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Description
Of high adventures each new dawn,
As side by side we stood in war,
This tale is told that you may learn,
Just what true friends are for
Shade’s life began with a prophecy. The words fell from the stars, speaking of greatness for this young Reshiram, whose black fur was the colour of the night sky and whose heart was filled with courage and innocence. Shade was special beyond that of any Pokémon before her, for she alone held the power to save the Lost Land from turmoil and live past the hero-being of her parents, into the annals of legendary creatures across the expanse of time. But of course, all beginnings begin in the humblest way.

Shade was a princess, heir to the throne in the Zekrom kingdom of Bellator. Her father was King Ranguvar, and her mother was Queen Snowfall, a Reshiram. This was something that had never been seen before in the history of the Lost Land: a Reshiram ruling the Zekrom kingdom. And Shade had been born to them, with a black coat and white patch on her forehead. This unusual colouring was considered by many of the Lost Land’s creatures as a handicap, a malformation, or even to some a disgrace to all of Pokémon-kind. You can see that young Shade would have to prove herself time and time again in order to live past the prejudice associated with her for being a half-breed. But enough talk; let’s get onto the story.
Due to her father being a Zekrom, Shade was stronger than most young Reshiram in her first year of life. She spent her days play-fighting with the Zekrom of her age, competing in shoving and wrestling matches traditional to the dragons of the mountains. Shade was a princess, and was thus treated well. Ranguvar and Snowfall were often busy with their kingdom’s affairs, but even so they always found time to spend with Shade. The black Reshiram was stubborn and free-spirited, yet was kind at heart.
As Shade grew, the Zekrom of her age started treating her differently. Some stayed loyal friends, but others (especially the males) started shunning her, and kept her out of their games. They had been taught that Reshiram of Reckshire were the enemy and not to be trusted, and thus they poked fun at Shade, even though she was the princess. And so she would help out the adult Pokémon when she wasn’t by herself, and thus learned many skills at a young age.
Shade began to notice changes within herself and the other young dragons as they began the journey into adolescence: The young Zekrom found their black scales hardening into a kind of armour as both males and females grew muscled and hefty. Shade, on the other hand, was starting to shed her downy fur, which made way for the powerful black flight-feathers. Her body was slim and sleek so that rain ran right off of it. She was light on her feet and growing adept at using her paws for all kinds of crafts. All in all, the blue-eyed dragon was turning into a beautiful and smart young Reshiram.
Then the day came where the dragons of her age were to start their training to become fighters in Bellator’s army. But that wasn’t the only option for the young ones. Other positions included lopers, creatures living at Mt. Kallika whose job it is to scout ahead and patrol the boundaries of the kingdom. Another position was the peacebrokers, who deliver messages into other territories, meet with the subjects and to deliver supplies and news to them, the clans and loners taking shelter inside Bellator’s boundaries. Possibly the most coveted position was the job of a swider. Swiders at Bellator can only be Zekrom, by ancient rule. They are the Pokémon who represent Bellator in the Trade System. They travel weekly to the Arail Valley, which was said to have been formed when the great dragon rulers Solio and Amare had their final fight. The Reshiram and Zekrom rulers fought solely over false accusations and pride, and the explosion of their final moves before they both died left a crater in the earth that became the lush and prosperous valley. This dip in the earth is considered neutral ground to all civil Pokémon living in the Lost Land. Not only is it home to many peaceful Pokémon of all talents, it is also the trading center for all creatures. Each clan and kingdom has one or more different amenities that are only found in their territory or crafted with their skill, and all Pokémon come to the Arail Valley to exchange news and barter for items.
Anyway, Shade was of course going to train with the Zekrom. She had her heart set on becoming a fighter, and was determined to do so. But one thing always got in the way: she was different. Even though they bore the same colours, Shade could not be more different from the Zekrom of her age. She couldn’t fly like them: Zekrom fly almost solely with the motor in their tails, whereas Reshiram have weak tail motors and rely on the power of their wings and the will of the winds to fly. She couldn’t train like them: Zekrom were a lot more physically powerful and could easily push each other around with their weight and train for up-front and overpowering tactics, while Reshiram are not nearly as muscled and rely on their speed and wit to fight their opponents. And most of all, she could not fit in with them. She knew the glares she got when in the rare presence of another Reshiram, due to her black coat. She knew the jokes that the Zekrom at Mt. Kallika tossed at her when the adults weren’t watching, and she was aware that she was different, and how much it would cost her.
Snowfall once told Shade a story. It was about a young, blind Reshiram who rose to be a great ruler, just like little Shade was going to be, she said. The Reshiram queen gave Shade the same advice that had been given to her so very long ago: being different is a gift, as it forces a creature to learn to overcome their disability, and drives them farther than any Pokémon has gone before. But still Shade felt as if she had been cursed.
Ryneo, the Zekrom in charge of administrating the training of all the young Pokémon on the mountain, set up a special course for Shade to learn from. The young Reshiram soon became the best flier on the mountain, fast and graceful, sleek and agile. She was turning into a bit of a tomboy, training separately from the other dragons in categories of her own. She learned the value of hard work early on, imposed onto her by her father, who did not want her to turn into a spoiled princess. Her mother had taught her many subtle skills that go with leading other, and Shade had been taught humility and honour from the way her Zekrom friends treated her. She learned early on how to be independent and to look after herself, spending her days as a young juvenile flying around Bellator territory when she did not have training to attend or work to be done. And it was on one of these flights that triggered the beginning to the Reshiram princess’s own epic journey, told and retold for thousands of years after the Break split the land.

Shade was immersed in her thoughts as she flew over the East Ramiis Mountains that made up part of the boundary line between Bellator and the Overlands. She flexed her wings and dipped quickly downward at a sharp descent, pulling out just before the impact with the ground, showing her swift and gentle grace. The black Reshiram was debating in her mind whether or not to obey her father’s rules. You see, while King Ranguvar wanted her to experience the world, he forbade her from traveling outside the kingdom’s boundaries, and from flying past dark-time. And from meeting with Pokémon from outside the territory and from practice-fighting and playing with the young Zekrom. A part of her knew that he was just worried and had little knowledge about parenting and had a kingdom to run and a successor to raise, but the juvenile side of her always won over in the end. She didn’t want to be fussed over. She didn’t want to be contained. She just wanted to be normal, not looked at funny because of her colouring or kept from fighting for her kingdom because of the difference in the power of her species to the dragons that surrounded her. She knew there had to be a place for her somewhere, where she was seen as an equal to other Pokémon. And she most definitely knew that the place was not here.
She would come to realize in time, but that’s not where the story starts.

Anyway, Shade was soaring quickly above the overlap of Bellator and the Overlands when her keen eyes picked up the glint of sun on metal in the distance. Panic immediately welled up in her throat, for she had been told the stories like any other Pokémon and learned to fear (but not back down from) the Pokémon Skarmory. The steely killers had made a name for themselves in the past, and even though they now served faithfully under the rule of Reckshire every Pokémon had learned to always be guarded when a Skarmory patrol was around.
As the objects in the distance got closer, Shade was able to make out a handful of Reshiram flying alongside the Skarmory fighters, their eyes glinting murderously. She noticed with a start that Reshiram king Kedru, son of King Alumis, was at the head of the party. After staying longer than she should have to watch the procession, Shade turned and sped back to Bellator to give the alarm that Skarmory had been sighted in the sky and that the rival king was on his way. A score or so of Pokémon fighters and a few residers were stationed outside of the Mt. Kallika mountain-chain at this news, as well as King Ranguvar and his right-hand general, Shead the Luxray. Ranguvar greeted Kedru stiffly and invited just him inside on peace matters, while the rest of his small party would wait outside with the Bellator Guard.
Ranguvar led Kedru to his quarters, where the walls were emblazoned with silk tapestries sown by Leavanny, and gold unearthed from the Banon Range decorated the room with its gleam. Shade followed her father into the room, and he let her stay reluctantly. The two full-grown dragons seemed small inside the huge chamber, despite their size and ferocity. Kedru cast a long look at Shade, his expression unreadable, before he turned to Ranguvar with his implied accusation.
“I’ll ask you, Ranguvar,” he began, with as much forced politeness as he could; even in these times of relative peace, the clans and kingdoms were still unjustly hostile toward each other. “I’ll ask you, what I’m guessing you already know. Where is Shenn?”
Shade watched as her father’s eyebrows creased in a thoughtful expression.
“Shenn?” he asked. “The prince?”
Kedru’s white lips parted in a snarl. “Yes, Ranguvar. The prince. My son. Where has he gone?”
The Zekrom king sighed. “My friend, if your son is missing, you have every right to feel threatened. But I assure you that no creature on this mountain and in my service has laid paw on your son.”
Kedru threw a dirty glance at Shade as she drank in the conversation with intent curiosity; he obviously thought of the black Reshiram as a disgrace, for she was his species, a half-breed, and a Reshiram princess of the Zekrom rule. Ranguvar followed his gaze disapprovingly, his features solemn as there was nothing he could do to make his daughter more accepted in the world. It would come on her own time, he reflected, and it would do no good to enforce other Pokémon to regard her with respect she hadn’t yet won. The Zekrom king fixed her with a stern look and gestured with a nod of his head for her to leave the chamber. To his annoyance, she stayed.
Kedru turned back to Ranguvar, the hostility gone from his face and replaced with controlled fury.
“Look,” he told his rival king. “I believe you on your word that no Pokémon in your service has taken my prince from me. But I still don’t trust you or your creatures. If it ever comes to light that you have harmed Shenn in any way, by Arceus I will punish your entire kingdom and race.” With a quick at Shade, Kedru turned and left the mountain stronghold, then gathered his followers and took off for Reckshire on the northwest coast, without staying to acknowledge Bellator for letting him inside to speak to their king.
Back in the chamber, Ranguvar and Shade still stood. The black Reshiram felt hurt, but she covered up what she could.
“What a jerk,” she commented to herself more than her father.
Ranguvar shook his head. “Kedru is a young ruler, and the loss of his son must make his temper flare. But Alumis was a grand king. I’m sure he’ll show in Kedru eventually.” He then turned to his daughter with a much sterner tone. “You disobeyed me; you didn’t leave when I told you to.”
Shade’s reaction was unexpected to the king. The emotions that she had kept inside since she could first understand erupted, triggered by this one disciplining that stroked her the wrong way for an unexplainable reason. She had had enough. “I know why you wanted me to leave. You thought I was making Kedru angry! Is there no Pokémon who won’t judge me?”
“Shade,” Ranguvar responded softly, knowing just how hard of a time her unusual colouring gave her. “I don’t judge you. Your mother—“
His attempt to reassure her only made her angrier. “How can you expect me to rule in your place when every dragon thinks I’m a freak?”
“Shade, stop—“
The black Reshiram met her Zekrom father’s worried green gaze, her eyes like chips of green flint. “I’ve never belonged here,” she stated in almost a whisper. Instantly she had her mind made on something that had been brewing in the back of her mind for weeks now.
“And I’m going to find a place where I do.” Without another word or even a glance back, she tore out of the chamber and fell into the open air outside the mountain, flying away into the distance.
Ranguvar had no idea what to feel. He seemed to have just decided on anger when he felt a wooded hand clasp his shoulder. He looked down to see Kiinaux the Shiftry, one of the oldest Pokémon on the mountain, hold his gaze before he put his engraved walking stick back down and rested his chin and arms on the knob end.
“Leave her, Ranguvar,” he advised; only one of Kiinaux’s age and wisdom would ever dare give the king an order. “Leave her. he repeated. “She’s at that age.”
Understanding flooded Ranguvar’s eyes; he knew as well as any Pokémon that almost every creature in existence goes on a journey while young. They leave as hot-blooded or unknowing young ones, to experience the world and learn the weight of responsibility, and return home as mature, proven creatures. It was all part of the cycle of life.
Ranguvar thanked the respected advisor for helping him see the sense of this. Shade was a strong and independent young Reshiram, and he was now sure that she would make her mark on the Lost Land, however rudely they received her. After all, Ranguvar had been no older than she was now when he had been swept into the grasp of adventure himself.
Smiling, he walked alongside of Kiinaux while the Shiftry discussed with the king the childish adventures he got had gotten up to when he was a young prince. But a thought had crossed his mind, which led to the memory of a strange occurrence involving Shade herself.

When Shade had been first born, the maids took care of her for a handful of hours while Snowfall rested. There was always at least one Pokémon there with her at all times. But a maid happened to leave her safely sleeping in her rock cradle for a mere moment as she fetched something from the kitchens, and inside the minute that she had left the little Reshiram, a cumber Arbok (‘cumber’ meaning a beast: a Pokémon who is beyond reason, having usually no understanding of regular language and is driven solely by primal instinct) came through a small crack in the wall, constricting itself to a small size in one of the many adaptations the Pokémon of the Lost Land made to their species to survive. The Arbok slithered over to where Shade was sleeping, ready for a meal. When the maid came back a moment later, she screamed, for on the floor the Arbok lay, dead. Its head had been cleanly sliced off and on the walls were the words, written in blue-gray Pokémon blood: When Black and White come together as one, a wondrous new power is born.
The entire Kallika Mountain-chain was immediately searched from top to bottom, but they could find no Pokémon capable and no weapon existing that could have and would have killed the Arbok. The words on the wall were another mystery still, and they haunted Shade’s destiny for all her young years, though few on the mountain knew of the ominous prophecy.
Ranguvar frowned. Whatever his daughter met on her journey, he knew she would face it head on and prevail until the meaning of these words came to light. Inwardly he remembered a cocky young Shaymin, and prayed silently for Clover to watch over her until it was time for Shade to face the last challenge on her own.

It took Shade until the sun began to set to make it all the way out of Bellator’s lands on wing. It felt good and lent strength to her wings to know that she was not free to do and go wherever she wanted, now that she had set out on her own. Due to her father’s rules, she had never been out of her kingdom’s territory, and she was most definitely not a spoiled princess as she was accustomed to the jeers of the other dragons. But now that she was on her own completely, she had to decide where she wanted to go.
She was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of a fight nearby. Looking down, she saw a pack of Gliscor swarming around a single creature. Indignation flared in her eyes and she swooped down to investigate.
One Gliscor broke off its attack in immediate recognition of the princess, and the others soon followed. The first bowed politely as it hovered in the air: The only Pokémon who would treat her in such a respectful manner were the ones whose clans or families existed inside her kingdom’s border, and since there was a separate pack of Gliscor living on a cliff-front in Bellator’s boundaries, this pack existing outside of them would be familiar with the princess, too.
Shade quickly spotted that the creature they were beating up was a young Raikou, younger than her but still fearsome. He had minor injuries from the slashes he had received from the Gliscor.
“Miss Shade,” the lead scorpion began, but Shade interrupted.
“Why would you beat up a helpless creature like that?”
The Raikou growled at being called helpless. “Don’t ask me. I was just looking for a place to rest, when these idiots attacked me.”
“He was entering our territory!” screeched a Gliscor. “We will defend it with our lives!”
“And is a single creature entering your land cause for attack?”
It seemed as though they were about to break into a fight again, and Shade found herself ready to defend the Raikou when a dot of silver glinted in the sky. The lead Gliscor spotted this and froze. He quickly ordered a retreat to his underlings, and after a hastily formal goodbye to Shade they glided swiftly back to the Tustle Cliffs without taking notice of the Raikou. As they disappeared, the spot of silver in the setting sky disappeared also, off into a different direction.
Confused, Shade wondered why the Gliscor were so shaken by the gleam of silver in the sky. It could very likely have been a Skarmory, she mused, but then why were these fierce cliff-front-dwelling Pokémon were now scared of the Skarmory, who had given their vicious ways up to the past. Again, a voice tore into her thoughts.
“So where are you headed?” the young Raikou asked, fixing Shade with a strange look, as if trying to tell if she was really a Reshiram. Then he shrugged, seeing as this wasn’t his quarrel.
“My name’s Shade,” she told him. “And I’m not really sure where I’m heading.”
The Raikou grunted. “That makes two of us.” He started to walk away, but looked back at the black Reshiram with a smile, sort of. “If you don’t know where you’re traveling toward, why don’t you tag along with me? If you can keep up, that is.”
Shade grinned back. Now, she realized, was her time. Out here, she could be anything and anyone she wanted to be. It was like a whole new world just waiting to be explored. Her journey was just beginning.
“I’d be glad to. What’s your name, friend?”
The Raikou grinned, recognizing Shade as a Pokémon of strength and skill. “The name’s Falkren.” He walked forward a couple steps, stopped, and turned to face Shade. “And thanks for sticking up for me back there. But don’t slow me down, okay?”
“Don’t worry,” Shade responded with a smile. “I’ll just have to get there first.”

Over and out of the Lost Land, inside a pitch-black cave, something was brewing. A dark ruler sat on her throne, shadows covering her eyes. The only source of light came in shafts from a small opening in the cave roof. The leader looked up as pawsteps on the rock ground echoed in the infinite emptiness of the cold cave.
A small figure appeared to melt out of the shadows as he took off his cloak, a black mask on his face covering up his shadowed features. He bowed before the queen and set down the burden he had been carrying: two young Deerling were set down, their legs broken so the could not run. Suddenly the shadows closed in, engulfing the Deerling with its hungry blaze, and soon after the sound of crunching bones could be heard.
The queen nodded approvingly and moved a little was into the dim light. She was a regal Zoroark, skinny like the rest of them, but with a sort of cold fire blazing in her eyes.
“Well done, Risaru,” she praised the Riolu. “We may make something of you yet, after all.”
The masked Riolu bowed low again. “Tis all to please my queen, high ruler of the Isle.”
The Zoroark queen nodded. “You are doing good work. Capturing the Reshiram prince is no small feat.”
“I am humbled by your kind words, your Majesty.”
“There are only a few more tasks we require of you. Next, you must steal the princess.”
“The princess, Milady?”
“Yes. The Reshiram princess. With their successors in our power, the kingdoms must fall.”
“Your Majesty, what about the other two kingdoms? Surely their heirs must be of some use.”
The queen’s temper flared. “Don’t question my word, fool! Now get out of my sight!”
The masked Riolu bowed low once more, his fertile mind brewing on the best way to accomplish his new task. As he turned to walk out of the cave, the queen’s voice flooded after him, echoing on the rock walls, menacing and grim.
“You are aware of what happens if you fail?”
Without turning, Risaru responded, his expression swathed in shadows.

“Yes, milady.”

Description
Of high adventures each new dawn,
As side by side we stood in war,
This tale is told that you may learn,
Just what true friends are for
Shade’s life began with a prophecy. The words fell from the stars, speaking of greatness for this young Reshiram, whose black fur was the colour of the night sky and whose heart was filled with courage and innocence. Shade was special beyond that of any Pokémon before her, for she alone held the power to save the Lost Land from turmoil and live past the hero-being of her parents, into the annals of legendary creatures across the expanse of time. But of course, all beginnings begin in the humblest way.

Shade was a princess, heir to the throne in the Zekrom kingdom of Bellator. Her father was King Ranguvar, and her mother was Queen Snowfall, a Reshiram. This was something that had never been seen before in the history of the Lost Land: a Reshiram ruling the Zekrom kingdom. And Shade had been born to them, with a black coat and white patch on her forehead. This unusual colouring was considered by many of the Lost Land’s creatures as a handicap, a malformation, or even to some a disgrace to all of Pokémon-kind. You can see that young Shade would have to prove herself time and time again in order to live past the prejudice associated with her for being a half-breed. But enough talk; let’s get onto the story.
Due to her father being a Zekrom, Shade was stronger than most young Reshiram in her first year of life. She spent her days play-fighting with the Zekrom of her age, competing in shoving and wrestling matches traditional to the dragons of the mountains. Shade was a princess, and was thus treated well. Ranguvar and Snowfall were often busy with their kingdom’s affairs, but even so they always found time to spend with Shade. The black Reshiram was stubborn and free-spirited, yet was kind at heart.
As Shade grew, the Zekrom of her age started treating her differently. Some stayed loyal friends, but others (especially the males) started shunning her, and kept her out of their games. They had been taught that Reshiram of Reckshire were the enemy and not to be trusted, and thus they poked fun at Shade, even though she was the princess. And so she would help out the adult Pokémon when she wasn’t by herself, and thus learned many skills at a young age.
Shade began to notice changes within herself and the other young dragons as they began the journey into adolescence: The young Zekrom found their black scales hardening into a kind of armour as both males and females grew muscled and hefty. Shade, on the other hand, was starting to shed her downy fur, which made way for the powerful black flight-feathers. Her body was slim and sleek so that rain ran right off of it. She was light on her feet and growing adept at using her paws for all kinds of crafts. All in all, the blue-eyed dragon was turning into a beautiful and smart young Reshiram.
Then the day came where the dragons of her age were to start their training to become fighters in Bellator’s army. But that wasn’t the only option for the young ones. Other positions included lopers, creatures living at Mt. Kallika whose job it is to scout ahead and patrol the boundaries of the kingdom. Another position was the peacebrokers, who deliver messages into other territories, meet with the subjects and to deliver supplies and news to them, the clans and loners taking shelter inside Bellator’s boundaries. Possibly the most coveted position was the job of a swider. Swiders at Bellator can only be Zekrom, by ancient rule. They are the Pokémon who represent Bellator in the Trade System. They travel weekly to the Arail Valley, which was said to have been formed when the great dragon rulers Solio and Amare had their final fight. The Reshiram and Zekrom rulers fought solely over false accusations and pride, and the explosion of their final moves before they both died left a crater in the earth that became the lush and prosperous valley. This dip in the earth is considered neutral ground to all civil Pokémon living in the Lost Land. Not only is it home to many peaceful Pokémon of all talents, it is also the trading center for all creatures. Each clan and kingdom has one or more different amenities that are only found in their territory or crafted with their skill, and all Pokémon come to the Arail Valley to exchange news and barter for items.
Anyway, Shade was of course going to train with the Zekrom. She had her heart set on becoming a fighter, and was determined to do so. But one thing always got in the way: she was different. Even though they bore the same colours, Shade could not be more different from the Zekrom of her age. She couldn’t fly like them: Zekrom fly almost solely with the motor in their tails, whereas Reshiram have weak tail motors and rely on the power of their wings and the will of the winds to fly. She couldn’t train like them: Zekrom were a lot more physically powerful and could easily push each other around with their weight and train for up-front and overpowering tactics, while Reshiram are not nearly as muscled and rely on their speed and wit to fight their opponents. And most of all, she could not fit in with them. She knew the glares she got when in the rare presence of another Reshiram, due to her black coat. She knew the jokes that the Zekrom at Mt. Kallika tossed at her when the adults weren’t watching, and she was aware that she was different, and how much it would cost her.
Snowfall once told Shade a story. It was about a young, blind Reshiram who rose to be a great ruler, just like little Shade was going to be, she said. The Reshiram queen gave Shade the same advice that had been given to her so very long ago: being different is a gift, as it forces a creature to learn to overcome their disability, and drives them farther than any Pokémon has gone before. But still Shade felt as if she had been cursed.
Ryneo, the Zekrom in charge of administrating the training of all the young Pokémon on the mountain, set up a special course for Shade to learn from. The young Reshiram soon became the best flier on the mountain, fast and graceful, sleek and agile. She was turning into a bit of a tomboy, training separately from the other dragons in categories of her own. She learned the value of hard work early on, imposed onto her by her father, who did not want her to turn into a spoiled princess. Her mother had taught her many subtle skills that go with leading other, and Shade had been taught humility and honour from the way her Zekrom friends treated her. She learned early on how to be independent and to look after herself, spending her days as a young juvenile flying around Bellator territory when she did not have training to attend or work to be done. And it was on one of these flights that triggered the beginning to the Reshiram princess’s own epic journey, told and retold for thousands of years after the Break split the land.

Shade was immersed in her thoughts as she flew over the East Ramiis Mountains that made up part of the boundary line between Bellator and the Overlands. She flexed her wings and dipped quickly downward at a sharp descent, pulling out just before the impact with the ground, showing her swift and gentle grace. The black Reshiram was debating in her mind whether or not to obey her father’s rules. You see, while King Ranguvar wanted her to experience the world, he forbade her from traveling outside the kingdom’s boundaries, and from flying past dark-time. And from meeting with Pokémon from outside the territory and from practice-fighting and playing with the young Zekrom. A part of her knew that he was just worried and had little knowledge about parenting and had a kingdom to run and a successor to raise, but the juvenile side of her always won over in the end. She didn’t want to be fussed over. She didn’t want to be contained. She just wanted to be normal, not looked at funny because of her colouring or kept from fighting for her kingdom because of the difference in the power of her species to the dragons that surrounded her. She knew there had to be a place for her somewhere, where she was seen as an equal to other Pokémon. And she most definitely knew that the place was not here.
She would come to realize in time, but that’s not where the story starts.

Anyway, Shade was soaring quickly above the overlap of Bellator and the Overlands when her keen eyes picked up the glint of sun on metal in the distance. Panic immediately welled up in her throat, for she had been told the stories like any other Pokémon and learned to fear (but not back down from) the Pokémon Skarmory. The steely killers had made a name for themselves in the past, and even though they now served faithfully under the rule of Reckshire every Pokémon had learned to always be guarded when a Skarmory patrol was around.
As the objects in the distance got closer, Shade was able to make out a handful of Reshiram flying alongside the Skarmory fighters, their eyes glinting murderously. She noticed with a start that Reshiram king Kedru, son of King Alumis, was at the head of the party. After staying longer than she should have to watch the procession, Shade turned and sped back to Bellator to give the alarm that Skarmory had been sighted in the sky and that the rival king was on his way. A score or so of Pokémon fighters and a few residers were stationed outside of the Mt. Kallika mountain-chain at this news, as well as King Ranguvar and his right-hand general, Shead the Luxray. Ranguvar greeted Kedru stiffly and invited just him inside on peace matters, while the rest of his small party would wait outside with the Bellator Guard.
Ranguvar led Kedru to his quarters, where the walls were emblazoned with silk tapestries sown by Leavanny, and gold unearthed from the Banon Range decorated the room with its gleam. Shade followed her father into the room, and he let her stay reluctantly. The two full-grown dragons seemed small inside the huge chamber, despite their size and ferocity. Kedru cast a long look at Shade, his expression unreadable, before he turned to Ranguvar with his implied accusation.
“I’ll ask you, Ranguvar,” he began, with as much forced politeness as he could; even in these times of relative peace, the clans and kingdoms were still unjustly hostile toward each other. “I’ll ask you, what I’m guessing you already know. Where is Shenn?”
Shade watched as her father’s eyebrows creased in a thoughtful expression.
“Shenn?” he asked. “The prince?”
Kedru’s white lips parted in a snarl. “Yes, Ranguvar. The prince. My son. Where has he gone?”
The Zekrom king sighed. “My friend, if your son is missing, you have every right to feel threatened. But I assure you that no creature on this mountain and in my service has laid paw on your son.”
Kedru threw a dirty glance at Shade as she drank in the conversation with intent curiosity; he obviously thought of the black Reshiram as a disgrace, for she was his species, a half-breed, and a Reshiram princess of the Zekrom rule. Ranguvar followed his gaze disapprovingly, his features solemn as there was nothing he could do to make his daughter more accepted in the world. It would come on her own time, he reflected, and it would do no good to enforce other Pokémon to regard her with respect she hadn’t yet won. The Zekrom king fixed her with a stern look and gestured with a nod of his head for her to leave the chamber. To his annoyance, she stayed.
Kedru turned back to Ranguvar, the hostility gone from his face and replaced with controlled fury.
“Look,” he told his rival king. “I believe you on your word that no Pokémon in your service has taken my prince from me. But I still don’t trust you or your creatures. If it ever comes to light that you have harmed Shenn in any way, by Arceus I will punish your entire kingdom and race.” With a quick at Shade, Kedru turned and left the mountain stronghold, then gathered his followers and took off for Reckshire on the northwest coast, without staying to acknowledge Bellator for letting him inside to speak to their king.
Back in the chamber, Ranguvar and Shade still stood. The black Reshiram felt hurt, but she covered up what she could.
“What a jerk,” she commented to herself more than her father.
Ranguvar shook his head. “Kedru is a young ruler, and the loss of his son must make his temper flare. But Alumis was a grand king. I’m sure he’ll show in Kedru eventually.” He then turned to his daughter with a much sterner tone. “You disobeyed me; you didn’t leave when I told you to.”
Shade’s reaction was unexpected to the king. The emotions that she had kept inside since she could first understand erupted, triggered by this one disciplining that stroked her the wrong way for an unexplainable reason. She had had enough. “I know why you wanted me to leave. You thought I was making Kedru angry! Is there no Pokémon who won’t judge me?”
“Shade,” Ranguvar responded softly, knowing just how hard of a time her unusual colouring gave her. “I don’t judge you. Your mother—“
His attempt to reassure her only made her angrier. “How can you expect me to rule in your place when every dragon thinks I’m a freak?”
“Shade, stop—“
The black Reshiram met her Zekrom father’s worried green gaze, her eyes like chips of green flint. “I’ve never belonged here,” she stated in almost a whisper. Instantly she had her mind made on something that had been brewing in the back of her mind for weeks now.
“And I’m going to find a place where I do.” Without another word or even a glance back, she tore out of the chamber and fell into the open air outside the mountain, flying away into the distance.
Ranguvar had no idea what to feel. He seemed to have just decided on anger when he felt a wooded hand clasp his shoulder. He looked down to see Kiinaux the Shiftry, one of the oldest Pokémon on the mountain, hold his gaze before he put his engraved walking stick back down and rested his chin and arms on the knob end.
“Leave her, Ranguvar,” he advised; only one of Kiinaux’s age and wisdom would ever dare give the king an order. “Leave her. he repeated. “She’s at that age.”
Understanding flooded Ranguvar’s eyes; he knew as well as any Pokémon that almost every creature in existence goes on a journey while young. They leave as hot-blooded or unknowing young ones, to experience the world and learn the weight of responsibility, and return home as mature, proven creatures. It was all part of the cycle of life.
Ranguvar thanked the respected advisor for helping him see the sense of this. Shade was a strong and independent young Reshiram, and he was now sure that she would make her mark on the Lost Land, however rudely they received her. After all, Ranguvar had been no older than she was now when he had been swept into the grasp of adventure himself.
Smiling, he walked alongside of Kiinaux while the Shiftry discussed with the king the childish adventures he got had gotten up to when he was a young prince. But a thought had crossed his mind, which led to the memory of a strange occurrence involving Shade herself.

When Shade had been first born, the maids took care of her for a handful of hours while Snowfall rested. There was always at least one Pokémon there with her at all times. But a maid happened to leave her safely sleeping in her rock cradle for a mere moment as she fetched something from the kitchens, and inside the minute that she had left the little Reshiram, a cumber Arbok (‘cumber’ meaning a beast: a Pokémon who is beyond reason, having usually no understanding of regular language and is driven solely by primal instinct) came through a small crack in the wall, constricting itself to a small size in one of the many adaptations the Pokémon of the Lost Land made to their species to survive. The Arbok slithered over to where Shade was sleeping, ready for a meal. When the maid came back a moment later, she screamed, for on the floor the Arbok lay, dead. Its head had been cleanly sliced off and on the walls were the words, written in blue-gray Pokémon blood: When Black and White come together as one, a wondrous new power is born.
The entire Kallika Mountain-chain was immediately searched from top to bottom, but they could find no Pokémon capable and no weapon existing that could have and would have killed the Arbok. The words on the wall were another mystery still, and they haunted Shade’s destiny for all her young years, though few on the mountain knew of the ominous prophecy.
Ranguvar frowned. Whatever his daughter met on her journey, he knew she would face it head on and prevail until the meaning of these words came to light. Inwardly he remembered a cocky young Shaymin, and prayed silently for Clover to watch over her until it was time for Shade to face the last challenge on her own.

It took Shade until the sun began to set to make it all the way out of Bellator’s lands on wing. It felt good and lent strength to her wings to know that she was not free to do and go wherever she wanted, now that she had set out on her own. Due to her father’s rules, she had never been out of her kingdom’s territory, and she was most definitely not a spoiled princess as she was accustomed to the jeers of the other dragons. But now that she was on her own completely, she had to decide where she wanted to go.
She was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of a fight nearby. Looking down, she saw a pack of Gliscor swarming around a single creature. Indignation flared in her eyes and she swooped down to investigate.
One Gliscor broke off its attack in immediate recognition of the princess, and the others soon followed. The first bowed politely as it hovered in the air: The only Pokémon who would treat her in such a respectful manner were the ones whose clans or families existed inside her kingdom’s border, and since there was a separate pack of Gliscor living on a cliff-front in Bellator’s boundaries, this pack existing outside of them would be familiar with the princess, too.
Shade quickly spotted that the creature they were beating up was a young Raikou, younger than her but still fearsome. He had minor injuries from the slashes he had received from the Gliscor.
“Miss Shade,” the lead scorpion began, but Shade interrupted.
“Why would you beat up a helpless creature like that?”
The Raikou growled at being called helpless. “Don’t ask me. I was just looking for a place to rest, when these idiots attacked me.”
“He was entering our territory!” screeched a Gliscor. “We will defend it with our lives!”
“And is a single creature entering your land cause for attack?”
It seemed as though they were about to break into a fight again, and Shade found herself ready to defend the Raikou when a dot of silver glinted in the sky. The lead Gliscor spotted this and froze. He quickly ordered a retreat to his underlings, and after a hastily formal goodbye to Shade they glided swiftly back to the Tustle Cliffs without taking notice of the Raikou. As they disappeared, the spot of silver in the setting sky disappeared also, off into a different direction.
Confused, Shade wondered why the Gliscor were so shaken by the gleam of silver in the sky. It could very likely have been a Skarmory, she mused, but then why were these fierce cliff-front-dwelling Pokémon were now scared of the Skarmory, who had given their vicious ways up to the past. Again, a voice tore into her thoughts.
“So where are you headed?” the young Raikou asked, fixing Shade with a strange look, as if trying to tell if she was really a Reshiram. Then he shrugged, seeing as this wasn’t his quarrel.
“My name’s Shade,” she told him. “And I’m not really sure where I’m heading.”
The Raikou grunted. “That makes two of us.” He started to walk away, but looked back at the black Reshiram with a smile, sort of. “If you don’t know where you’re traveling toward, why don’t you tag along with me? If you can keep up, that is.”
Shade grinned back. Now, she realized, was her time. Out here, she could be anything and anyone she wanted to be. It was like a whole new world just waiting to be explored. Her journey was just beginning.
“I’d be glad to. What’s your name, friend?”
The Raikou grinned, recognizing Shade as a Pokémon of strength and skill. “The name’s Falkren.” He walked forward a couple steps, stopped, and turned to face Shade. “And thanks for sticking up for me back there. But don’t slow me down, okay?”
“Don’t worry,” Shade responded with a smile. “I’ll just have to get there first.”

Over and out of the Lost Land, inside a pitch-black cave, something was brewing. A dark ruler sat on her throne, shadows covering her eyes. The only source of light came in shafts from a small opening in the cave roof. The leader looked up as pawsteps on the rock ground echoed in the infinite emptiness of the cold cave.
A small figure appeared to melt out of the shadows as he took off his cloak, a black mask on his face covering up his shadowed features. He bowed before the queen and set down the burden he had been carrying: two young Deerling were set down, their legs broken so the could not run. Suddenly the shadows closed in, engulfing the Deerling with its hungry blaze, and soon after the sound of crunching bones could be heard.
The queen nodded approvingly and moved a little was into the dim light. She was a regal Zoroark, skinny like the rest of them, but with a sort of cold fire blazing in her eyes.
“Well done, Risaru,” she praised the Riolu. “We may make something of you yet, after all.”
The masked Riolu bowed low again. “Tis all to please my queen, high ruler of the Isle.”
The Zoroark queen nodded. “You are doing good work. Capturing the Reshiram prince is no small feat.”
“I am humbled by your kind words, your Majesty.”
“There are only a few more tasks we require of you. Next, you must steal the princess.”
“The princess, Milady?”
“Yes. The Reshiram princess. With their successors in our power, the kingdoms must fall.”
“Your Majesty, what about the other two kingdoms? Surely their heirs must be of some use.”
The queen’s temper flared. “Don’t question my word, fool! Now get out of my sight!”
The masked Riolu bowed low once more, his fertile mind brewing on the best way to accomplish his new task. As he turned to walk out of the cave, the queen’s voice flooded after him, echoing on the rock walls, menacing and grim.
“You are aware of what happens if you fail?”
Without turning, Risaru responded, his expression swathed in shadows.

“Yes, milady.”