Writing Competition Submission: Tacolaser

Tacolaser · August 17

The forest burned brightly like a beacon in the night.

Zygarde ran through the woods, paws beating against the ground. A Venusaur struggled beneath a fallen tree, fighting helplessly against the encroaching flames and growing tired from the smoke. Zygarde fired a barrage of glowing green projectiles at the trunk.

“Thank you,” Venusaur said as the tree turned to sawdust.

Zygarde nodded. “Where are the water Pokemon? They’re our best chance at stopping this fire.”

“Most of them live in a pond downstream. You can make it if you run.”

“You have my gratitude. Now go somewhere safe. Take any Pokemon you find with you.”

“I will.”

Zygarde raced along the river’s edge. All at once, the woods had gone up in flames. Things like this didn’t happen naturally. Somebody had done it on purpose. Unfortunately, Zygarde had a guess as to who it may be…

The pond sat a good length away from the forest. A Nymble chirped soothingly in the distance. A grey-furred primate stood at the water’s edge.

“Annihilape, where are the other Pokemon?” Zygarde asked.

“They’re asleep underwater,” she said. “I tried waking them up, but it’s no use! We’re all gonna burn!”

“Leave it to me.” A column of earth burst from the murky depths and forced a frog Pokemon out of the water.

“Weh?” said Toxicroak, waking up. “What’s going on?”

“What were you doing down there?” Annihilape asked. “You’re not even a water-type.”

“I can try new things!”
“Toxicroak, we need your help,” Zygarde said. “The forest is burning.”

Toxicroak saw the faint light in the distance. “We’ll help however we can.” He dived into the water. Within minutes, he had gathered everyone in the area. They raced through the forest, dousing every blaze in sight. Zygarde covered flames in dirt while Annihilape and Toxicroak found the few remaining Pokemon.

When all was said and done, the woods were destroyed. Zygarde could only hope no one had gotten hurt. Venusaur emerged, carrying a struggling Darumaka in his vines. “I was heading back when I noticed this guy spying on you from in the trees.”

“You’ll never take me alive!” Darumaka shouted before shooting a puff of Ember to make Venusaur drop her.

“After her!” Toxicroak said as she ran away.

“It’s no use.” Zygarde said. “This only confirms what I was afraid of.”

“You think one Darumaka started the fire?” Annihilape asked.

“Not on her own. There was likely a whole team positioned in the driest parts of the forest. There’s only one person that would organize such a group.”

Realization dawned on Annihilape’s face. “I thought you said the kingdom would leave us alone.”
“It seems the king has failed to keep his promise.”
“We need to take action.” Toxicroak said, jabbing the air with his venomous spikes.

“Not yet.” Zygarde said. “That would only prove them right.”

Toxicroak grunted in frustration.

“I’ll go speak with him.” Zygarde assured their friend. “He’ll see we are not to be taken lightly.”

“We’ll see you soon.” said Annihilape.

“Goodbye.” With that, Zygarde rushed into the dark. The kingdom's borders weren’t far from the woods. Or at least, they weren’t far from the woods’ charred remains. As dawn broke, Zygarde reached the high walls of the kingdom’s capital.

The Gurdurr at the gate recognized Zygarde immediately and let them in. Inside the city, a Tyrogue conversed with a Smeargle about martial arts. An Igglybuff sang a somewhat painful melody as she rolled through the promenade like a tumbleweed.

Zygarde kept walking until they reached the castle. They burst into the inner sanctum where court was being held by the kingdom's most powerful nobles.

King Gallade sat on top of a mighty throne. His eyes were glassy and dull, but he wore a sinister smile. His hand rested carefully against the sheathed sword he always kept with him. “Zygarde,” said King Gallade. His voice had a hollow quality to it that made it sound like scraping steel. “To what do we owe the honor?”

“You know exactly what you’ve done.” Zygarde said. “I allowed your kingdom to exist so long as you swore to never harm the ecosystem. Last night, I caught your Darumaka trying to set the forest on fire.”

Gallade sighed. “There go our chances of having a productive meeting.” He gestured at the nobles. “You’re all dismissed.” He kept talking as the others left the room. “My kingdom is growing larger by the week, Zygarde. I don’t expect you to understand such things, but my domain is limited. I don't have enough resources to support my subjects. I had no choice but to clear some space in the nearest available area.”

“Pokemon are getting hurt. You’re destroying their homes.”

“All Pokemon are welcome in my kingdom. They chose not to join me, so they are beneath my concern.”

“I think you underestimate my power. If you don't see reason, I will make you.” Zygarde began to absorb cells, preparing to change forms.

“Go ahead. Silence me for all I care. What do you think my subjects will say when they discover their king was usurped by our supposed guardian? You can defeat me, yes, but you’re no match for an army. You’ll only make us stronger.”

Zygarde growled. “They won’t like you so much when they learn your secret.”

He laughed. “And what secret would Zygarde, master of subtlety, know about me?”

“I am extremely long-lived. I recognize the sound of your voice and the look in your eyes. I didn’t speak earlier in the slim hopes you would be a just ruler, but I’ve seen this before. I’m not speaking to Gallade at all. You’re a Honedge that’s found a powerful vessel to possess.”

The king smiled. “Let’s pretend, for a moment, what you say is true. How would you go about proving it? My people are against you. They won’t take your word for it.” He got up from his throne and walked over to the window. “Allow me to explain something to you. Out there, in the wilds, the strong rule over the weak. They get the best food and the best shelters while we’re forced to fight for scraps. If one of us has something they want, we hand it over and say ‘thank you.’”

“That’s not true at all. I make sure all Pokemon treat each other with respect.”

“Maybe while you’re watching, but I assure you, they act like monsters behind your back. You’re a tyrant, and you don’t even realize it.”

Zygarde uncomfortably remembered how Venusaur returned alone after they had told him to go save other Pokemon.

The king spread out his arms. “But things are different here. All Pokemon live in peace. Together, we can fight back. I’ll admit I may have made a few questionable choices on my way here, but I can promise you my goals are genuine. You could join us. With your help, we could turn this world into a benevolent utopia!” He held his hand out to Zygarde. “What do you say?”

“I’m going back to the woods. I don’t want any of your Pokemon to think about coming within an inch outside your walls. This isn’t over.”

“I understand it can be difficult to see the truth after believing a lie for so long. I’ll give you as much time as you need. I hope you come to your senses.”

Zygarde walked away, leaving the king a chance to survey his lands in silence.

“Well? How’d it go?” Annihilape asked.

Zygarde avoided eye contact.

“King Gallade isn’t quitting, is he?” Toxicroak said.

“No, he says we misuse our power.”
“Ha!” Annihilape said. “As if he didn’t just reduce our home to cinders."

“He’s a hypocrite if I’ve ever met one.” Zygarde said. “But… you guys would never act like him, right?”

“Of course not. He’s mad as a… something that’s really mad. I’m bad at similes.” She said.

Toxicroak bore his spikes. “That said, perhaps it’s time we took action against this upstart kingdom.”

“Please, no.” Zygarde said. “I don’t like what they’re doing, but the kingdom itself isn't evil. I’ll try and figure something out. Don’t do anything rash in the meantime.”

Toxicroak looked annoyed. “Whatever you say.”

Zygarde awoke the next morning to a pleasant breeze and the smell of flowers. They had decided to go back to the kingdom and see if they could work out a compromise. They looked around to tell the forest Pokemon their plan. Toxicroak and Annihilape were gone.

Zygarde got worried. “They probably just woke up before me and went to find some food.”

The trail of footprints leading directly to the kingdom said otherwise.

Horrified, Zygarde followed them back to the capital. There was a massive hole in the wall, and the Gurrdurr guard was nowhere to be found.

The city was in pandemonium. Houses laid in shambles. Pokemon were fainted. The Igglybuff was wailing.

Toxicroak and Annihilape weren’t far off. They were both trapped inside a cage behind the king. Zygarde decided it was best to be inconspicuous and divided into invisible cells, leaving no trace of their body behind.

The king raised a hand for silence. “Last night, two invaders went on a rampage within our walls. They ravaged our homes and would have left nothing behind if it weren’t for my faithful soldiers.” A legion of Pokemon marched into place around him. “They have attacked without just provocation. We cannot let this stand! It is time we fought back and showed them who we are! Who’s with me?”

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

“But first, we will deal with these two. To show we are kinder than them, they will be given a fair chance to win their freedom in a battle against me.” He turned to the two and gave them a smile, regarding them with his dull eyes. They flinched when he put a hand on the cage. “I hope you’re ready.”

The guards picked up the cage and took it to the dungeon while the king returned to his chambers.

Zygarde stayed in their core form. Once the coast was clear, they slipped into the dungeon undetected. Toxicroak and Annihilape sat huddled in the corner. Zygarde’s cells coalesced back into the shape of a canine.

“Zygarde!” Annihilape said. “I knew you’d come to save us.”

Zygarde ignored her words. “What were you thinking?”

“I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you, but you need to understand.” she said. “King Gallade was taking our territory. You wanted to sit around like a something and let him get away with it. We needed to take justice. If we hadn't been caught, you would’ve woken up without realizing a thing. I know you don’t like it when folks do this stuff, but let’s be honest, these weaker Pokemon need to know their place.”

Zygarde shook with rage. “After all I have done to defend you, you have betrayed me and the balance of the ecosystem.” The earth rumbled. “It’s a wonder I haven’t joined Gallade already, you treacherous slime!” Bits of debris fell from the ceiling. The room was about to come crashing down on them all.

“I’m sorry,” Toxicroak whimpered.

“It’s too late for that!”

“I won’t pretend I haven’t lied to you in the past,” he said. “At first, I agreed with Annihilape’s plan, but when we got to the city, everyone looked so happy. They didn’t want to lose their homes any more than we did. I tried to stop her, but I ended up getting us both caught.” Tears formed in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’ll do whatever I can to make up for this.”

Zygarde looked at Annihilape. She didn’t deny what he said. The shaking stopped. “You’re a good Pokemon, Toxicroak. I’m going to sort this mess out once and for all.”

The Pokemon of the kingdom took their seats in the stands of a giant colosseum. Toxicroak had been taken out to fight first.

“Today!” the king cried, “The forest Pokemon will suffer for their crimes against us! Me and my guards will win this battle! Once we do, we will set our sights on the rest of the region! We will rise like a Volcarona and wreak fiery vengeance upon our enemies!”

The crowd applauded madly. Gallade basked joyously in their excitement.

Then, a shape rose from the ground. Invisible cells from all over the stadium gathered at one point to create a hulking mass that towered over the king: Zygarde in their serpentine form.

“You will cease this at once. Toxicroak is outnumbered. It isn’t fair.”

If the king was scared of Zygarde, he didn’t show it. Though he smiled, his eyes remained inscrutable as always. “Fair? He’s supposed to be a big strong Pokemon. We only want to level the playing field. Besides, he didn’t seem to care much about fair when he leveled our houses. Now you have the nerve to come here and threaten me to release him? I expected better from you.”

“You misunderstand me. I have no wish to stop the fight. I only ask that you allow me to join him. If I lose, feel free to have me share his fate.”

The king looked at his guards. There were at least a couple dozen members of varying species. Together, they would have an even chance against a legendary Pokemon. “I accept your proposition. But please tell me, what exactly are you hoping to get out of this?”

“Before we start, I would like to see you unsheathe your sword and raise it so everyone can see.”

He hesitated for a moment. Then the sword came free of its scabbard. It was covered in plain, uninteresting steel. “Shall we begin?” Light began to gather around Gallade. Within moments, Toxicroak was standing before a mega-evolved Pokemon.

Zygarde used Core Enforcer, firing a beam of pure, concentrated energy just a hair above their enemy. The blast was so strong it nearly knocked the guards off-balance. “That was a warning.”
Gallade could only laugh. The fight was on.

A group of Lotads used Water Gun on Zygarde. Toxicroak was quick to knock them out with Poison Jab. Gallade swung his sword and used Psycho Cut. Zygarde didn’t waste time dodging. They just took the hit.

Zygarde took out a group of Klang with Land’s Wrath. A squad of Pidoves tried to swarm the Order Pokemon, but Toxicroak brought them down with Sludge Bomb. Gallade pummeled Zygarde with relentless Night Slashes.

Toxicroak tried to protect their ally from a horde of Darmanitans coordinating their Ember. Zygarde pushed Gallade back with Thousand Waves then shot Thousand Arrows at the Darmanitans.

A single Probopass tried to use Discharge on Toxicroak, only to realize the frog wasn’t a Water-type. Looking at the rest of his comrades on the ground, Probopass said, “Yeah, I’m just going to let myself out if that’s fine by you. Um. Bye.” He promptly left the stadium.

“It’s over.” Zygarde told the king.

“Not yet.” He said. All around him, invisible Kecleons revealed themselves. “Did you really think I’d go into this without an advantage?”

The Kecleons used Power Whip to restrain Zygarde and Toxicroak. The vines were draining the energy out of the duo. Toxicroak could barely move. Zygarde struggled madly against the threads to no avail. Gallade smirked in grim satisfaction.

“Enough!” Zygarde cried. Even more cells fused into their body. Finally, every piece of their essence was one. Zygarde did not enjoy using their complete form, but this was a special circumstance.

Zygarde cut through the vines like butter. Thousand Arrows made quick work of the Kecleons. “Time and time again, I have protected order from those who sought to destroy it.” they said. “It is time I fulfilled my sacred duty.”

Zygarde prepared Core Enforcer. They were fully prepared to end the king until they saw the crowd looking on in terror. During the chaos, Zygarde had forgotten about the spectators. It had never been Zygarde’s or the kingdom Pokemon’s goal to scare anyone or create unnecessary conflict. Gallade wanted Zygarde to attack, so the fighting would never end.

Zygarde used Land’s Wrath. They encased the king in stone, so he couldn’t move. “Toxicroak, please take his sword.”

“Wait! No! Trust me, my sword is worthless. Leave it alone.” Toxicroak pulled the sword out of Gallade’s hand. Zygarde reached down and tapped the sword. Just one of their massive fingers was enough to shatter the metal encasing the blade. As Zygarde expected, the weapon was actually a Honedge.

“Your king has been lying to you!” Zygarde said.

The crowd gasped.

“This isn’t what it looks like!” Honedge said. “I can explain!”

Gallade blinked and took in his surroundings. “Honedge, I specifically told you not to possess me!”

“Your kingdom is built on Honedge’s falsehoods.” Zygarde told the crowd. “But it doesn’t have to be that way. He made you believe you couldn’t coexist with other Pokemon. If we all share what we have, then we could live in peace. We could be even greater than before!"

The crowd stayed silent. Toxicroak started to clap slowly. A few others joined in until the colosseum filled with mild applause.

It wasn’t going to be easy, but there was a way forward.

Zygarde kept their word. A few months passed. Trust still needed time to build, but the kingdom was helping to regrow the forest while the forest Pokemon helped the kingdom get food. It took some time to find a new ruler, but Queen Magikarp seemed to be a capable monarch.

Toxicroak worked hard to help fix the damage in the kingdom. Meanwhile, Honedge and Annihilape had struck an unlikely friendship in the dungeon together.

The Order Pokemon watched over the lands from a cliff. A wave of contentment washed over them.

And so ends this chapter in the epic saga of Zygarde, Guardian of the Ecosystem.