the beginning.

She turned to her watch and saw it was 5… there was still enough time to get home before dark.

She nodded and proceeded to sit down along with kids she recognized from the battle institude.

'.... Lets see...where was I?... Oh yes...' the man said. 'Everyone please close your eyes and imagine my words as I go along...' he said, and everyone obeyed.

'Azure was unique to his family. Out of 3 brothers and 2 sisters, he was the only one not related to them by blood. He was unique. His father found him in the woods one day as he gathered provisions for his mate, and recently born kits. With no one around in miles he knew he was the only chance the baby had for surviving. Without a second thought, the kind Zoroark brought the unwanted cub home to live with his own family. Unlike his siblings, his fur wasn't red.  His blue fur and reddish golden eyes symbolized him as one of the rarely seen awakened illusion kitsune,' he said, as people awed.

The girl knew from legends that the illusion kitsune referred to the Zorua and Zoroark that had been fabled of living near the woods of Nimbasa City. Also… the man seemed to confuse the term awakened for shiny, since there had been witness accounts of there being blue furred Zorua.

She snapped away from her thoughts as the man continued.

'As you all know from legends, awakened kitsune have a great power within them. Greater strength, greater speed, greater sense of smell, greater sight... in short, they excel in comparison to their fellow kin.'

That was another misconception. Some believe that pokémon that have an alternate color in comparison to the regular, means they are stronger or have abilities that set them apart. A subject which scientists have determined inconclusive.

'From a very young age, his father made sure to teach him everything he knew, in hopes that one day Azure could set out on his own and find his lost family... but he needed to be ready, in case he were to find someone strong'

'Day in and out his father taught him relentlessly, but with great love and kinship. His family was proud of him. His skill and talent for hunting and battling were great, which often times led to huge family feasts. His mother would pamper him, his brothers and sisters though jealous of him, always ended up being unable to hate the unique kitsune. Years went by, but he never left. He claimed not to be ready, when in reality all he wanted was to remain among his family... his real family that he grew up with. The ones that showed him love, when his other family must had forsaken him... left him to die. But even after ascending, which was considered a feat of strength, did Azure the Zoroark claim to be unfit to leave.'

The girl, along with everyone in the crowd, began to feel some kind fondness for Azure. The love for it's family touched everyone in the crowd. This man was doing an amazing job at portraying the feelings in his story. She could have sworn she felt her surroundings melding into the story... she was not only feeling... but it felt as if she was experiencing the story as it was told.

'However... his father had different plans. Tired of Azure's excuses, he ordered him to be gone by the next day, or he would face dire consequences. Of course Azure didn't believe his father's words, foolishly believing it was only another attempt at trying to make him go away. And thus Azure ignored his father's very serious threat,' he said, his voice carrying a slight sad tone to it.

The last words left a sour taste in everyone's mouth.

'Next day at noon, Azure awoke with a loud howl of pain. He snapped his eyes open to see that his right paw was bleeding considerably. In front of him was his father, an intimidating look on his face... blood dripping down his jaws. Azure had disobeyed a direct order from the clan's leader, and in the family's eyes, that was a challenge for leadership of the clan. The day before had been a warning. Since he ascended it was not possible for him to stay any longer. There could not be 2 male Zoroarks in a pack. And regardless of the love they felt, it was tradition,'he continued. There was a slight hint of anger as he ended the sentence. His tone slightly changing from sad to angered.

There was complete silence around the crowd as they imagining the shocking development... the air had been sucked right out of them.

'Azure didn't want to face his father. He simply wanted the love and affection of his family. But his father simply wouldn't have anything of the sort. The battle for leadership of the clan began, and fear was the only thing Azure felt. No matter how much he begged his father, his only reply was with a deadly slash. Even though he was an awakened kitsune, his father had a lot of experience on his side. Bite after bite, and lunge after lunge, the blue fox grew tired... unwilling... too afraid of ever harming his beloved father,'

It was at this point that some people began to tear up, herself included.

'They could have kept the exchange going for hours...however that all changed when Azure tripped over a piece of wood...a damned piece of wood... his father didnt waste a second and rushed in for the opening. In a frenzied and crazed panic, the blue kitsune closed his eyes and swiped at his father in fear of its life... and then... there was silence... a cold agonizing silence...'

Oh dear god...no...

'Azure slowly opened his eyes to see the form of his father cut into 3 different pieces... His head, torso, and legs separated mid-air... Blood exploded and splattered everywhere,' said the man, his voice picking up emotion as the he went along.

She started hearing other children in the crowd beginning to cry softly, as well as some adults gasping and covering their mouths in shock.

'With wide eyes, the entire family watched as the body of their father fell. Azure's eyes widened in horror, tears forming in the corners of his eyes... He didn't... he never... this wasn't what he...'

The girl felt hot tears beginning to run down her cheeks. Azure never meant to harm his father! From the very beginning he had asked for love... not ruthless punishment!

'But there would be no excuses. His mother, in a state of rage and loss, charged at him. How dare he kill the one that took pity on him as a child... the one living being who rescued him from an existence of loneliness... Azure who was still in a state of shock, simply and clumsily dodged to the side, but the female vixen would let up so easily. She dodged in par, and raised her jaw... biting down hard onto the flesh of her son,' said the man as he produced the sound of chattering teeth.

This was followed by a lot of gasps from the crowd.

'A loud yelp of pain came from Azure's mouth, and without thinking of the consequences he smacked his left paw into his mother's body... trying to free himself from the ungodly pain... almost immediately was her body blown away. The body traveled a good 10 feet before plummeting against a huge tree. Her body went limp, and her head fell in a weird position. It was clear that she had broken her neck.'

No...No!...Not again!

'It was at that point that Azure's sanity went out the window. He had done in both his father and mother. This had to be a nightmare... by Arceus....it had to be a nightmare... he needed to wake up immediately. His brothers and sisters charged at him. But it was worthless, in his state of psychosis, Azure did them all in. By the time he recovered from his state of confusion and madness, they were all dead…'

There was no reaction from the crowd. Only whimpering and crying.

'His beloved family and clan… All dead… Azure let out a demented smile...almost morbid. It was all a nightmare and he needed to wake up.... He spotted a passenger Deerling staring at him in fear. It had witnessed everything...he knew too much! He charged toward him and killed it mercilessly. Then out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted something rustling in the bush. His eyes then fell into the form of a Patrat, which had witnessed it killing the Deerling and fled for its life. But to no avail… with its greater speed and power, he caught up to it in seconds flat and sank his fangs into its neck and crushed it…' he said as he licked his lips, which caused everyone's stomachs to turn.

'In his demented bliss, Azure could have sworn to see the figure of his father and mother in the midst of the madness, but they were gone in seconds… He knew what he had to do... if he ever wanted to see his family again, he needed to kill... He would kill and annihilate everything in front of him... his family wanted deaths to make up for their own! Once there was nothing left to kill... he would be able to meet his family again!…' said the man, his voice going back to normal.

'Or at least that's what went by his corrupted mind at the time… Legend state that the very same Zoroark lives in the depths of Lostlorn Forest... awaiting the one that will free him from his loneliness and suffering…' he said as he took a quick bow, signaling the end of the story.

Everyone in the crowd began applauding. But not the girl. Her mind kept thinking about the poor Zoroark.

'If any of you are interested, I'm going on an expedition, to the spot where it is fabled that Azure is supposed to live. Would any of you like to accompany me?' he asked, which was responded to quickly by more than half of the audience.

There had to be at least 50 people in the crowd. But approximately only 30 decided to attend… including herself.

'Alright then lets meet here at midnight, don't tell anyone about this so we can keep our group short. We'll make our way into Lostlorn Forest and explore the site,' said the man as he walked away.

She hurried home and was briefly interrogated by her mother, wondering what took her so long to get back. She made up an excuse and helped her mother with dinner. She was grateful to have such a loving family… it made her feel bad for the poor Zoroark who lost everything it loved.

But she would help him! She would give him the love its family denied it!

When midnight came along she gathered her things and sneaked away from the house, making her way to route 16, where she would meet with all the others.

Before she could reach them however, she felt a strong pull on her arm. She yelped loudly as the imposing form of her father towered above her. A disappointed look on his face.

0-0-0

"Please daddy! I want to go with them!" she pleaded her father.

"The answer is no princess, I am not letting you go with a bunch of strangers deep into the forest. If you want to go really badly we can go together tomorrow in the morning. That's final," he said as he closed her door and locked it from the outside.

For almost an hour, the little girl made a fuzz. She threw her stuff at the walls, kicked her bed and yelled loudly. But it got her nowhere.

She fell asleep in the midst of her rage.

Later that day, just as the father promised… they set out to Lostlorn Forest, where they would go deep into the forest. The father had a bad feeling about the whole expedition, but against his better judgment they set on forward.

…

However… nothing could had prepared them for the horrible sight they came across as they reached the middle of the forest.

Bodies…

Everywhere…

Human and pokémon bodies alike.

The father quickly took his daughter in his arms and made her look away from the horrid scene.

Mangled body pieces scattered everywhere... There had been a terrible battle here...

He looked around in shock... there were several faces he recognized from town... What on earth... What the hell happened here? He felt the body of his daugther go limp... she must have passed out due to the shock.

From what he could tell... something had attacked the group, and everyone responded by releasing the pokemon for battle. What could have possibly battled and killed so many...

The man's eyes flew wide open. The incident 3 years ago... was it possible it happened again?

He took a pokemon from his belt and released his Liepard, he placed his daughter on it's back and secured her safely with a sash. He took out a piece of paper and wrote a quick message. He asked the feline to take her back home and to get the letter to Officer Jenny. Liepard only purred in response and took off.

With great unease, the man made his way through sea of multiple bodies. Until he reached something that made his stomach turn in shock.

There was a large boulder… and in it there were words inscribed… in dripping bloody red letters.

"FEAR ME HUMANS... FOR THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF YOUR END..."

…

The man felt a piercing look behind him, he could have sworn there was something staring at him from somewhere. Was that thing still here? Did the sick bastard stay to watch the first person to look at its sick work?

There was a sudden rustling and a creepy laugh emitting from everywhere.

His fears were true... that thing had been watching him. He didnt know since when... but it had set its eyes on them when they entered the forest. He immediately snapped away from his thoughts as a voice began coming from all sides.

"Every good legend needs a survivor to tell the story... sadly for you, you just sent the survivor away... so what shall I do with you?...kekeke...."

Hours later a colossal group of police members rushed the scene. There was only one survivor. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. He was covered in deep cuts and bruises. They noted that the man had 5 pokemon on his belt, but had sent none of them out to battle.

Amongst the bodies laid the clothes of the man who told the story… they contained no blood… only suspicious shiny blue hair.

0-0-0

Police Report:

Massacre at Lostlorn Forest

Similar the incident 3 years ago, countless bodies of pokémon were discovered at the depths of Lostlorn Forest. In a shocking turn of events, there was also several humans on the deceased list. Most were travelers of the town in Nimbasa city. Amongst the bodies, there was clothes imbedded with a unique blue hair, which witness accounts described as the man who told a tale of a blue Zoroark.

Upon many studies and experiments on the fur, no pokémon or animal with such DNA structure has been identified as of yet... if this thing can be considered a pokemon at all.

Whatever this creature is… it is smart and cunning. Capable of communicating via our language.

According to my research there have been multiples cases of disappearances from major cities and towns all over Unova... Could they be linked to this creature?

Scientists could only identify a virus within the fur, however its none of the likes they have ever seen before. Therefore the name Azure was given to it, given the circumstances.

Until further notice Unova will be put on a high alert quarantine. Nothing gets in nothing gets out. We cant let this creature or virus spread to other regions, it could mean the death of us all.

I have been assigned to this case, and will try my best to solve it before another catastrophe befalls Unova.

~Charles Looker