Finbar Havelock's Story

Deep in the dark blue waters at the center of the Mizu kingdom, a deep unease seemed to flow through ocean. The midday sun reflected off of the massive coral palace and the surrounding reef, exploding into dazzling colors and making the pervasive feeling seem very out of place. But the feeling persisted. From the small Basculin children peeking out nervously from their houses to the mother Blastoises and Azumarills shutting windows and closing doors, there was an aura of dread and fear. For the citizens of the water kingdom, the existence of the feeling was not hard to explain. For the first time in decades, Mizu was preparing for all out war.

The mood within the Mizu coral palace was quite different. Attendants flitted every which way, gathering papers and maps and handing them off to the royal guard and palace advisers. An immense table had been set up in the throne room displaying a highly detailed map of Mizu and the surrounding kingdoms of Hi, Kusa, and the deserts of Doku. Figurines representing battalions and strongholds were peppered across the map, often being adjusted by the surrounding Pokemon. At the head of this massive table stood the ruler of Mizu, King Finbar, stroking his beard worriedly and arguing in a loud voice with the guard members and advisers. The discussion was heated and it was clear that everyone in the room had a very strong opinion about one bit of strategy or another. One of the advisers present, a young Remoraid who had just recently attained this position, suddenly raised his voice over the general din.

"I still see no reason for us to risk open war with our neighboring kingdoms! There is far too much at risk to be closing diplomatic channels already!"

At that, Finbar stopped arguing with those next to him and shifted himself to face the Remoraid directly. As his foot fell to the ground the whole floor seemed to shiver at the force, as if he still held an immense power masked by his old age and wrinkled face. The room immediately fell to dead silence.

"Too much at risk..." he began slowly, but his voice quickly rose in volume, "...too much at risk to defend the very waters we call home from absolute devastation?" He motioned to the map. "Did you, perhaps, not see the utter ruin of our north coast as it sits bathed in sludge and toxins? The sands that looked dark as pitch from soaking up the caustic poison coating them? The ruined pieces of the kelp garden just off the coast that perished when the toxic slime slipped into the ocean and destroyed it?!"

Finbar was shouting now. "This was an attack! An attack on all that is good in our kingdom! Are you suggesting we sit and let the rest of our lands pass into toxic waste?!" He slammed the table with his fist, causing many of the figures on the table to topple over.

The Remoraid swallowed hard and spoke out bravely. "But there is no evidence that Hi or Kusa were responsible for this attack. There is no reason for them to start a war after the horror of our past conflicts."

Finbar snorted. "The King and Queen of Hi and Kusa have never shared our firm dedication to peace. Of course, you are right in that we have no evidence. I knew this, and I offered a chance to avoid this conflict. I gave them the command to extradite every last poison types in their two kingdoms to Mizu for questioning. Once we found the perpetrators, we would release all the innocents to return home. But they chose to ignore my command, to let the evil creatures who committed this atrocity run free among the poison types in their cities."

"But you must understand how difficult that would have been," interjected the adviser, " to extradite every poison type in Hi and Kusa? There must be hundreds.."

"And what would you suggest!" Roared Finbar, "no one saw the crime! No one volunteered a confession! Would you have us sit and wait until another beach head is cast into poison for decades! Would you have me patrol the entire border? All the guards in Mizu would be unable to span half of it! The only way was and is to interrogate any and every poison type in this land until the criminals are found."

The Remoraid fell silent, for he had no response to this last argument. Finbar turned to the other guard members and advisers. "We do not seek war," he said, "but if our demands are not met, if Garuda and Virizion will not give me the poison types under their rule, we have no choice if we are to defend the very existence of our kingdom. If they intend to resist us in our just cause of finding the guilty poison types, we will fight them."

The silence lingered a moment longer after Finbar finished speaking. Before long, however, it erupted again into the busy work of preparing for conflict. No one in the room doubted Finbar's logic, though perhaps they should have, but despite this, not one of them could completely swallow the terrible fear that was slowly growing inside them. The fear that only comes with war.

Kaleesh

"I, Antheia, grant you permission to go to Doku and collect as much information as you can... I shall suit you up with necessary supplies for this journey.." She exhaled and continued. "Though if you have any other request to ask for, please do tell.."

Kaleesh was taken aback at the generosity of his Queen, even though he he had seen it expressed many times to the people of Kusa. "No, your majesty," he replied. "I could not dream of asking you for any more than you have so graciously granted." As the Ninjask stood, a mournful sigh escaped his lips. "To tell you the truth, your majesty, I also seek this mission for personal reasons. Though it was a hard childhood, Doku was my home. In my heart I would love to see it rebuilt, to be led by noble Pokemon seeking the common good of others. Yet, I cannot simply assume that this guild will be such a leader to Doku. I must know if it intends for good or ill, and make sure it is stopped if it truly seeks to gain fortune off of conflict."

He suddenly realized he had said far more than he had intended. Antheia just seemed so understanding the words spilled out without Kaleesh realizing it. He quickly bowed his head. "I apologize, my Queen. I did not mean to trouble you with my past." He was about to turn and go, when he noticed the Queen appeared to be deep in thought. He decided to wait a little longer standing at attention, to see if she would speak.


Finbar

It had been a long day of preparations and strategizing for Finbar, and he was visibly worn out. The war room had cleared out, leaving an empty table strewn with flags and figurines, along with stacks of papers cluttering the floor and benches. Finbar slowly collapsed on the ancient throne of Mizu, letting out a loud groan. The only other Pokemon in the room was a late-middle aged Octillery, the most decorated general serving in the old royal guard but now retired. "What a horrible mess, Bumble," Finbar moaned to the Octillery, "I had forgotten how terrible a business war really is. And it hasn't even started yet."

Bumble slowly walked over to the throne and sat down by his old friend. "Aye, Finbar, that it is. But I believe in ya, as do the rest o the folks in Mizu, even if they seem a wee bit scared right now."

"We shall see about that." Muttered Finbar. "But in the meantime, what do you think of the plans so far?"

"I cannae say it's the best position I've ever fought out of, but it'll have to do fer now," replied Bumble. "A full assault on just Kusa or Hi would leave our borders too unprotected from tha other kingdom. Our only real option is ta divide our forces to assault both at once. It'll be tough, aye, for sure, but if we play our cards right we just might get through with casualties to a minimum."

Finbar ran his fingers purposefully on the extravagant coral finishes of the throne. "You may be right. Garuda and Antheia are far too inexperienced to be proper leaders. Garuda is a hothead who only knows how to stir up a fight, and Antheia shows promise but is far too young to fully understand the responsibilities of leading an entire kingdom. Further, their royal guards suffered greatly under the wars of the past generation, much of the military leadership is new blood that has not yet been properly hardened on the battlefield. If we can use our experience against them, we could catch them unprepared."

Bumble grinned, slyly. "I don't mean ta brag, your majesty, but I'd wager Mizu still has tha finest artillery divisions in all o' Yoso. I've made sure o' that."

Finbar permitted himself a small smile. "Ha, I know you have, Bumble. There never was a commander as demanding as you are on the sharpshooter recruits." Finbar paused a moment, seemingly lost deep in thought. "I won't keep you any longer, Bumble. But thank you for your insights, and for making today as bearable as it could be." Bumble nodded and, never losing his grin, made his way out of the throne room. Finbar suddenly sat up straight on his throne. The time for rest was not quite in grasp for him. There was still the matter of the young twins. Closing his eyes and meditating deeply, Finbar reached out to Taobi and Fedui telepathically, sending a simple message. Come to me, my children, there is something I must briefly discuss with you. He sighed again and leaned back against elegantly carved stone. He did not want his children to be involved in this conflict, but as the only heirs of the throne it was their duty to be present in the fights of Mizu. He could only hope that they came to no harm and would someday forgive him for being unable to avoid this war.

Taobi was up hours ago training on a practice dummy in the garden. His sister had set it up for him on the agreement he not touch any of the plants she kept in the garden, which he reluctantly agreed too considering they were almost everywhere. He had found a clearing luckily and His armor clanked as he slashed at the dummy with his sword, the silver rocks inside fell out. "Yes!!!" he cheered then fell over from the weight of the armor. He growled as he stood up and heard his sister's laughing. "Shut up." he said growling before he heard his father.



Fedui was in her personal garden humming, a yellow ring coming out of her mouth. It was her super sonic but luckily no one was near enough to get hit by it. She could hear her brother so she peered through the kelpsy berries and saw her brother fall on the ground. She let out a large laugh and almost fell back in humor. She knew her brother was extremely egotistical (and so did everyone who had ever talked to him) but she was one of the few who knew how insecure he was about himself. She took advantage of it at times but didn't like to do it other than the few times he did something she hated.


Come to me, my children, there is something I must briefly discuss with you.

Both Spoke at the same time as they would often do when they got telekinetic messages.

"Yes Father."

"Yes Father."

They both rushed to their rooms quickly looking for a change of clothes. Fedui picked herself out a stunning green dress, the color of Wepear berries she has desperately tried to grow. While Taobi grabbed a simple vest and pants considered for royal occasions. They both rushed down to their father. Taobi made it seconds before his sister then bowed as Fedui curtsied.

" What do you need father? "

"Yes Father what is it?"

Finbar looked over his children with loving eyes. They truly were his biggest joy in his old age. But swallowing back his emotion, he forced himself to relay the serious orders. "My children, you have grown strong and honorable and I am very proud of you both. I had hoped to spare you from battle while I was still alive, at least, but fate has forced my hand. We are going to war against Hi and Kusa, and I need the two of you to be commanders of the Mizu forces."

Rising from the throne, Finbar walked towards the two and pulled them into a strong embrace. He looked his son in the eye. "Taobi, you have a strong will and strength to match. I am putting you in charge of Mizu's soldiers on the Kusa front. I will be taking the artillery and aerial platoons to lead an attack against Hi, so I want you to choose from our soldiers Pokemon who can navigate the grass and forests of Hi capably. Choose the most agile, for I foresee Antheia using guerrilla tactics in her territory. Make sure to bring soldiers who can fight back against grass types. I know you have not always been fully dedicated to your training, so if you have trouble deciding, seek counsel from Bumble. He will keep it a secret so your pride is not injured."

Finbar then turned to Fedui. "And you, Fedui, have brought much joy and aid to our people with your skills as a healer. I want you to accompany your brother to Kusa and command the nurses who will care for the wounded. There will be much sorrow and loss, war is a horrible business, but with your talents you can bring life out of the battlefield where others would leave only death."

Sensing he was about to get tears in his eyes, Finbar turned away from the twins and walked back to the throne. "Please, look out for each other. Do not let any harm befall either of you. And Taobi! The battlefield is no place for pride. Do not risk lives for glory or to prove your strength against the enemy. Seek to hurt as few as possible, and remember our objective. We do not want to overthrow Kusa, only to bring poison types into custody. And Fedui, I pray you will never have to use them, but do not forget that even a nurse can use her powers to inflict harm if she comes under attack. Do not hesitate to defend yourself and your brother, should the need arise. Now go get some rest. Preparations begin tomorrow."

Kaleesh

The ninjask had been correct, and the queen had one last thing to say. "Kaleesh, please do a favor for me...and take my son with you to Doku." He froze, caught completely off guard by the request. He had intended to go alone, to seek answers about his former homeland. He could move faster than any other scout or guard in Kusa and had the training to be silent and deadly, but the Queen's son....did not have such honed skills in the field. Or at all.

"Your majesty, I, uh...well," Kaleesh began to stutter. Bringing Keita was certainly going to throw his original plans for a loop. But suddenly he stopped his doubts. Her royal highness was making a request, one that was for the good of the royal family and therefore for Kusa. Who was he to go against the desires of Antheia? "Of course." Kaleesh finally replied, regaining his composure. "It would be an honor to aid the prince in learning survival and experience on a mission like this." While his voice did not betray his emotions, his mind still swirled with questions and problems of what to do now that he had to essentially babysit the awkward prince Keita. It would be difficult. Kaleesh was unsure what the young sceptile knew, if anything, of reconnaissance or battle or basic survival outside the forest. He also feared Keita would stick out like a sore thumb if they had to pass themselves off as visitors to the locals. Nevertheless, he resolved to find a way no matter the odds, for it was the will of his queen that he should go. So go, Keita would, and Kaleesh would make sure he came back without a scratch.

Finbar

After seeing his children run off to make ready for bed and preparations, Finbar retired to his room as well. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted, but he couldn't stop his mind from racing between detail and detail for the upcoming conflict. He was proud of his young ones for being able to step up and take responsibility. Taobi would love it, he was sure, but even though Fedui had been the picture of a happy and obedient daughter a few moments ago, Finbar knew she loathed war and would take her sentence very harshly. It could not be helped, he needed them if the war effort was to be a success. Taobi he knew had more resolve than any other general he could have sent to the Kusa front, if he could just avoid being rash it would all be well. And Fedui was without a doubt among the most skilled healers, if not the most, in all of his kingdom. She would be the backup to Taobi's recklessness, keeping the troops safe.

At any rate, it wasn't the Kusa front that was worrying him. As he rolled over in his bed, Finbar imagined the upcoming battle with that hothead, Garuda. The king of Hi was not one to be lightly trifled with. Even with Mizu's elemental advantage over fire, Garuda and his father before him had demonstrated that type advantage was not the deciding factor in a fight. He would have to try to start the assault on Hi through the cover of darkness, when the sun wasn't boosting the power of Hi's armies. Garuda would undoubtedly fight back with his ability to intensify the sunlight during the day, so Finbar would have to think of something to counteract that, as well. But what could... Finbar sat straight up in bed. "Of course!" He thought. "I will have to get aid from the tribe of Politoed." Their ancient rain dancing techniques were capable of summoning huge storms with pouring rain. With their help, Finbar could be assured that at least half of the battlefield would be covered in water, even if the other half was scorching and dry as a bone.

Stumbling upon this new piece of strategy gave Finbar the peace of mind he needed to drift off to sleep. The next day would be very busy indeed.

The dawn rose over the kingdom of Mizu, the light reflecting and refracting off the water in a myriad of glorious colors. Pokemon began to stir, but Finbar had been up several hours before the sun peeked its head over the horizon. His strike against the other kingdoms had to be quick, before they could entrench their defenses, and Finbar had much yet to do. The old Palkia went over his battle plans for what seemed like the hundredth time, his army officers observing as he painted an imaginary picture on the grand table in the throne room.

"We will lead with our ground battalions. I want all of our best Gastrodon, Seismitoad and Quagsire soldiers on the Hi front. Their affinity to the ground makes them the ideal siege engineers, and we will need them, for Garuda's mountain palace is heavily fortified. Put the Lanturn battalion directly behind them, and I want Poliwrath battalions on both sides who can run in and defend or flank if need be."

The officers murmured among themselves while Finbar scratched his long beard. He pointed at several hills close to Mount Groudon. "Our first primary objective is to take these hills. Once we have established ourselves there we can set up our artillery divisions, Blastoise and Octillery and Kingdra and Seadra. They will be able to bombard the battlefield with hydro pumps at will."

"Won't Garuda just move his troops up or behind the mountain?" asked one of the officers, "Why would he engage in the line of fire of our artillery?"

Finbar pointed at the base of Mount Groudon. "We will force his hand. If he does not engage, our ground battalions will break down the entire mountain. He can try to position his ranged fighters on top of the mountain, but our artillery can provide covering fire to hinder their efforts." Finbar raised his hand as a rumble of shock and disapproval started to surface. "I assure you, I understand the dangers of assaulting an active volcano. We will have all the strongest ice types on hand to control the lava flow on top of our ground types who can shake and structure the earth to build walls against it. Our assault will not relent until we have taken Mount Groudon. We will take the hills during the night, and launch the attack as soon as the artillery is in position. Even when the scorching sun rises, we will have protection against it. Now go and assemble the troops, we march to the borders of Mizu by nightfall!"

The officers saluted and dashed off to get the troops and supplies they would need for such an enormous attack. Finbar surveyed the massive table a moment longer, before turning away himself. The pieces were so small, he thought, and yet they represented dozens, nay, hundreds of lives. Lives that could be snuffed away in an instant. He sat down on his throne in disgust. What absolute evil a war was. Even to save his homeland, Finbar would almost rather abandon the ocean altogether instead of risking his people in another world conflict. But abandoning Mizu was out of the question. He was its protector as much he was the protector of Mizu's pokemon. And he had a job to do. Finbar leaned back into his throne and brought his hands to his head, focusing intensely. At that moment, Bumble suddenly burst into the room, and Finbar nearly fell over in his seat at the noise.

"Hate ta be a bother, yer majesty," said the elderly Octillery, in a tone that Finbar couldn't tell was apologetic or sarcastic, "but I got ya some info I thinks ya should hear, and hear quick." Bumble paused and adjusted his ragged cap, which had been jostled when he had slammed open the doors to the throne room. "I've been talking ta our agents on the ground, reportin' from all the kingdoms. Looks like we got some kinda guild or band a' pirates or somethin' livin' over in the ruins of Doku. Our spy leaders say it ain't nothin' but a bunch of snot-nosed kids running around tryin' ta fell important 'n all, but I got a bad feelin' bout the whole thing."

Finbar gazed curiously at Bumble. "How so?"

"Well, our folks are sayin' that those Fumei folks, that's the guild ya see, wanna try ta intervene somehow in the conflict. I think they might be tryin' ta pull some terrorist kinda business. They don't claim no borders yet, and they're led by some young gal, a Scolipede by our agents' reckonin'."

Finbar frowned deeply. "A poison type." This new information may indeed cloud issues even further. Was this guild somehow implicated in the heinous acts against Mizu? It would make sense. A small group not linked to the three kingdoms could make its way around at will, and perhaps even commit crimes. But the devastation on Mizu's coast wreaked of an organized plot that only one of the other leaders could have arranged. Still, Fumei could have played a role. He needed more information.

"Thank you, Bumble." Finbar said as he finally stirred from his thoughts. "This news does indeed trouble me. Tell our spies to search for whatever information they can bring back on this guild. We will most likely have to nip it in the bud before it can become even more troublesome. But it does not change our plans for the present. Please go, if you would, and assist Taobi as he gathers his own troops."

Bumble nodded and moseyed back out of the throne room. Finbar sighed and shook his head. If only he could focus on what was bad enough already, without complicating matters constantly arising. No matter, he knew what needed to be done here and now, and that was a start. He closed his eyes and sent a quick telepathic message to his two children. "Prepare yourselves, I leave tonight and you both will leave on your own journey as soon as you are ready." Sitting back, he once again brought his hands to his head. Grasping all the focus he could muster, Finbar reached out with his mind far from the royal palace and into a deep cave situated on a nearby island. His thoughts swirled ethereally, suddenly wrapping around a single being as he found his target.

"Elder, it has been some time. I require your assistance. I believe you know what it is that I seek."

"Finbar! It HAS been a long time. I can sense the unrest in your very thoughts. Let us talk of the arrangement which you have in mind."