David POV

A half hour later and with herbs and berries collected we return to camp with the rifle I had looted, deep in my mind I was lightly disappointed in myself, it was disrespectful to the dead but the rifle he had was different to the ones Jenna and lily wielded.

The cold air returned and brushed against my face as the tents came into view, alder and the twins were awake making some breakfast. The moment they saw me they happily waved me over.

But alder saw the rifle and promptly rose to his feet. "Guys, we have a small problem."

Jenna and lily look over at me with narrowed eyes until they too saw the rifle I was holding. Lily got up and ran over to me and observed the rifle.

Lily: what in the hell is that?, you didn't get into any battles did you?

"No, an aftermath of one. 2 miles that way theres a massive patch of forest just completely burnt to the ground."

I looked up at kirlia who was beginning to climb down.

Kirlia: there were scarlet knight bodies all over the field, their mightyena and houndoom included. Some had large slashes, some had arrows in their chest and others had holes in their chests.

I lifted the rifle and handed it to Lily, she held it and observed it, checking the stock, barrel, internal bullet capacity, everything.

Click, shhhck

She pulled back the charging handle and saw it still had about 8 bullets inside it. She looked back at me and handed the rifle back.

Lily: looks like 30-06, you said that there was a field with knights, were they dead?

I nodded, my head lowered to the rifle I now have. Lily sighs and walks back over to her sister alder followed behind.

"What do we do? So far no one has found us."

Jenna humms darkly before crossing her arms.

Jenna: for the time being we need to have breakfast first before we do anything and Meloetta is still sick

Hearing this I walked over to the tent as kirlia took a seat next to the camp fire. I rested the rifle and peaked inside before grabbing the herbs and berries.

Meloetta: Mell-oo-? (H-huh?)

The mythical pokemons eyes open and looked over at me, Braixen and lucario were also awake watching over her. I walked in and kneeled beside the sick figure before grabbing the bowl and pastil.

"Hey there little one. How are you feeling?"

I reached over to the pokemon and softly placed a hand onto her forehead, the hot warmth of her body leaking into my hand.

Lucario: she's doing better, her fever lowered throughout the night.

The meloetta weakly smiled has her breathing softly elongated. I return the smile before beginning the creation of the medicine.

"That's good, have you guys seen iris?"

Lucario: still sleeping soundly. I heard the conversation with Lily, you visited a battlefield.

I nodded my head as I poured water into the mix below me. I glanced at lucario and braixen before soesk softly.

"Yeah, I did. The entire field was burnt to the ground, bodies of the knights and their pokemon littered the entire field. Arrows, sword slashes, bullet wounds. Whoever the knights are fighting know how to put up a fight."

Lucario's eyes became dagger-like as he softly hummed. Almost like he was intrigued by the story.

Lucario: that wouldn't make sense, there aren't any regions nearby unova, apart for sinnoh that's near kalos, not even galar, paldea or alola.

Braixen humms in agreement.

Braixen: Brai braixen (paldea is further south, way to far for the knights to attack.)

"As for galar and alola that's in between unova and kalos. There isn't a region anywhere."

We fall silent as I finished the construction of Meloetta's medicine, I give it to her prior to Lucario giving a thought to think about.

Lucario: what if it isn't a region, but more along the lines of settlements or provinces. It wouldn't be on any map and it operates with independence.

I humm lightly before rising to my feet to get out of the tent. I respond to the aura pokemon giving my opinion.

"That's definitely a probability, we're probably going to visit the field again but I'm only going to take myself, lily and iris with. I want braixen to stay here with alder to take care of Meloetta, if you want I'd like you to come with."

Lucario nodded silently and followed me out of the tent, iris was out in her pajamas rubbing her eyes tiredly. She took one look at me and softly hugged me giving me a gentle kiss to my cheek.

Iris: good morning David.

She says in a groan, she yawns heavily and took a seat beside Kirlia around the fire as Jenna began adding pancake batter to a frying pan.

"Good morning iris... alright lily, after breakfast I would like, me, iris and you to visit the field to investigate. Braixen and turtwig will stay here with alder and you're sister."

Jenna: I'm ok with that, and if possible try to check the bodies of the knights for any more munitions, because these 30-06 rounds are hard to come by.

Jenna says gesturing to the rifle I brought back.

"Ok, we'll go check. As for the time being let's get some breakfast."

Everyone turns chibi and raised a hand to the air with a smile on their face.

All: Ok.

-------- time skip

With breakfast over me, lily, iris and my pokemon rose to our feet and began to make way to the battlefield. I grabbed the rifle and promptly looked over at the others as the cool air vanished and was replaced with the smoky warmth like last time.

Iris and lily immediately felt the temperature difference, Kirlia hummed darkly as she placed a hand to her katana, I rose the new rifle I had into a ready position.

I suppose learning how to properly handle a firearm is a good thing.

I sigh lightly as patches of charred earth and trees became more and more frequent and prominent. Lily looked around with a stoic and narrowed expression.

Lily: looks like fire type pokemon torched the land.

That much was obvious but the reason I wanted to know was who and why? Was it the knights to better see who their fighting or was it the unknown fighters that torched the knights?

But my question was spoken by iris when we saw the great field in the distance.

Iris: could you identify who did it? Like if it were the knights or something else?

Lily nodded her head and released her Flareon. The fire type eevee made itself known in a ring of fire. Lily smiles and pointed to the charred earth her smile vanishing instantly.

Lily: I need a favor, I need you to identify if fire came from a machine or from pokemon.

The flareon eeped in a happy fashion before running over the the perimeter of the large charred area. The ash from the fires aftermath picked up with each step of the fire type.

Flareon halted at the perimeter and looked around, the fur around her body glowed softly as flames began to form around herself and the area. But just as quick as the flames arrived it vanished in sparkles of light.

I blinked a few times from confusion as the flareon retreated back to lily's side happily wagging its tail side to side.

Iris: how did... you do that?

Lily giggled lightly and softly pet the flareon beneath her.

Lily: Hee~ Flareon is very special as are the other eeveeloutions, Flareon as the ability to identify differences in how fire is made, either from a lightning strike, a machine or by other pokemon.

The flareon hummed lightly before whispering into lily's ears.

Flareon: Flare flareon ( it was both machine and pokemon)

Lily hummed softly as her eyes bounced to the field before her. Her eyes narrow as she chambered a round in her rifle.

Iris: what did she say?

"Both machine and pokemon."

3rd pov

The notion of machines and pokemon alike brought a sense of eeriness to everyone. David walked forward and onto the charred and ashen area, he looks around with narrowed eyes before humming a bit.

David: that's a bit terrifying.

Iris: yeah, I agree.

Lily stayed silent and continued to pet her flareon softly, kirlia remained by David as he looked around the burnt field.

Kirlia: if were to figure out what happened here we should explore the area.

Lily rose up and walked up to David and iris.

Lily: I agree, let's split up across the field if anyone finds anything let each of us know.

Everyone nodded in agreement and began to split up across the field, the ash from the ground picked up around and softly fluttered in the wind.

David and kirlia stayed together iris and lily the same. The smoky atmosphere clouded their noses forcing them to cover them.

Kirlia: hmm, such devastation on a large scale. It's kinda scary.

David: it is, whatever attacked the knights must be a formidable force.

David looked around and spotted the body of a knight, like before it held many arrows inside its chest. David and kirlia walked over to see the pale expression of the knight.

A young boy whose eyes had dimmed and without life. A light pinge struck Davids heart, he took a knee and looked around.

David: though, why is death the only thing we see...

His voice lightly waved as he spoke, his eyes softened as he spotted a weapon layed across the knights arm. David sighs and checked the rifle for munitions.

Kirlia: I'm not sure, it's saddening...

David smiles lightly and began to stroke kirlia's cheek, she purrs in response and leaned into it.

Kirlia continued to purr as a light blush formed on her cheeks.

David: it is.

David looked back at the body before finding a satchel with several clips of 30-06 his eyes softened as he respectfully removed the satchel from the body and wrapped it around his waist.

David: C'mon, we should continue.

Kirlia nods and held David's hand as the two rose back to their feet and continued the exploration. She held onto his hand and intertwined her fingers with his.

Many more minutes and the looting of bodies David and kirlia came face to face with an intimidating sight.

An old apc carrier, destroyed and beginning to rust. Kirlia and David walk towards it in light fear.

David: let's be careful, we don't know what's inside it.

Kirlia nods and drew her blade David aimed his rifle into the apc with narrowed eyes.

Kirlia: I'll check the front.

David: alright be safe.

Kirlia hummed warmly as she carefully leapt to the top of the apc and ran across its hull towards the front. David checked the back ends of the apc only finding more bodies and dead pokemon.

His eyes softened before he backed away to meet back with kirlia. He scanned the entirety of the apc admiring it with each step.

Soon upon reaching the front kirlia stood atop the large gun mounted on top of the vehicle, she looked around the area with a subtle glare.

David: anything?

Kirlia shook her head no, she sheathed her blade and leapt back down into David's arms.

David: at least we found something.

Kirlia: it gives us a better understanding how powerful the force was, the knights from the look of things have firearms, vehicles and pokemon. Whoever is capable of defeating this must be someone power.

David sighs and petted the hair of kirlia.

David: it very well be an entire group of people.

--------

10 minutes go by and the two set out across the fields once more, encountering more of the apc's in worse condition. Some had entire holes blown out, some had their tracks destroyed and even the occasional mounted gun was entirely blown off.

David: I wonder where they were trying to get to.

David sighs as iris and lily walked over to the apc he and kirlia were at.
Iris looked up to see David and kirlia sitting atop the vehicle.

Iris: were you able to find anything?

David: no, just the bodies of the defeated and the vehicles they left behind.

Lily hummed softly before climbing up beside David.

Lily: well that settles things for the time being, we should keep an eye on things. But then again we need to keep meloetta safe.

David agreed before starting to climb down, but kirlia stopped him when movement was seen at the edge of the field.

Kirlia: wait I see something!! There at the treeline.

Kirlia pointed to the distance where the non burnt treeline was. David, iris and lily face the trees to only spot quick movement of several horseback pokemon.

Rapidash, Mudsdale and Zebstrika. There were perhaps well over 45 of them, but what was more interesting was that there were combination of armored people and pokemon riding atop them.

Some wielded bows, tachi's or even firearms similar to the ones the dead knights had. However there are distinct differences between them and our heroes.

One being their armor, another being their technology, and lastly how they organize themselves.

Lily: I see them, let's hope they don't see us...

David and kirlia look to lily who held a nervous expression. Lily's eyes narrow as she began to take several steps back.

Iris: what do we do?

Lily: we make way back to camp and stay until meloetta recovers.

And with the plan set everyone began to make way back to camp, with the strange people and pokemon galloping by in the treeline.