Here is the brand new story that centers around the main antagonist of The Pokémon Prometheus, Maya the Lycanroc/Zoroark hybrid. It's not one of my easier stories to write because it's a tragedy, which isn't something I write usually. It deals with what happened in Maya's backstory that caused her to be the destruction-happy Pokémon she became. It's almost enough to make one feel sorry for her even after trying to destroy Arkanilacum.
Almost.
-----
Even after two days of running, the four-legged Pokémon still ran from her defeat. For a half hour, one glorious half hour, she was a goddess of destruction, with a tail powerful enough to level buildings and a paw large enough to crush lives. But now, this Lycanroc-looking Pokémon, but with teal on her tail and claws red, had shrunk back normal thanks to that Vulpix,
that Vulpix.
Maya, the Midday Lycanroc with Zoroark traits like red rimmings on her face and black mane with four red spikes, was a researcher in the anthro technology leftovers. Anthros were the beings who once came to this world with machines that could increase the size of beings to a humongous degree. What they hadn’t accounted for was Pokémon like her taking such tech for themselves.
Nor did they account for Pokémon being far more potent than anthros ever could be.
Since that golden era, the anthro disappeared and the giant Pokémon, who were worshipped like gods, died out with their remains being the last hint that such macros once walked the land. Such as the Arcanine remains that surrounded the town known as Arkanilacum.
Arkanilacum, the thought burned into her mind as she ran across a plain. That town that had taken so much from her. That town that she wished to complete the utter destruction as payment for what they did. That town with no honest Pokémon within the bones that surrounded and protected it. How could the dead Arcanine goddess still give her town blessings after it caused the death of her brother?
-_-_-Fifteen Years Ago-_-_-
A small, canine-like Pokémon lay down with her dark brown muzzle face pressed against the book, reading the lines within with large blue eyes. Her ears, divided between light brown and dark brown, flopped halfway while her curled up, fluffy tail lay down against her. Images of the past long ago popped into her imaginations as she read more, not noticing a Pokémon approaching behind her. At least until she felt the claws on her forehead, pressing against her light brown fur.
“Yip!” Maya said, trying to jump, but the claw held her down.
“Hehehe, it’s me, silly,” A male voice behind her said.
“Wait,” Maya said before she sniffed the air. “Big bro!”
The Rockruff spun around and pounced on her much larger brother, who fell back from the sudden force. His red fur ruffled as his long arms rubbed Maya, with him giving out a large, toothy grin. His pink-red eyes, glowing bright enough even in the day that any other color, including black, couldn’t be detected by sight alone, looked down at his little sister while his white mane, with most of it on his back and shoulders, fluffed up and bent down over his head, ending with a black tip. Slung across his white, fluffy chest was a black bag filled with papers and pencils, with several pages written within.
“Oof,” the Midnight Lycanroc said, his short tail stuck out from under him as he snuggled his sister back. “Nice to see you too.”
“How did it go, bro?” Maya asked, wagging her tail behind her.
“I say that my interview with the new mayor of Arkanilacum went surprisingly well,” The Lycanroc answered, rubbing the tip of his mane as he got up. “I wasn’t too sure of Mayor Richard since I heard,” he paused as he rubbed the back of his neck, “since I heard not such nice rumors about him. But, after asking several hard questions, I have to conclude that there is nothing wrong about him.”
“That’s great to hear.” Maya smiled as she turned back and closed the book. “So, we’re leaving soon?”
“Yup. After we get something to eat, we’ll be heading back to Rameidon town,” Maya’s older brother answered as he picked up the book.
The two Rock-type Pokémon walked alongside each other down the dirt path. “It’s a bit of a bummer that it happened so quick. I mean, this has THE bones around the town.”
“The bones of the giant Arcanine, also known as the Great Protector.” The Lycanroc looked up at the ribs. “You like reading about the giant Pokémon, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do, silly.” Maya gave a bit of a hop. “It must have been so amazing to be so big that a huff of air can knock down even an Onix to the ground.”
“I imagine it might be.” He brought down his claw onto Maya’s head, rubbing it as he smiled. “Yet, because of the actions of those bad Pokémon, the ones who seek to destroy needlessly, the stuff that allows it was lost. Even the ones that could allow us to grow without anthro machines, Dynamaxing, was gone.”
“Yeah. Lousy jerks.” Maya looked up at her big bro. “What a way to ruin everyone’s fun just because they can’t behave like good Pokémon.”
The Lycanroc gave out a sigh. “Despite it being so long ago, yes.”
“You know what, bro?” Maya looked up at the bones above with determined eyes. “When I reach your age, I’ll find a way to bring it all back!”
The Midnight Lycanroc stifled a snicker. “And what will you do if you become a macro, oh goddess in training?”
“Why, I’ll go out around the world and fight off all the bad Pokémon! No matter how big or strong they are, I’ll fight them until the end! Then no one will have to suffer anymore.”
The Lycanroc’s pink-red eyes stared at the little Rockruff with a kind look. Even with some of the leftover tech when the anthros disappeared long ago, he doubted that any that could cause them to grow remained. After all, if any remained, forgotten by their makers, they would’ve been discovered already since so much time had passed. Maya’s dream of being a giant will remain as such, a dream.
“I’m sure that you will discover the lost macro tech,” he said out loud. “Just don’t feel disappointed if you can’t.”
“Don’t worry. I know I’ll find them.” Maya grinned. “I think it might be my fate even.”
“I’m sure it is,” the Lycanroc said while he plotted to find someone who would help him out in playing out his little sister’s dream in a game.
The two walked on with Maya skipping every crack on the ground while the Midnight Lycanroc pulled out his notes and read through them. After some time, the two Rock-type Pokémon entered a small café, with a small panda-like Pokémon with spiral eyes as the owner of this clean place. The Spinda took their order, with Maya sitting on a chair far larger than her while the Lycanroc looked over his surroundings.
Despite it being a small place, with only eight tables and quadruple the chairs, the café seemed to be a popular place to be in with several Pokémon either eating, waiting, or relaxing within. On his left there sat a Typhlosion, an Ampharos, and a Marowak, and to his right sat a Riolu, a Vaporeon, and a Pidgeotto. Outside of the two Rock-type, all of the Pokémon within sat in their table area.
It didn’t take too long for their meal and drink to arrive and, after they gave a toast (made with Gummis), the two dug into their meal, with Maya having Iapapa berries and the Lycanroc having a pair of Watmel berries. Their meal tasted beyond their expectations, with their joy of such well-grown berries filling up the room. As such, they didn’t notice a newcomer entering the café until the Pokémon stood beside them.
The Lycanroc’s pink-red eyes looked up at the newcomer, a large, turtle-like Pokémon with blue skin and a brown shell.
“Hello. Sorry to interrupt,” the Blastoise said, looking down at the two, “but aren’t you the famous interviewer from Rameidon?”
“Yes, I am,” the Lycanroc answered as he leaned back on his chair. “Surprising to hear that my name’s known out as far as here, though.”
“I’m always happy for Pokémon like you who wish to unveil others’ closet for a good cause,” the Blastoise answered with a massive grin. “I’m curious to hear how you do your interviews.”
“Oh, um,” the Lycanroc said with a sudden jolt. “I’m not really that great. I’m sure there are far better you can ask regarding journalism.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the Blastoise said, giving out a low bow only to bang his head against the table. The Blastoise gave out an angry swear, which Maya giggled at.
“Please forget you ever heard of that word, sis,” the Lycanroc said.
“I’m very sorry. I mean, what was I thinking?” The Blastoise rubbed his head. “That sounded so much ruder when spoken out loud. Please forget that-”
“It’s not a problem.” The Lycanroc stood up. “I can at least give you an overview of how I ask questions.”
“No, no. You don’t need to.”
“Sir, I insist on telling you about it.” The Midnight Lycanroc stretched out one of his arms.
“You wish to answer my fanboyish questions outside?” the Blastoise asked as he looked at the other’s claw, pointing out at the door.
“Oh, um,” the Lycanroc replied, not intending to point at all, but he didn’t wish to make the blue Pokémon feel more foolish than he already was. “Sure. Maya, stay here until I come back.”
“OK, big bro.” Maya grinned as she wagged her tail.
She twisted her head as she saw her bro and the stranger walked out the door. When they got out of sight, she returned to eating the Iapapa berries, the sour taste filling up her tongue. She gave out a wide smile as her tail behind her wagged. Her ears twitched as she heard a chair being pushed, and one of her blue eyes looked at the location of the sound.
The other Pokémon there was another canine-like Pokémon, but blue and bipedal with a black torso and a black line across his face and down his muzzle that reminded Maya of a mask. His black paws walked on the wooden floor as his red eyes stared at the Rocktuff with no noticeable emotions. The two black appendages that hung out beside his head made Maya think that those might be his ears, though his actual ears were pointed upwards and blue.
The Riolu approached Maya and stared out at Maya as she tried to think of something to say. “Um, hello.” The Riolu continued to stare. “Do you wish for my Iapapa berries? There’s plenty for both of us. I would suggest my bro’s food, but he’ll be so angry.” No response came? “Aren’t you listening?”
“Do you care about your brother?” the Riolu asked in a cold voice.
Maya blinked as she felt a chill down her spine. “Yes, I do. He’s the best big bro anyone could ever ask for.”
“Even though he’ll leave you forever?” the Riolu asked.
“What do you mean? He’ll be back again soon.” Maya’s ears flattened back. “It’s only for a talk-”
“This world is filled with Pokémon who take advantage of others,” the Riolu said as his eyes darkened. “No matter how nice or generous you try to be, those Pokémon will treat you horribly for doing something they consider to be wrong. They see you and your brother like naive prey. If you wish to survive in this world, you need to become like them.”
“I,” Maya paused as she tried to find the right words, “have no idea what you’re talking about, so I’ll just ignore you.”
“If you think you can hide from the world, you’re wrong.” The Riolu’s voice becomes colder. “Because this world is so rotten that the only answer to fix it is to destroy it and start with a new beginning. I felt it with my own Aura when my home got destroyed. I felt all the fear and the anger when it happened because of those Pokémon, and yet no other place care about what happened because it’s not their problem.”
“I think you have been talking to the wrong-”
The door swung opened with a force that caused a deafening crack and most Pokémon within jumped in surprised. They all turned to the door and there stood on all four a brown and yellow Pholidota-like Pokémon, panting as if she ran a hundred miles in a minute though Maya saw that she might have run even half a mile. The lack of any kind of sweat or even dust on her body showed it.
The Spinda ran towards the Sandslash. “What’s wrong?”
“S-sorry, but,” the Sandshash said between pants, with it clear to a childlike Maya that pure panic ran through her body, ‘a-a Pokémon died nearby.”
“What?! Who?” the Spinda asked as he, with great care, patted the Sandslash’s back.
“A-a L-Lycanroc.”
A chill as cold as winter ran down Maya’s spine as her blue eyes widened at those words. Then, without thinking, she got off her chair and darted around the two Pokémon as fear consumed her. It couldn’t be him who died. How could it be?
But her eyes saw, on the ground unmoving, a Midnight Lycanroc with his eyes closed.
Maya gave out a grief-filled howl as she ran to her brother. She nuzzled his face, hoping in denial that it was just a joke, but no reaction came from his wet body. Hot tears swelled out from her eyes as she clutched her brother’s face, not moving away from him until other Pokémon came and took him.
-----
Maya sat down within a white hallway, her heart still full with grief. She had heard many words since, but only a few seemed to enter her mind about what happened to her big bro. Among them was said that he suffered from a heart condition and, while outside, it triggered a heart attack and he died.
But the Rockruff guessed that they lied to her and the others, having felt her bro’s fur. She remembered the Blastoise who came for a talk with her bro and how not a trace of him remained by the time the Sandslash found the Lycanroc’s body, despite being a ‘fan.’ Not to mention how her bro’s bag carrying all his notes disappeared. Perhaps he did something that killed her brother and stolen his papers.
But how could she convince anyone of what she guessed what really happened? Those Pokémon, the ones who pronounced the cause of death, wouldn’t believe her and, because they happened to work in that field, anyone would believe them over a kid like her. She imagined herself being within a forest, wondering where the exit was and wishing that her brother helped her out.
The thought of never hearing his voice again struck her as tears flow out again.
She then pulled herself up and, despite her heart crying out to stay near the room where her brother’s body lay in, walked away. Maya wondered why her limbs decided to lead her away since her mind didn’t have a goal to walk towards. Yet, for whatever reason she didn’t know, her legs took her along for a walk.
After what seemed like hours of walking, from the edge of a hallway, her teary eyes saw a dark brown, quadruple Pokémon with a large mane around his neck. Despite never seeing him before, her mind pieced together the details her brother said long ago and recognized the Pyroar as the new mayor of the town, Mayor Richard. Perhaps he was here because the one who interviewed him died so soon afterward, Maya thought. A small part of her wanted to talk to him, pour her heart out about what she believed, but she felt a strong doubtful feeling.
The Rockruff walked two steps forward, only to paused when she saw another Pokémon in front of the new mayor: the Blastoise who last talked to her and her big bro.
The two talked in quiet voices, enough that even she couldn’t hear, but she could still see the emotions they emitted and the expressions they showed. Not a trace of sadness shown on them and instead happiness and pride shined from their bodies. Then she heard them laugh.
Maya took several steps back as a chill ran down her spine, and questions echoed within her skull. Was her brother’s death planned by them? Why? Her brother questioned Mayor Richard and discovered nothing wrong about the Pyroar.
Unless Mayor Richard happened to be a front for the real power.
The Riolu’s words, about how this world being a rotten place with Pokémon preying onto others, surfaced in Maya’s memories as her eyes darkened. That Blastoise, the one who tricked her big bro, held the real power behind Mayor Richard, his willing pawn. Her bro’s questions must have been digging too much about the new mayor for their own liking and the Blastoise, not wishing to have his strings over the town break, decided to kill him and steal the paperwork.
But how could she stop them? The ones who told her and others lie about her bro’s ‘heart condition’ rather than the true reason showed that the Blastoise’s control branched out beyond the mayor’s office. Who could she trust within this town? No one here would help her, so she did the only thing she could do.
She ran.
Tears fell as she ran around confused Pokémon and out through the door. She ran down the dirt road, her heart pumping hard against her chest. Even when her legs screamed out in pain, she still ran out of town.
Yet, as she ran, a seed planted within her, full of wrath over her brother’s death, the ones who caused it, and the pawns within the town.
“I will avenge you.”
-_-_-Present Day-_-_-
Maya kept on running, despite her legs begging her to stop as she entered a forest. The trees covered her with its shadows that covered her as she slowed down. Her heart, in pain, beat against her chest while she lifted her nose. The Midday Lycanroc then smiled, sensing no Pokémon from behind. Anyone who did chase after her she had managed to lose.
Yet, she sensed another Pokémon ahead.
The Lycanroc twitched her nose as she remembered the smell and who it belonged to, but there was another scent attached to it. She tried to place what or who that other scent was but couldn’t.
Despite it, she followed the smell since she knew the Pokémon it belonged to; the one who taught her the corruption within this world. He had met her many years after that meeting when she gained the traits and ability of a Zoroark by accident.
The woods opened a bit as she continued towards the source of the smell, and she saw him. But it looked like he learned a trick since their last meeting as her eyes widened.
There sat with his legs crossed in meditation a huge yellow and white Pokémon with black arms and legs down the knees and halfway down the forearms. The four black appendages, now hanging down from his head like hair, had spikes along with his yellow tail and a bit on his head, far different than the natural spikes on the chest and back of the hands. On his face, he wore a purple mask up from his muzzle that resembled to Maya a Ninetales.
The Midday Lycanroc stepped forward. “Hello again, Kyle.”
The Lucario opened his eyes, glowing blue at first, but it faded into his natural red eyes. “It has been awhile, Maya. I sensed your aura when you ran into the forest.”
“And I see that you gained the ability to grow in size,” Maya said, her eyes observing the giant Lucario who, even when sitting down, his head reached the tips of the trees. “Though what is with the mask?”
Kyle looked up through the tree branches, seeing the sky. “Since we last met, I was in a battle that lasted for three days and nearly died for it. My death would’ve been in vain if it wasn’t for him. He pulled me out from the darkness and granted his blessings, being impressed with my willpower. This is why I am my current size now. With it, I’ll fight them again.”
Maya’s eyes narrowed. “Why would Arceus-”
“No. He’s not a Pokémon. He’s one of them,” Kyle answered as Maya’s eyes widened in surprise and confusion. “Despite it, he seeks the same goal as me.”
“A traitor to his own kind?” Maya asked as she approached Kyle’s foot.
“Don’t be too surprised,” the Lucario said as he picked up the Lycanroc with his hand. “After all, everyone has a blight within their souls to the point that, if it weren’t for others having something they need, they wouldn’t deal with anyone else at all. That is the natural state of all creatures within the world.
“But in any case,” Kyle stared at the device, partly melted, attached on Maya’s leg, “another failed attempt?”
“No, I actually managed to succeed the last time I used it,” Maya answered as she emitted a growl. “I managed to grow up to 60 feet with it. But that Vulpix had to find a way to grow herself and destroy it. That
Vulpix.”
“Vulpix,” Kyle said as he lowered Maya back to the ground.
“Yes.” Maya’s fur ruffled as she bared her fangs. “Who would've thought that a little Vulpix called Faith ruined my perfect revenge?”
Kyle’s hand twitched. “I see. I think I understand a bit more about what happened. In any case, because of my meeting with him, I have learned much more about anthro technology. I’ll fix your device.”
“Huh?” Maya blinked as she looked up at the giant Lucario. “Um, thank-”
A large hand came down and pressed against Maya’s body, causing her to whimper.
“Haven’t I taught you anything?” Kyle said as he glared at the small Lycanroc. “We all have a blight that prevents us from empathizing from one another unless we need something from them. I’m not doing this because I wish to help you. I’m doing this because I need you to help me and you can’t while you’re at this state.”
Maya lifted her head to speak, but Kyle twisted his hand and instead she gave out a pained yelp.
“I’m not finished. What I need you to do, after I fix this device, is to put your petty revenge on hold and try to capture this Vulpix you mentioned. But do not kill or maim her in any way.”
“Why?”
“I don’t need to tell you my reasons. I have doubts that you’ll succeed if she did have the ability to grow.” Kyle gave out a cold smile. “But even if you do fail, you’ll next meet my savior, and we’ll fight them. Is that clear?”
“Yes, yes! Please let me go!”
Kyle lifted his hand. “Good. Then together, we’ll wipe out all of the anthros within this world.”
Maya panted as she struggled to get back up to her feet. After several seconds of sliding down and getting back up again, she managed to put herself into a sitting position and looked up at Kyle, only to not see him. She lowered her vision, and there stood a Lucario, now normal size with only an imprint where he sat much larger than him as proof of his former size.
The Lucario walked towards her, stone face, as Maya closed her eyes. She felt the device being removed from her leg while a wind brushed between her ears, and she recalled his claws so long ago planting themselves on her head. Yet the windy claws seemed sorrowful rather than the joyful ones she remembered so long ago.
“It’ll take me a week to fix it.”
“That’s fine with me. Why not wait a little longer? Then I’ll help you and, afterwards, I’ll have my revenge against Arkanilacum.”
When she said those words, a wind blew by again, and the touch left her.
