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Hello. This is a piece of writing I had in mind. First of all, if you are waiting for an actual story and development, I'm afraid you won't find it here. This little series I am slowly writing is just for presenting characters and the general setting for future novels. This one focuses on a little Jangmo-o and his family. As always, don't be afraid to contact me if you'd like to notify me of any mistake I have made, since English is not my native language. I'm always open to new ideas and feedback, so don't be shy to approach me if you want.
Chronicles of Brigta: The Heart of the Desert
A story written by AstralDragon1.
The desert of Plerah was a huge empty area where not too many Pokemon dared to step into. Though it has never been a fertile area, millennia ago it was the cradle of a civilization that disappeared due to unknown circumstances. But just like death, the desert never forgets. Though the dunes covered most of its extension, the ancient ruins of said civilization managed to remain there, though in a deteriorated condition or mostly covered by the slow but implacable action of the sand that ruined those lands.
The Pokemon that lived in it were known for their violence and strength. Living in such extreme conditions normally made the few residents to be very careful of the dirty techniques that most of them used to give the final blow to any of the daring adventurers that dare to set foot on it. You could never know if there was one of them stalking you from the top of one of the dunes, or the most traitorous ones, that gathered around the very few oases that could be found. The only rulers of the desert were three: the sand, the silence, and the heat. And all Pokemon bowed to them. All of them, except for a bunch.
The sun was slowly starting to set behind the dunes, giving the landscape an even more orangish tone. If the place didn’t look decadent by then, the new light also gave it an apocalyptic atmosphere. The silence was only interrupted by the gushes of the strong air currents that raised the sand from the ground. That was until a little quadrupedal figure appeared from the top of one of the dunes, making its way down as fast as he could. His scales clanged each time it trotted, and it was panting heavily.
The heart-shaped scale of its head clearly indicated which species it was: a Jangmo-o. The little dragon tumbled as he made his way down the hill, making him roll a couple of times before he stopped at the base of the dune. His scales, no matter if they were yellow, black, or grey, were covered by a layer of sand that gave his whole body a slightly orange tone. There he rested for some seconds, panting heavily as he looked at the sky. For a strange reason, looking at the sky had always calmed him. It made him feel small, and with that, all his problems seemed even smaller.
-Grrr… Come on, Komodo… Y-You have to do it.
The dragon mumbled, trying to gather his last strengths to continue his path. Still, he was exhausted, and it was hard to focus. Not only the heat, but also the lack of water. It’s been hours since he last sated his thirst in the only oasis that he had found.
Seconds passed, and just when Komodo was starting to relax, the sand below him started to tremble. The Jangmo-o stood as fast as he can and jumped aside. Earth seemed to shake and, just a second after the little dragon moved aside, a much bigger creature appeared from underneath him.
Yellow scales were the first thing that could be visible, followed by the rest of the head and a pair of ‘horn-like appendages. Then it was his body, totally covered by dark blue scales, with the exception of his belly, that also had red and yellow ones, that were only interrupted by little scars, that had a much darker tone, though still covered by them. His arms ended in one big claw, and some fins could be appreciated on his back and elbows.
The rest of his body didn’t take too much time to appear: a Garchomp. The dragon shook his body a little, cleaning most of the sand and dust that was covering it. He looked at the other dragon-type Pokemon and growled a little.
-You are dead.
Komodo gulped a little and his body trembled. His voice broke after hearing the deep voice of the Mach Pokemon. After some seconds, he looked down and gave a little nod.
-S- Sorry, Fath…
The Garchomp opened his eyes and turned a little, dragging his tail through the sand only to raise it in front of the smaller Pokemon and creating a little cloud of dust that caused Komodo to flinch, with his eyes closed and slightly weepy.
-Don’t you ever call me that again. How many times do I have to tell you that I am not your father?
The Garchomp reprimanded him, his voice getting louder and angrier when he asked the last question. His imposing stare on him was enough to let Komodo know that he was angry, enough to maintain him in silence. After some seconds, the Garchomp growled again.
-You have done well today, kid, but you still have to improve.
He then started to walk, and Komodo simply nodded and started to follow him. The cave, the only place that Komodo could call home, wasn’t too far from there. Maybe another half an hour running, and he would have spared himself of that little scolding Gomorrah had given him.
Gomorrah has never been the most open Pokemon. He knew that he was a Garchomp that barely spoke, that preferred action over words. But he was tough, and although he had never talked to him about how he ended up having those scars, he knew that he was a sublime fighter. But no matter how many times he asked during his brief and scarce visits to the Guild, nobody seemed to have heard about him. His attitude towards him has never been the best neither.
Despite Komodo has always seen Gomorrah as a parental figure, the Garchomp despised that attitude. It looked like if he tried to keep him away, deny the fact that, since the very first moment he hatched, he has always been there. Protecting him, training him, and still he has never seen any kind of affection towards him. Komodo was troubled lately. It seems that Gomorrah wanted him to go, but at the same time he kept him close enough. He knew that, for Gomorrah, he wasn’t family at all. He has always treated him like a mere pupil, and he was the hard and severe teacher everyone kept complaining about.
Before he could notice it, their crag was already visible in the horizon. Gomorrah simply continued walking towards it, ignoring everything that was around there. He knew that no one would dare to approach them.
Komodo, in the meantime, started looking around, noticing the silhouettes of several Pokemon that, he presumed, were looking at them.
Before they arrived, there was only one rule in the desert: the strong survives. Outside of the little families that lived in there, there was no mercy with any Pokemon. Anyone that dared to go outside their territory knew that was at risk of getting robbed, if not something worse, if it was defeated. But everyone knew who Gomorrah was now. There weren’t few the Pokemon that tried to challenge him, and all of them had been defeated, giving him a reputation all over the desert and creating an immunity for his family too.
In reality, Komodo knew that his training was not only a test for him, but for the other inhabitants of Plerah. Everyone knew that the Jangmo-o was part of Gomorrah’s ‘family’. And seeing such a defenseless Pokemon around… It was simply tempting. His life has been at risk, at least during the first months. His training has always been similar. Sometimes it implied moving a rock to improve his strength, other times was about avoiding Gomorrah’s moves to improve his reflexes, other times were about fighting against the Garchomp… And then there were the ones that consisted of running around the desert to improve his speed and endurance. And those were always similar. Gomorrah stablishing a route and following him closely. The problems only happened during the first sessions of training. Some of the locals would approach in order to attack him. And that’s when Gomorrah would appear, and they would defeat them… In the best cases, of course. Gomorrah was quite temperamental and tended to lose control of himself during a real fight. After a couple of times, these sudden attacks stopped. The locals already knew what was happening and created a saying: ‘Death awaits to the ones that approach the Heart of the Desert’.
Lost in his thoughts, Komodo barely noticed that they have already reached the crag. Now they were boarding it, heading for the hidden entrance. He remembered that the entrance to the crag was the first thing he had to learn. He vaguely remembered what happened before they came there. He remembered the voices of several other Pokemon, but… Just that. That was three years ago, more or less.
Between some rocks, a little passage lay. From the distance, it seemed that there was nothing there. Just a smooth wall of rock that seemed to be almost uniform to the rest of the crag. But still, it was there. Hidden there, a pair of Salandits stood, looking at the approaching Pokemon. Their tails rose and moved away, giving them some more room to go inside.
-Gomorrah, Komodo. I hope your training has gone well. – One of the Salandits commented, which was answered with a growl from the Garchomp. After some seconds of silence, Komodo stopped for a moment and properly replied.
-It… It could have been better. But at least it was better than other days.
The Jangmo-o looked at his father, who gave him a quick stare that made the little dragon move again. Soon, the narrow passage made way for a bigger cave. The heat of the desert seemed to disappear, replacing it with a rather mild coolness. In one side of the cave, there were some little nests, while in the other side there was a much bigger and comfier nest, with a much smaller, but still comfortable nest that presumably was for the Jangmo-o.
The rest of the cave was mostly empty. Thankfully, it was illuminated by some cracks in the rock, while some torches were the main source of light during the nights. A couple of chests here and there where he stored berries, some artifacts, orbs and, rarely, some other goods with more personal value than monetary. He even had a little chest just for himself, where he could store some of his toys. Finally, right in front of him, there was a little river. The water was mostly cold, but after spending so much time under the hot sun of the desert, it was quite welcome.
When they entered, the first thing they saw was a Salazzle scolding three Salandits. Her loud shouts audible even from the passage that led to the cave, were clearly intimidating the smaller lizards. One of them was even shivering in fear.
-You are useless! I could easily replace you if I go to the volcanic lands. But we’ve been gone through some serious hard times. Do you think that you’d be accepted in any other place? No, you’d wander all alone, and you’d be dead, because you are ridiculously pathetic and weak!
She growled and then turned, seeing that the Garchomp and the Jangmo-o were there. Komodo was already used to her temperament. He knew that the little Salandits worked hard, but, just as it happened with his father and himself, it was never enough for her.
When the bigger lizard looked back and saw them, she stared back at the Salandits and growled a little.
-Saved by the bell. You can go now. -She then pointed to each one of the Salandits individually. -Cleaning, cooking and… -She pointed to the one that was shivering. -… Patrolling, definitively. You need to learn how to have more courage. Immediately.
The three Salandits nodded and soon crawled, each one to a different place. The Salazzle then turned and approached the dragons, showing a little smile. First, he gave a kiss to the Garchomp, who simply nodded and rubbed his snout against hers in return.
-Hello, big boy. – She smiled, winking at him. And then the lizard looked at the Jangmo-o.
-And what about you, my little hero? Have you overcome the Challenges of the Desert?
If Komodo saw Gomorrah as his Father, Minerva was his mother. She was much more talkative than Gomorrah, but still as strong as the Garchomp. Not in the same way, though. While Gomorrah relied on brutal force and lethal techniques, Minerva was calmer. She plotted, manipulated, used her pheromones to get what she wanted and, when the poor victim has fallen to her enchants, she could give the final strike if that’s what she desired. Though they argued from time to time, she was the only Pokemon that seemed to have the privilege of arguing or even scolding Gomorrah.
With Komodo, she was much sweeter than his father. She actually cared for him and treated him like a proper mother. Sometimes much more than what Gomorrah actually wanted. She was kind, but with really few Pokemon. Still, if you fell in disgrace with her, you’d better run.
-It could have been better. I almost finish this time. -Komodo replied, still a little disappointed.
-Oh, you’ll eventually do. You’ll see. You just need some more practice. That’s why Gomorrah is training you, right?
The Jangmo-o smiled a little and started to wag his tail happily, making his scales clang a little, which echoed inside the cave. Minerva always cheered him and reassured him if she did something wrong.
-You should go and take a bath, dear. I’m sure you must have sand everywhere! -Minerva said, looking at the Garchomp, who was looking angrily.
Komodo didn’t doubt it and started to walk towards their little bath. The waters were clear and, slowly putting a paw in them, he could see that they were as cold as always. In any other circumstance, the Jangmo-o would have jumped off from it, but considering how hot the desert was, this one entered immediately.
He started to swim a little, making sure to get rid of any big stone or boulder that could have ended stuck between his scales, and then he continued by rubbing some of his scales, mostly using his frontal paws or his tail to clean the sand or any stain that were on them.
The cave didn’t allow for its residents to have too much privacy. While anyone could see Komodo having a bath, he could also see the others. This time his attention was drawn to Gomorrah and Minerva, who were arguing lowly at the other side of the cave. He knew that they were arguing because of his mother’s moves, constantly raising her arms, and making exaggerated brusque moves. She was really enthusiastic when she was scolding someone.
It wasn’t the first time that they did that, and, though he had no clear evidence, it always happened when Minerva was too caring with him. There was a line that Gomorrah didn’t like her to cross, but Komodo didn’t know where that line was. Sometimes he wondered if Gomorrah hated him and that’s why he treated him so harshly.
He continued staring at them until a new figure stepped in front of him. It was a short figure that was walking in two legs and holding a little tray with several plates with food on them. His gray scales clearly stood out with the black ones of his head.
-Here you have your dinner, Komodo. You have some bread, a little salad of berries and a steak. And Minerva has told me to give you some treats too. You have some candies from our last trip to the city. But don’t tell Gomorrah or, as you already know, he will be mad with all of us.
Komodo wouldn’t admit it, but from the ten Salandits that followed Minerva, Gaius was the only one that he could identify correctly. He was a rare specimen: a Shiny Salandit. The only one that he has ever seen and, probably, the only one that he will ever know. He was much more polite and delicate than the others and compensated his lack of strength with audacity and intellect. He was the only one that barely get into trouble and being sincere, he was by far, Minerva’s favorite, as he was treated like a confessor.
-Thanks, Gaius. Leave it over there, I’ll eat it once I am finished. -Komodo commented, looking at his parents again. The shiny Salandit noticed said stare and huffed a little. He has seen that same stare many times before, but he has never found the courage to say anything.
-Ey, Komodo. You… You are special, for both of us. They like you in their own way. Gomorrah is not too expressive, and Minerva… She is really fond of you for personal reasons. They argue because they have different points of view, alright? Nothing serious. Both want the best for you, but they disagree in how to achieve it.
There was an uncomfortable silence for some seconds (if you ignore the mumble of the other Pokemon talking), but Komodo ended up nodding.
-I know, but… I want to know why.
-Unfortunately, I don’t have all the knowledge needed to answer that question. Gomorrah has never told me anything about his past, and I doubt he will ever be, and you are still too young to understand why Minerva holds you so dearly.
Gaius sit next to the tray and hoped for Komodo to get out of the river and stepped aside, shaking himself a little before approaching the tray and started to eat the food. Salandits didn’t make the best cookers. The food, as always, was bland, but still edible. Gaius was the best at cooking, though maybe it was because he tended to use a lot of spices.
From time to time he took a little quick peek to Minerva and Gomorrah. He could see the Garchomp standing and thumping his tail once against the ground, and it was still enough to make the ground tremble. He then walked to the little corridor and disappeared in the night. Minerva crossed her arms and looked at the Jangmo-o, slowly walking to him.
-I hope the food was good. Now… Why don’t you go to sleep? It’s getting late, and I have to solve a certain issue with Gomorrah.
The truth was that Komodo was tired. He spent most of the time training, and Gomorrah obliged him to get up early in the morning. The Jangmo-o nodded.
-Don’t worry. I’ll do it.
Minerva then looked at the shiny Salandit, who give a little nod and, saying nothing else, the Salazzle turned around and tried to catch Gomorrah. The Jangmo-o simply huffed a little and continued eating silently. Soon, there was nothing on the plates. A whole day with barely food always did the trick. But despite his full stomach, he could only feel a little sad for his ‘parents’. Gaius took the tray and stood on his hind legs.
-Everything will be alright, Komodo. Believe it or not, they have gone through much worse. But living together can be a real challenge, especially when two Pokemon have such different points of view of a thing they both share and take care of.
He knew that Gaius was right, but he couldn’t think that it was his fault. In the end, he had the feeling they were arguing because of him. He didn’t know about what exactly, but he was involved in that argument. Komodo growled as he stepped closer to his nest, letting out a little yawn as he lay down in it. He looked at the Shiny Salandit.
-I know, and I really hate that. Like… Didn’t they talk about that before adopting me?
Komodo might not have gone to any school, but Gaius was the main responsible of his education. Though his knowledge about math, biology or geography was quite limited, the Salandit was a decent professor, at least before Gomorrah asked for more time for Komodo’s training. Instead of a couple of hours every day, he was now lucky if he could have one or two classes per week. And still, it was more than enough for Gaius to let him know that he wasn’t a natural son of Minerva and Gomorrah. How could a Salazzle and a Garchomp have a son that was a Jangmo-o? Gaius tried to be really careful when he talked about said topic, but he managed to make him understand it.
Gaius simply looked away, feeling a little uncomfortable now.
-Ehm… Things are more complicated than that.
-Then explain them.
Gaius looked at the entrance of the cave, a little nervous. He didn’t fear Minerva, but Gomorrah… If the Salazzle was already severe with them, he knew the Garchomp could easily kill him if he messed it up. It didn’t matter if he was Minerva’s favorite Salandit. If he screwed it, Gomorrah would have no mercy with him.
-They felt… Compelled. -The Salandit was visibly a little nervous, and Komodo even knew that he was hiding information, if he wasn’t lying directly by now. - I don’t think I am the one that should talk about that. Gomorrah will tell you when the time comes.
-But he never does! I’ve spent years with all of you! Even when we still lived with those friends of yours. – He closed his eyes for a moment. -I still remember how imposing that Staraptor was… And the Decidueye? He always looked at me like if he wanted to kill me.
-But the past is the past, right? Hopefully you won’t see them again. And maybe that’s because you are still too young to understand everything that is happening. We are all in a tight situation, and Gomorrah simply wants you to focus on your training for now.
Komodo yawned a little. He wanted to reply to that. It was all training, especially lately. He could live without having other children to talk to. He could live only talking and interacting with Salandits. But he didn’t think that he could endure living too much time with so many secrets untold. He may be only a child, but he was quite mature for his age, or that’s what he has overheard from time to time when Gaius had some of those not-so-private talks with Minerva. But that didn’t matter, apparently. He was the youngest Pokemon, the child of the cave. No matter what he did, it would always continue being like that.
And despite his anger, Komodo simply closed his eyes. He was exhausted after his training. And that was the only signal Gaius needed to continue with his routine. When Gomorrah wasn’t around, and Minerva was away, Gaius was asked to tell Komodo some old tales. And so, he started talking to him about that time when Darkrai tried to control all the world by making another Deity go mad. This was the only time when Komodo could truly relax.
-Have a good night, Komodo. -Gaius told him when he noticed the Jangmo-o was unable to keep awake any longer.
-You too, Gaius. – He replied with a much lower tone.
The night was cold, freezing. Komodo found himself running on the sand again. He was panting, exhausted. He could see their crag far in the distance. The Jangmo-o still needed to reach it. He decided to stop for some seconds, trying to gather some energies again. The darkness didn’t seem to bother him. The moonlight was all he needed to recognize the familiar rock formation where their house found, despite the entire area seemed to be covered by a strange aura that made him uneasy. There was something like a little fog that, he didn’t know why, seemed to paint everything with a light layer of a dark purple. It was giving him the creeps.
He looked at the crag again. He just needed to get down of the dune and run for... Maybe for ten or fifteen minutes. He smiled a little. Yeah, he was going to make it! But suddenly the land shook. The sand started to vibrate a little, some of them falling down the dune. The little Jangmo-o looked around nervous and, taking no more time, he decided to continue running. He’d be safe if he reached the crag.
But as he decided to do that, the Jangmo-o fell again and started to roll down the dune. When he finally reached its base, he panted a little. He had sand in his eyes, but the tremors were getting more intense. Komodo looked around and, once he spotted the crag, or what he thought it was the crag, he continued running towards it. But the stronger shakes were difficult to ignore, and when he thought that they were really close to him, he simply jumped.
Something jumped out of the sand, but he didn’t know what or who it was. With the new figure jumping out of the land, a sandstorm was also created. Komodo growled a little, looking around for the crag, but it was so intense that he couldn’t find it. He was lost, disoriented and, what made him angrier, so close to his safe place.
He would love to find any sign to know if he was following the right path, but he reminded that there was something trying to hunt him, and he simply started to run again. He swore that he was hearing steps not so far from him, a heavy breathing whenever the sandstorm lost some strength only to recover after a few seconds, or even something staring at him from the distance.
He continued roaming there for an eternity until that hunter seemed to be fed up. With a loud roar, the responsible of this situation finally showed himself. Despite the sandstorm, Komodo could take a quick look at the creature. The first thing that took his attention was his two sharp scythes that he had for hands. Its body was slightly muscular. He seemed to be a Garchomp, but his body was bigger, his face showed a different form, and his body seemed to have more spikes along his torso and legs.
And as the creature slowly approached, he could take note of more details. Its body was scarred, just like the one of his father’s. But not only that, some parts of his body were also covered in dry blood, totally outstanding from the dark purplish scales that seemed to cover most of his body, only interrupted by bright purple and white scales on his forehead, chest and belly. The edges of its scythe-arms were covered in red too, though he couldn’t distinguish if it was blood or the natural color of the creature’s scales.
Fear paralyzed Komodo. The creature was so similar to his father, and still so different. The last things he could see were his slightly-opened mouth, which showed its sharp teeth and a lot of saliva drooling out of it, and its red-bright eyes looking at him directly, despite he barely could distinguish its irises, which gave him a sensation of having a lost stare. Whatever that be… It seemed to be a creature that came from out of hell; a cruel and crazy creature lost in an endless hunt, just looking for the pleasure of killing.
The creature then jumped at Komodo, and he could only shiver and say his last prayers as he closed his eyes, waiting for the creature to end his life.
Komodo suddenly woke up violently, completely terrified and breathing fast. He was He looked around, looking for that mysterious creature that had jumped at him. The cave was still dark, though the first lights of the day were already entering through the cracks, even if dimly. Minerva was still sleeping in the nest next to him. In the other side of the cave, most of the Salandits were resting too. It was normal there weren’t a few; after all, the vigilance of the passage and the crag was uninterrupted. Still, there was a figure opening some of the chests and looking for something in them.
Suddenly the figure turned his head and looked directly at Komodo. He stood and slowly approached. The Jangmo-o was shivering, barely able to even shout properly. Again, fear was controlling him, unable to even think about what to do. The figure was slightly familiar to the one in his dream, but as it stepped closer, it turned out to be Gomorrah.
-You have gotten up quite early today, haven’t you?
Komodo looked at him. He opened his mouth and mumbled something before giving a little nod. Gomorrah could clearly see that the smaller Pokemon was uneased. He looked around the cave for a moment before returning his gaze at Komodo.
-What’s with that face? Have you seen a Gastly around?
Again, Komodo took some seconds to reply, still scared of the similarities between his father and the creature that attacked him in his dream.
-N-No. I… I just had a nightmare.
Gomorrah nodded and made a little shrug motion, almost like if he was saying that those things happened.
-Anyways, now that you are awake, take this, You will be away for some time.
Gomorrah practically threw right in front of Komodo’s nest and old satchel and a Guild Emblem. Komodo looked at those objects and then at Gomorrah again.
-Does that mean…?
-Yes, and no. You and Gaius will go to the town and take some requests, but this time you will also take a mission for yourself. Gaius will accompany you, but he will only make sure you are fine. You’ll be the one planning everything and taking everything for it. You even have some money to make the final purchases in the shops of the Guild.
The Jangmo-o wagged his tail as he took the Emblem first. This one was a little old, since its color was a little faded and there were some scratches easily visible. At the back of it there was also an inscription: “The Claws of the Dawn”. He knew that Gomorrah had a couple more for those times when the Salandits accompanied him in the Guild. He then took the satchel and saw its content: some berries, a canteen, some bandages, a map of the continent and a compass, and as his father said, a rather decent amount of money to buy the last things that they may need in the Guild.
-I’ll wait for you in the old, abandoned house in the forest. There, you’ll give me the missions you have taken for me and you’ll inform me about the mission you choose for you. And don’t forget. Gaius won’t help you during the mission; he’ll only be there as an observer and he'll later report me your results. It’s time to see if your training is paying off.
This was a nice change of pace for him. It was an opportunity that the Jangmo-o couldn’t waste. He smiled a little and posed proudly after adjusting that little Emblem on the strap of the satchel and looked at the Garchomp.
-I won’t disappoint you, Gomorrah.
The big dragon couldn’t help but give a slight smile. Komodo noticed that and gulped a little, nervous. He couldn’t remember the last time he had showed the slightest him of a smile. He closed his eyes for some seconds, and, after a moment, he opened them, looking at the smaller dragon for some seconds.
-I hope that, Komodo. For now, prepare any other thing you may want to take with you. We’ll depart after all of us have breakfast.
Chronicles of Brigta: The Heart of the Desert
A story written by AstralDragon1.
The desert of Plerah was a huge empty area where not too many Pokemon dared to step into. Though it has never been a fertile area, millennia ago it was the cradle of a civilization that disappeared due to unknown circumstances. But just like death, the desert never forgets. Though the dunes covered most of its extension, the ancient ruins of said civilization managed to remain there, though in a deteriorated condition or mostly covered by the slow but implacable action of the sand that ruined those lands.
The Pokemon that lived in it were known for their violence and strength. Living in such extreme conditions normally made the few residents to be very careful of the dirty techniques that most of them used to give the final blow to any of the daring adventurers that dare to set foot on it. You could never know if there was one of them stalking you from the top of one of the dunes, or the most traitorous ones, that gathered around the very few oases that could be found. The only rulers of the desert were three: the sand, the silence, and the heat. And all Pokemon bowed to them. All of them, except for a bunch.
The sun was slowly starting to set behind the dunes, giving the landscape an even more orangish tone. If the place didn’t look decadent by then, the new light also gave it an apocalyptic atmosphere. The silence was only interrupted by the gushes of the strong air currents that raised the sand from the ground. That was until a little quadrupedal figure appeared from the top of one of the dunes, making its way down as fast as he could. His scales clanged each time it trotted, and it was panting heavily.
The heart-shaped scale of its head clearly indicated which species it was: a Jangmo-o. The little dragon tumbled as he made his way down the hill, making him roll a couple of times before he stopped at the base of the dune. His scales, no matter if they were yellow, black, or grey, were covered by a layer of sand that gave his whole body a slightly orange tone. There he rested for some seconds, panting heavily as he looked at the sky. For a strange reason, looking at the sky had always calmed him. It made him feel small, and with that, all his problems seemed even smaller.
-Grrr… Come on, Komodo… Y-You have to do it.
The dragon mumbled, trying to gather his last strengths to continue his path. Still, he was exhausted, and it was hard to focus. Not only the heat, but also the lack of water. It’s been hours since he last sated his thirst in the only oasis that he had found.
Seconds passed, and just when Komodo was starting to relax, the sand below him started to tremble. The Jangmo-o stood as fast as he can and jumped aside. Earth seemed to shake and, just a second after the little dragon moved aside, a much bigger creature appeared from underneath him.
Yellow scales were the first thing that could be visible, followed by the rest of the head and a pair of ‘horn-like appendages. Then it was his body, totally covered by dark blue scales, with the exception of his belly, that also had red and yellow ones, that were only interrupted by little scars, that had a much darker tone, though still covered by them. His arms ended in one big claw, and some fins could be appreciated on his back and elbows.
The rest of his body didn’t take too much time to appear: a Garchomp. The dragon shook his body a little, cleaning most of the sand and dust that was covering it. He looked at the other dragon-type Pokemon and growled a little.
-You are dead.
Komodo gulped a little and his body trembled. His voice broke after hearing the deep voice of the Mach Pokemon. After some seconds, he looked down and gave a little nod.
-S- Sorry, Fath…
The Garchomp opened his eyes and turned a little, dragging his tail through the sand only to raise it in front of the smaller Pokemon and creating a little cloud of dust that caused Komodo to flinch, with his eyes closed and slightly weepy.
-Don’t you ever call me that again. How many times do I have to tell you that I am not your father?
The Garchomp reprimanded him, his voice getting louder and angrier when he asked the last question. His imposing stare on him was enough to let Komodo know that he was angry, enough to maintain him in silence. After some seconds, the Garchomp growled again.
-You have done well today, kid, but you still have to improve.
He then started to walk, and Komodo simply nodded and started to follow him. The cave, the only place that Komodo could call home, wasn’t too far from there. Maybe another half an hour running, and he would have spared himself of that little scolding Gomorrah had given him.
Gomorrah has never been the most open Pokemon. He knew that he was a Garchomp that barely spoke, that preferred action over words. But he was tough, and although he had never talked to him about how he ended up having those scars, he knew that he was a sublime fighter. But no matter how many times he asked during his brief and scarce visits to the Guild, nobody seemed to have heard about him. His attitude towards him has never been the best neither.
Despite Komodo has always seen Gomorrah as a parental figure, the Garchomp despised that attitude. It looked like if he tried to keep him away, deny the fact that, since the very first moment he hatched, he has always been there. Protecting him, training him, and still he has never seen any kind of affection towards him. Komodo was troubled lately. It seems that Gomorrah wanted him to go, but at the same time he kept him close enough. He knew that, for Gomorrah, he wasn’t family at all. He has always treated him like a mere pupil, and he was the hard and severe teacher everyone kept complaining about.
Before he could notice it, their crag was already visible in the horizon. Gomorrah simply continued walking towards it, ignoring everything that was around there. He knew that no one would dare to approach them.
Komodo, in the meantime, started looking around, noticing the silhouettes of several Pokemon that, he presumed, were looking at them.
Before they arrived, there was only one rule in the desert: the strong survives. Outside of the little families that lived in there, there was no mercy with any Pokemon. Anyone that dared to go outside their territory knew that was at risk of getting robbed, if not something worse, if it was defeated. But everyone knew who Gomorrah was now. There weren’t few the Pokemon that tried to challenge him, and all of them had been defeated, giving him a reputation all over the desert and creating an immunity for his family too.
In reality, Komodo knew that his training was not only a test for him, but for the other inhabitants of Plerah. Everyone knew that the Jangmo-o was part of Gomorrah’s ‘family’. And seeing such a defenseless Pokemon around… It was simply tempting. His life has been at risk, at least during the first months. His training has always been similar. Sometimes it implied moving a rock to improve his strength, other times was about avoiding Gomorrah’s moves to improve his reflexes, other times were about fighting against the Garchomp… And then there were the ones that consisted of running around the desert to improve his speed and endurance. And those were always similar. Gomorrah stablishing a route and following him closely. The problems only happened during the first sessions of training. Some of the locals would approach in order to attack him. And that’s when Gomorrah would appear, and they would defeat them… In the best cases, of course. Gomorrah was quite temperamental and tended to lose control of himself during a real fight. After a couple of times, these sudden attacks stopped. The locals already knew what was happening and created a saying: ‘Death awaits to the ones that approach the Heart of the Desert’.
Lost in his thoughts, Komodo barely noticed that they have already reached the crag. Now they were boarding it, heading for the hidden entrance. He remembered that the entrance to the crag was the first thing he had to learn. He vaguely remembered what happened before they came there. He remembered the voices of several other Pokemon, but… Just that. That was three years ago, more or less.
Between some rocks, a little passage lay. From the distance, it seemed that there was nothing there. Just a smooth wall of rock that seemed to be almost uniform to the rest of the crag. But still, it was there. Hidden there, a pair of Salandits stood, looking at the approaching Pokemon. Their tails rose and moved away, giving them some more room to go inside.
-Gomorrah, Komodo. I hope your training has gone well. – One of the Salandits commented, which was answered with a growl from the Garchomp. After some seconds of silence, Komodo stopped for a moment and properly replied.
-It… It could have been better. But at least it was better than other days.
The Jangmo-o looked at his father, who gave him a quick stare that made the little dragon move again. Soon, the narrow passage made way for a bigger cave. The heat of the desert seemed to disappear, replacing it with a rather mild coolness. In one side of the cave, there were some little nests, while in the other side there was a much bigger and comfier nest, with a much smaller, but still comfortable nest that presumably was for the Jangmo-o.
The rest of the cave was mostly empty. Thankfully, it was illuminated by some cracks in the rock, while some torches were the main source of light during the nights. A couple of chests here and there where he stored berries, some artifacts, orbs and, rarely, some other goods with more personal value than monetary. He even had a little chest just for himself, where he could store some of his toys. Finally, right in front of him, there was a little river. The water was mostly cold, but after spending so much time under the hot sun of the desert, it was quite welcome.
When they entered, the first thing they saw was a Salazzle scolding three Salandits. Her loud shouts audible even from the passage that led to the cave, were clearly intimidating the smaller lizards. One of them was even shivering in fear.
-You are useless! I could easily replace you if I go to the volcanic lands. But we’ve been gone through some serious hard times. Do you think that you’d be accepted in any other place? No, you’d wander all alone, and you’d be dead, because you are ridiculously pathetic and weak!
She growled and then turned, seeing that the Garchomp and the Jangmo-o were there. Komodo was already used to her temperament. He knew that the little Salandits worked hard, but, just as it happened with his father and himself, it was never enough for her.
When the bigger lizard looked back and saw them, she stared back at the Salandits and growled a little.
-Saved by the bell. You can go now. -She then pointed to each one of the Salandits individually. -Cleaning, cooking and… -She pointed to the one that was shivering. -… Patrolling, definitively. You need to learn how to have more courage. Immediately.
The three Salandits nodded and soon crawled, each one to a different place. The Salazzle then turned and approached the dragons, showing a little smile. First, he gave a kiss to the Garchomp, who simply nodded and rubbed his snout against hers in return.
-Hello, big boy. – She smiled, winking at him. And then the lizard looked at the Jangmo-o.
-And what about you, my little hero? Have you overcome the Challenges of the Desert?
If Komodo saw Gomorrah as his Father, Minerva was his mother. She was much more talkative than Gomorrah, but still as strong as the Garchomp. Not in the same way, though. While Gomorrah relied on brutal force and lethal techniques, Minerva was calmer. She plotted, manipulated, used her pheromones to get what she wanted and, when the poor victim has fallen to her enchants, she could give the final strike if that’s what she desired. Though they argued from time to time, she was the only Pokemon that seemed to have the privilege of arguing or even scolding Gomorrah.
With Komodo, she was much sweeter than his father. She actually cared for him and treated him like a proper mother. Sometimes much more than what Gomorrah actually wanted. She was kind, but with really few Pokemon. Still, if you fell in disgrace with her, you’d better run.
-It could have been better. I almost finish this time. -Komodo replied, still a little disappointed.
-Oh, you’ll eventually do. You’ll see. You just need some more practice. That’s why Gomorrah is training you, right?
The Jangmo-o smiled a little and started to wag his tail happily, making his scales clang a little, which echoed inside the cave. Minerva always cheered him and reassured him if she did something wrong.
-You should go and take a bath, dear. I’m sure you must have sand everywhere! -Minerva said, looking at the Garchomp, who was looking angrily.
Komodo didn’t doubt it and started to walk towards their little bath. The waters were clear and, slowly putting a paw in them, he could see that they were as cold as always. In any other circumstance, the Jangmo-o would have jumped off from it, but considering how hot the desert was, this one entered immediately.
He started to swim a little, making sure to get rid of any big stone or boulder that could have ended stuck between his scales, and then he continued by rubbing some of his scales, mostly using his frontal paws or his tail to clean the sand or any stain that were on them.
The cave didn’t allow for its residents to have too much privacy. While anyone could see Komodo having a bath, he could also see the others. This time his attention was drawn to Gomorrah and Minerva, who were arguing lowly at the other side of the cave. He knew that they were arguing because of his mother’s moves, constantly raising her arms, and making exaggerated brusque moves. She was really enthusiastic when she was scolding someone.
It wasn’t the first time that they did that, and, though he had no clear evidence, it always happened when Minerva was too caring with him. There was a line that Gomorrah didn’t like her to cross, but Komodo didn’t know where that line was. Sometimes he wondered if Gomorrah hated him and that’s why he treated him so harshly.
He continued staring at them until a new figure stepped in front of him. It was a short figure that was walking in two legs and holding a little tray with several plates with food on them. His gray scales clearly stood out with the black ones of his head.
-Here you have your dinner, Komodo. You have some bread, a little salad of berries and a steak. And Minerva has told me to give you some treats too. You have some candies from our last trip to the city. But don’t tell Gomorrah or, as you already know, he will be mad with all of us.
Komodo wouldn’t admit it, but from the ten Salandits that followed Minerva, Gaius was the only one that he could identify correctly. He was a rare specimen: a Shiny Salandit. The only one that he has ever seen and, probably, the only one that he will ever know. He was much more polite and delicate than the others and compensated his lack of strength with audacity and intellect. He was the only one that barely get into trouble and being sincere, he was by far, Minerva’s favorite, as he was treated like a confessor.
-Thanks, Gaius. Leave it over there, I’ll eat it once I am finished. -Komodo commented, looking at his parents again. The shiny Salandit noticed said stare and huffed a little. He has seen that same stare many times before, but he has never found the courage to say anything.
-Ey, Komodo. You… You are special, for both of us. They like you in their own way. Gomorrah is not too expressive, and Minerva… She is really fond of you for personal reasons. They argue because they have different points of view, alright? Nothing serious. Both want the best for you, but they disagree in how to achieve it.
There was an uncomfortable silence for some seconds (if you ignore the mumble of the other Pokemon talking), but Komodo ended up nodding.
-I know, but… I want to know why.
-Unfortunately, I don’t have all the knowledge needed to answer that question. Gomorrah has never told me anything about his past, and I doubt he will ever be, and you are still too young to understand why Minerva holds you so dearly.
Gaius sit next to the tray and hoped for Komodo to get out of the river and stepped aside, shaking himself a little before approaching the tray and started to eat the food. Salandits didn’t make the best cookers. The food, as always, was bland, but still edible. Gaius was the best at cooking, though maybe it was because he tended to use a lot of spices.
From time to time he took a little quick peek to Minerva and Gomorrah. He could see the Garchomp standing and thumping his tail once against the ground, and it was still enough to make the ground tremble. He then walked to the little corridor and disappeared in the night. Minerva crossed her arms and looked at the Jangmo-o, slowly walking to him.
-I hope the food was good. Now… Why don’t you go to sleep? It’s getting late, and I have to solve a certain issue with Gomorrah.
The truth was that Komodo was tired. He spent most of the time training, and Gomorrah obliged him to get up early in the morning. The Jangmo-o nodded.
-Don’t worry. I’ll do it.
Minerva then looked at the shiny Salandit, who give a little nod and, saying nothing else, the Salazzle turned around and tried to catch Gomorrah. The Jangmo-o simply huffed a little and continued eating silently. Soon, there was nothing on the plates. A whole day with barely food always did the trick. But despite his full stomach, he could only feel a little sad for his ‘parents’. Gaius took the tray and stood on his hind legs.
-Everything will be alright, Komodo. Believe it or not, they have gone through much worse. But living together can be a real challenge, especially when two Pokemon have such different points of view of a thing they both share and take care of.
He knew that Gaius was right, but he couldn’t think that it was his fault. In the end, he had the feeling they were arguing because of him. He didn’t know about what exactly, but he was involved in that argument. Komodo growled as he stepped closer to his nest, letting out a little yawn as he lay down in it. He looked at the Shiny Salandit.
-I know, and I really hate that. Like… Didn’t they talk about that before adopting me?
Komodo might not have gone to any school, but Gaius was the main responsible of his education. Though his knowledge about math, biology or geography was quite limited, the Salandit was a decent professor, at least before Gomorrah asked for more time for Komodo’s training. Instead of a couple of hours every day, he was now lucky if he could have one or two classes per week. And still, it was more than enough for Gaius to let him know that he wasn’t a natural son of Minerva and Gomorrah. How could a Salazzle and a Garchomp have a son that was a Jangmo-o? Gaius tried to be really careful when he talked about said topic, but he managed to make him understand it.
Gaius simply looked away, feeling a little uncomfortable now.
-Ehm… Things are more complicated than that.
-Then explain them.
Gaius looked at the entrance of the cave, a little nervous. He didn’t fear Minerva, but Gomorrah… If the Salazzle was already severe with them, he knew the Garchomp could easily kill him if he messed it up. It didn’t matter if he was Minerva’s favorite Salandit. If he screwed it, Gomorrah would have no mercy with him.
-They felt… Compelled. -The Salandit was visibly a little nervous, and Komodo even knew that he was hiding information, if he wasn’t lying directly by now. - I don’t think I am the one that should talk about that. Gomorrah will tell you when the time comes.
-But he never does! I’ve spent years with all of you! Even when we still lived with those friends of yours. – He closed his eyes for a moment. -I still remember how imposing that Staraptor was… And the Decidueye? He always looked at me like if he wanted to kill me.
-But the past is the past, right? Hopefully you won’t see them again. And maybe that’s because you are still too young to understand everything that is happening. We are all in a tight situation, and Gomorrah simply wants you to focus on your training for now.
Komodo yawned a little. He wanted to reply to that. It was all training, especially lately. He could live without having other children to talk to. He could live only talking and interacting with Salandits. But he didn’t think that he could endure living too much time with so many secrets untold. He may be only a child, but he was quite mature for his age, or that’s what he has overheard from time to time when Gaius had some of those not-so-private talks with Minerva. But that didn’t matter, apparently. He was the youngest Pokemon, the child of the cave. No matter what he did, it would always continue being like that.
And despite his anger, Komodo simply closed his eyes. He was exhausted after his training. And that was the only signal Gaius needed to continue with his routine. When Gomorrah wasn’t around, and Minerva was away, Gaius was asked to tell Komodo some old tales. And so, he started talking to him about that time when Darkrai tried to control all the world by making another Deity go mad. This was the only time when Komodo could truly relax.
-Have a good night, Komodo. -Gaius told him when he noticed the Jangmo-o was unable to keep awake any longer.
-You too, Gaius. – He replied with a much lower tone.
The night was cold, freezing. Komodo found himself running on the sand again. He was panting, exhausted. He could see their crag far in the distance. The Jangmo-o still needed to reach it. He decided to stop for some seconds, trying to gather some energies again. The darkness didn’t seem to bother him. The moonlight was all he needed to recognize the familiar rock formation where their house found, despite the entire area seemed to be covered by a strange aura that made him uneasy. There was something like a little fog that, he didn’t know why, seemed to paint everything with a light layer of a dark purple. It was giving him the creeps.
He looked at the crag again. He just needed to get down of the dune and run for... Maybe for ten or fifteen minutes. He smiled a little. Yeah, he was going to make it! But suddenly the land shook. The sand started to vibrate a little, some of them falling down the dune. The little Jangmo-o looked around nervous and, taking no more time, he decided to continue running. He’d be safe if he reached the crag.
But as he decided to do that, the Jangmo-o fell again and started to roll down the dune. When he finally reached its base, he panted a little. He had sand in his eyes, but the tremors were getting more intense. Komodo looked around and, once he spotted the crag, or what he thought it was the crag, he continued running towards it. But the stronger shakes were difficult to ignore, and when he thought that they were really close to him, he simply jumped.
Something jumped out of the sand, but he didn’t know what or who it was. With the new figure jumping out of the land, a sandstorm was also created. Komodo growled a little, looking around for the crag, but it was so intense that he couldn’t find it. He was lost, disoriented and, what made him angrier, so close to his safe place.
He would love to find any sign to know if he was following the right path, but he reminded that there was something trying to hunt him, and he simply started to run again. He swore that he was hearing steps not so far from him, a heavy breathing whenever the sandstorm lost some strength only to recover after a few seconds, or even something staring at him from the distance.
He continued roaming there for an eternity until that hunter seemed to be fed up. With a loud roar, the responsible of this situation finally showed himself. Despite the sandstorm, Komodo could take a quick look at the creature. The first thing that took his attention was his two sharp scythes that he had for hands. Its body was slightly muscular. He seemed to be a Garchomp, but his body was bigger, his face showed a different form, and his body seemed to have more spikes along his torso and legs.
And as the creature slowly approached, he could take note of more details. Its body was scarred, just like the one of his father’s. But not only that, some parts of his body were also covered in dry blood, totally outstanding from the dark purplish scales that seemed to cover most of his body, only interrupted by bright purple and white scales on his forehead, chest and belly. The edges of its scythe-arms were covered in red too, though he couldn’t distinguish if it was blood or the natural color of the creature’s scales.
Fear paralyzed Komodo. The creature was so similar to his father, and still so different. The last things he could see were his slightly-opened mouth, which showed its sharp teeth and a lot of saliva drooling out of it, and its red-bright eyes looking at him directly, despite he barely could distinguish its irises, which gave him a sensation of having a lost stare. Whatever that be… It seemed to be a creature that came from out of hell; a cruel and crazy creature lost in an endless hunt, just looking for the pleasure of killing.
The creature then jumped at Komodo, and he could only shiver and say his last prayers as he closed his eyes, waiting for the creature to end his life.
Komodo suddenly woke up violently, completely terrified and breathing fast. He was He looked around, looking for that mysterious creature that had jumped at him. The cave was still dark, though the first lights of the day were already entering through the cracks, even if dimly. Minerva was still sleeping in the nest next to him. In the other side of the cave, most of the Salandits were resting too. It was normal there weren’t a few; after all, the vigilance of the passage and the crag was uninterrupted. Still, there was a figure opening some of the chests and looking for something in them.
Suddenly the figure turned his head and looked directly at Komodo. He stood and slowly approached. The Jangmo-o was shivering, barely able to even shout properly. Again, fear was controlling him, unable to even think about what to do. The figure was slightly familiar to the one in his dream, but as it stepped closer, it turned out to be Gomorrah.
-You have gotten up quite early today, haven’t you?
Komodo looked at him. He opened his mouth and mumbled something before giving a little nod. Gomorrah could clearly see that the smaller Pokemon was uneased. He looked around the cave for a moment before returning his gaze at Komodo.
-What’s with that face? Have you seen a Gastly around?
Again, Komodo took some seconds to reply, still scared of the similarities between his father and the creature that attacked him in his dream.
-N-No. I… I just had a nightmare.
Gomorrah nodded and made a little shrug motion, almost like if he was saying that those things happened.
-Anyways, now that you are awake, take this, You will be away for some time.
Gomorrah practically threw right in front of Komodo’s nest and old satchel and a Guild Emblem. Komodo looked at those objects and then at Gomorrah again.
-Does that mean…?
-Yes, and no. You and Gaius will go to the town and take some requests, but this time you will also take a mission for yourself. Gaius will accompany you, but he will only make sure you are fine. You’ll be the one planning everything and taking everything for it. You even have some money to make the final purchases in the shops of the Guild.
The Jangmo-o wagged his tail as he took the Emblem first. This one was a little old, since its color was a little faded and there were some scratches easily visible. At the back of it there was also an inscription: “The Claws of the Dawn”. He knew that Gomorrah had a couple more for those times when the Salandits accompanied him in the Guild. He then took the satchel and saw its content: some berries, a canteen, some bandages, a map of the continent and a compass, and as his father said, a rather decent amount of money to buy the last things that they may need in the Guild.
-I’ll wait for you in the old, abandoned house in the forest. There, you’ll give me the missions you have taken for me and you’ll inform me about the mission you choose for you. And don’t forget. Gaius won’t help you during the mission; he’ll only be there as an observer and he'll later report me your results. It’s time to see if your training is paying off.
This was a nice change of pace for him. It was an opportunity that the Jangmo-o couldn’t waste. He smiled a little and posed proudly after adjusting that little Emblem on the strap of the satchel and looked at the Garchomp.
-I won’t disappoint you, Gomorrah.
The big dragon couldn’t help but give a slight smile. Komodo noticed that and gulped a little, nervous. He couldn’t remember the last time he had showed the slightest him of a smile. He closed his eyes for some seconds, and, after a moment, he opened them, looking at the smaller dragon for some seconds.
-I hope that, Komodo. For now, prepare any other thing you may want to take with you. We’ll depart after all of us have breakfast.
Category Story / All
Species Pokemon
Size 120 x 80px
File Size 368.1 kB
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