Chapter 1

Legends, stories scattered throughout time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past. Man, created by the Alpha, was strong, wise, and resourceful.

But in the world created by the Alpha that Man now called home, a darkness inevitably began to grow. The creatures of Grimm set their sights on Man and all of his creations, intent on returning their brief existence to the void. However, all hope was not lost. The beings created by the Alpha to live alongside Man gave their support, and taught Man how to harness their power with Ether. This strength, combined with Man's resourcefulness and ingenuity allowed them to drive back the darkness. These celebrated beings came to be known as Pokemon.

In the absence of the shadows came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights flicker and die. And when they are gone, darkness will return.

It was late at night, but the small Ether shop 'Works Ether Way' was still open, casting a soft light onto the street. A man in a white coat with orange hair poking out from under his bowler hat walked toward it with a white cane clutched in his right hand and a cigar in his mouth. He accompanied by several men in sunglasses and dark suits who shoved any bystanders out of their way. As they barged into the modest little store, the old man at the counter got a friendly look on his face, but his smile vanished as he realized what was happening.

Roman Torchwick crossed his arms and tapped his cigar out on the glass countertop while his lackeys examined the cases of Ether lining the store. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find an Ether shop open this late?" He asked calmly. One of his henchmen signalled to his Poochyena. The black pup Pokemon leaped up onto the countertop and snarled threateningly.

The old man put his hands up immediately. "Please," he begged, "Just take my lien and leave."

Roman shushed him. "Calm down, we're not here for your money." He turned to his henchman. "Grab the Ether." They nodded and proceeded to empty the store, filling several briefcases full of canisters.

As one lackey stepped around a shelf, he spotted a kid in a black dress with red trimmings. She was turned away from him, her head obscured by a red hood. "Hey!" He barked as he pulled a PokeBall from his belt and released a Scraggy. The girl completely ignored him.

He stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder, forcefully turning her around. The hood fell off the reveal her youthful face, her short, dark red hair, and the headphones that had prevented her from hearing him. But her most striking feature was her glittering silver eyes, which looked at him with an innocent expression.

She took off the headphones. "Yes?" She asked calmly.

"All right girl, hands where I can see 'em!" Torchwick's thug growled.

The girl looked back and forth between him and the Scraggy with a confused expression. Her hand drifted to her waist. "Are you… robbing me?"

He threw back his head with an exasperated sigh. "Yes!" He yelled.

The little girl nodded with a small smile on her face. "Oh."

Torchwick didn't even flinch as one of his lackeys was knocked across the room and into the opposite wall. He turned to another subordinate and motioned toward the shelf the other guy had flown from. Releasing a Zubat from a ball on his belt, the dark-suited man stepped around the shelf and was immediately tackled by a green blur that sent him careening through the window of the shop and out onto the street, followed closely by the red-haired Trainer.

Torchwick and his remaining lackeys looked through the shattered window to see the girl standing up straight over her second victim's unconscious body. A Scyther sood at her side, its wings vibrating impatiently. Torchwick turned angrily to the rest of his henchman. "Well? Get her!"

They leaped out of the window and released their Pokemon all at once. As they charged at her, she called out, "Agility!" The Scyther sprung forward and began dashing around at dizzying speeds. The thugs and their Pokemon tried to follow its movements, but it was too fast. One by one, each of their Pokemon was downed with furious swipes of the mantis Pokemon's razor sharp forelimbs. They were followed closely by their masters; Scyther knocked them out with strikes of the blunt side of its forelimbs or swift kicks.

As her Scyther reappeared at her side, the girl looked at Torchwick with a confident smirk. He stepped forward and looked down at his comatose henchmen, shaking his head. "You were worth every cent. Truly, you were." He remarked. Turning back to the red-haired girl, he pulled a red Ether crystal from his pocket. "Well, Red," he called. "I think we can all say this has been an eventful evening. And as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we part ways." The crystal glowed red in his hand, and he threw it forward to land at her feet. She shielded her eyes with her arm as it exploded, sending chunks of asphalt flying in all directions.

When the smoke had cleared, the girl looked around frantically to find Torchwick. She spotted him climbing up a ladder to the top of a building across the street and signalled Scyther to come along as she ran after him.

She scaled the ladder while Scyther flew up the side of the building, both of them landing on the rooftop to see Torchwick with his back turned to them. A small airship flew toward him, presumably his getaway. It stopped at the edge of the building, opening its hangar where a Houndoom was waiting patiently. He climbed in and turned back to the girl. "End of the line, Red!" He yelled. "Houndoom, Fire Blast!"

The Dark Pokemon growled and spit a wave of white-hot flames toward the red-haired girl and her Scyther. Just as she recalled Scyther to its PokeBall in an attempt to protect it, the flames hit the roof and exploded.

Roman whooped excitedly, but was cut short when he saw the barrier of blue light that had protected the girl. An Alakazam was standing next to her, calmly maintaining the shield while its whiskers fluttered in the wind. Its Trainer stood with it, an older woman in a black and white outfit and a short purple cape, her blonde hair tied back in a neat bun. "Psybeam." She commanded. Dropping the barrier, the Alakazam thrust its arms forward. Its twin spoons bent as several beams of multicolored light shot from the air around it and slammed into the airship, causing it to keel over.

Roman had vanished into the ship's cockpit, but was quickly replaced by a woman in a short red dress, her face hidden in the shadows of the ship's hangar. A Gardevoir stood next to her, its red eyes glaring contemptuously. The shadowy woman's dress glowed as she swept her arm forward and a burst of fire shot out of her hand. The blonde woman dispersed the blast with her own barrier, sending sparks flying. As the sparks touched the rooftop, a shrieking noise filled the air and the rooftop exploded. The Alakazam conjured another shield to protect them, then focused on the shrapnel. Blue light glowed around the rooftop's fragments as they hurtled toward the ship, but the Gardevoir stopped them in midair with its own psychic attack, holding them there long enough for the airship to turn away and fly off.

The blonde woman sighed and recalled Alakazam. The red-haired girl looked at her with an excited grin. "You're a Huntress?" She squealed. "Can I have your autograph?"