The Two Lords

Xiao Shandian stood silently in the shower cubicle, a webbed hand pressed against the fogged-up glass wall as he let the hot water cascade down his body. He paid little mind to the blood being washed down the drain; instead he focused his thoughts on everything that had happened in the last few weeks. His heart ached when he recalled the number of lives slain by his hand, the many children rendered orphans because of him. Gritting his teeth and shaking his head, he banished those images and slammed a fist against the wall.

"It's all for the sake of ensuring this hard-earned peace shall never be compromised," he reminded himself. "Everything I do is for the greater good, to secure a future for Fon." He smiled wryly at the irony: he had wanted to become a hero and save everyone from despair, yet he ended up becoming the exact antithesis of what he aspired to be, nothing but a sinner who was all but willing to kill the few to save the many. If not for his younger brother's presence, the Shiny Greninja was positive that he would have become nothing more than an emotionless husk of a Pokémon.

The Lord of the Xiao clan suddenly became aware of the throbbing pain originating from his right shoulder. He exhaled a ragged breath as he tenderly grasped his upper arm and glanced down at the huge scar streaking across that particular spot of his body. Staring at the patch of discoloured skin, Xiao Shandian could not help but think back to the moment when his downward spiral into a life of darkness began.
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"Okay, let us commence the prototype Driver test."

He opened his eyes and met the gaze of the scion of the Sengoku clan and his childhood friend: Ryoma Sengoku. The brown-eyed Quilava was donning his signature labcoat and a pair of spectacles, the latter merely accentuating his powerful intellect. The Shiny Greninja allowed his gaze to drift across the room, spotting several Psychic-types whose minds were linked to the dampener bands affixed around his arms and chest. He winced slightly as they were fastened in place, shifting his focus to the prototype Sengoku Driver around his waist.

"Are you ready, Shandian?" Ryoma spoke up, taking a couple of steps forward. Many of the Xiao disliked Ryoma for referring to the current Lord with such a familiar tone, but the Quilava could not care less and so did his friend.

"Yes," the Shiny Greninja confirmed, holding up his Musmel Lock Stone. "Let us begin." Steeling himself, he flicked the side-installed switch upward.

"MUSMEL!" the padlock-like device announced, flashing green momentarily as its shackle shot up concurrently.

A Kadabra pronounced, "Activating Lock Stone."

A large, armour-plated Musmel Berry flashed into existence above the current Xiao lord who inserted the the trinket into the slot of his Sengoku Driver.

"Armour segments materializing." This observation came from an Espeon who continued, "Pulse and temperature are normal. Commencing unification sequence."

Xiao Shandian wordlessly pressed the shackle down.

"LOCK ON!" came the declaration from the Sengoku Driver, the cutting blade glowing and playing a sound reminiscent to one which could be heard from a Triton's trumpet.

Ryoma pushed up his spectacles, staring intently at the Xiao lord. "Yosh, begin integration," he called out to the Shiny Greninja.

Nodding at Ryoma, the Ninja Pokémon gripped the handle of the cutting blade and 'sliced' open the Lock Stone to reveal a lime green centre with an emblem of a shield.

"SOIYA!"

The mechanical Musmel Berry immediately descended down upon Xiao Shandian's head and formed a white combat suit.

"MUSMEL ARMS! TENKA GOMEN!"

A splitting sound reverberated throughout the room as the Berry disassembled into symmetrical armour pieces and attached themselves to the Shiny Greninja's person.

His eyes shining slightly upon the sight, Ryoma pondered aloud, "Did we do it?!" A scream of agony snapped him out of his reverie as he turned around to see a Drowzee collapse to the ground in pain, clutching its head. "What is it?!" he demanded.

"Th-the L-Lock Stone is overloading!" the Drowzee ground out. "It's...it's outta control!"

As if on cue, the Sengoku Driver around Xiao Shandian's waist started to short-circuit, bolts of electricity sparking off of it as a stray one struck him in the right shoulder and brought the Shiny Greninja down to his knees. "Grah!" he screamed, the pain heightened by a factor of ten due to his typing as a part Water-type. It served to get only worse for him as his whole body was being subjected to immense electrocution.

Ryoma's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to the Psychic-types assembled in the room. "Shut the Lock Stone down!" he shouted angrily, unwilling to see his childhood friend suffer any longer.

The Espeon from before collapsed to the ground like the Drowzee, gritting her teeth as blood began to leak from her eyes. "W-we can't!" she shot back, ignoring the fact that the Quilava was her superior. "It's not responding to our commands!"

"Ry-Ryoma!" Xiao Shandian called out desperately. "Gah! St-stop it now! It...it hurts!" A large streak of electricity exploded out of the Sengoku Driver, making his suffering all the more agonizing and exhausting his willpower.

It became too much for Ryoma. He took pride in his ability to never let his emotions get the better of him, but what was the point if it meant that he had to watch his friend suffer. The Quilava took off towards Xiao Shandian, shrugging off a direct hit to his eyes as he reached down to the prone Shiny Greninja and forcibly pulled out the Lock Stone before tossing it to the corner of the room.

With their energy source gone, the armour pieces and white combat suit faded away to reveal a barely conscious Ninja Pokémon, his body marred with burns.

"Shandian! Shandian!" Ryoma cried out, lifting up and cradling the larger Pokémon in his arms. "Shandian! Oi! Shikkarishiro! Shikkarishiro, Shandian!"
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His sharp sense of hearing picked up the sound of water droplets battering the ground, signifying that his mind was back in the present. Pursing his lips, Xiao Shandian turned the shower off and held his shoulder once again.

"This pain is nothing compared to the sins I must bear..."
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Halfway around the world in Andalusst City, Ryoma sat down in his study with his notes spread out around him on the floor. "The pain seems to be more prominent today," he noted, moistening his eyes with some of his self-formulated eye medicine. The Quilava blinked rapidly and gazed at his reflection in the mirror, his irises shining lightly with an amber glow.

Huffing slightly, he dropped the vial into his pocket and picked up a file. He opened it up and began to flip through the pages, each showcasing a different prototype of the Sengoku Driver. "We've come a long way, haven't we?" The file was soon replaced by a familiar black belt buckle. A smile flickered on his face. "But we are getting closer, Shandian."

Uttering the Shiny Greninja's name made Ryoma feel oddly nostalgic as he allowed his mind to wander.
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Ryoma could only shake his head at the sight that greeted him. He went through all the trouble of not attending his succession ceremony to visit Xiao Shandian and expected the Shiny Greninja to be nursing his shoulder injury; instead, he found his workaholic of a friend reviewing some battle strategies in bed.

"Leave the paperwork until you're back at your desk," the now amber-eyed Quilava advised, shutting the shoji door behind him.

"I wish it were that simple," Xiao Shandian responded, flipping another page. He peered sideways at Ryoma and sternly inquired, "Incidentally, shouldn't you be at your succession ceremony?"

In response, Ryoma swiped the report from the Ninja Pokémon and sat down beside the latter. "I'm not one for formalities," he riposted nonchalantly. "I would much rather be here with you."

Uncharacteristically rolling his eyes, Xiao Shandian leaned back against his pillow and sent a faint smile Ryoma's way. "Congratulations, Lord Sengoku."

"You have my thanks, Lord Xiao," the Volcano Pokémon reciprocated with the inclusion of a nod. Taking a look at the report, he divulged, "According to our scouts, the Kurogawa clan has been intruding into our territory. So we'll need you on top form to steer the ship." He set the report down at the foot of the bed. "And as soon as possible, at that."

The Xiao lord scoffed and grasped his wounded shoulder. "You're saying I should just lie down and rest," he interpreted Ryoma's words, grimacing a bit.

Ryoma peered downward, his eyes dimmed with guilt. "I'm sorry," he apologized genuinely. "If only my research was less flawed..."

"Your talent is our last hope in finally ending this protracted war," Xiao Shandian comforted his Fire-type friend. "I'm willing to bet the world on it." He turned away from Ryoma slightly and pulled his blanket over his bad arm. "I'm prepared for the risk."

Digesting those words intently, Ryoma respired softly, "If you're prepared to give everything for this world, for Fon-kun, then the world should give all it has to you." His friend merely turned his head to him as Ryoma stood up. "Shandian, I'm starting to understand the Lock Stones. They aren't just the key to ending this war. They hold the key to our evolution. They will guide us to our next stage as a species..." He stopped himself. "Iie, maybe they will help us walk the path towards godhood..." An excited chuckle passed through his lips.

Xiao Shandian sighed. "You still think they are the basis for those myths?" he inquired sceptically. "You were always a dreamer."

Ryoma was unfazed as he went on, "The post-Sengokujidai Iapon will require stability and leadership from us..." He turned to face his Shiny Greninja friend, his eyes swirling with madness. "You'll need to wield the personal power to--"

"Save your breath," Xiao Shandian cut him off, picking up the report once again. "You don't need to convince me. I promised myself that I'd see things through to the very end." He peered at Ryoma. "You don't have to worry about me deviating from this path." The Shiny Greninja lightly massaged his shoulder before he continued, "Put emphasis on mass production first before moving on to specialization. There'd be no point being the leader if I don't have worthy followers."

The Quilava could hardly contain his excitement. He was worried that Xiao Shandian would put the interests of the many before his own, but Ryoma knew now how childish he was to ever doubt his childhood friend. "H-hai!" he exclaimed giddily, bowing to the Shiny Greninja and walking out of the room with a spring in his step.
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Ryoma smirked and set the Sengoku Driver down. "Your ambition is intoxicating, Shandian," he said. "You won't have to worry about Fon-kun. I promise you, I'll watch over him."
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