APOLLO

            “Bloody Brightflames,” said Apollo Love, Chief of Oldale, and Lord Commander of Slateport’s army for this battle.  “It’s a wonder your people can sleep at night,” he said to Gerald Stone, the Chief of Rustboro.  Apollo figured he must weigh as much as a boulder, though, considering how fat the man was.  He even had a matching mustache and gigantic nose to go with his Spirit Pokémon, Probopass.

            Apollo tried not to smile when he first met the man since the battle of Meteor Falls five years ago.  He could feel Gallade’s Psychic powers pulling the muscles on his face away from smiling too much at the man’s funny appearance. 

            Five thousand campfires… It looks like the sky itself fell down.  In truth, Mt. Chimney’s campfires look like the stars themselves had fallen from the sky.  Apollo and the Slateport army had made good time, arriving just two hours ago where they joined camp with the Mauville force that King Spark had brought.  The King of Mauville looked the same: a big beard, and a big laugh.

            Apollo had never understood the traditional battle practice of the Brightfires from Lavaridge.  He laughed as he nudged King Spark, who was also present, though he didn’t block out the moonlight.  “See how they let everybody know exactly where they are and how many they have?” he let out another hearty chuckle.  Some of the younger Mauville men were confused at Apollo’s demeanor. 

            They must think me a man half-mad to laugh at the size of that army.  It made no matter, Apollo laughed or at least smiled at everything.  He saw this battle as a challenge, and challenges were just obstacles to be overcome.  Though his sister Luna had made things harder on him.  It seems I must not lose a single man in the fight.  Damn you, sister, must you make things impossibly difficult?  Though even that couldn’t stop Apollo Love from smiling on the inside, no matter how much Gallade kept him from smiling on the out. 

            “Ha!” boomed King Marsh.  “I was worried about this battle before, but now that you are here, old friend, it seems our victory is all but certain.  Let them stick to their traditions.  The more they flout their faulty psychological tactics, the less men we need to win.”

            Apollo always liked King Spark.  The man loved life and drinking, like Apollo did.  It seems there is no doubt I should return to Oldale and my lady, and my daughter, Hera.  The thought of his daughter made Apollo smile more than anything ever did.  There was no bounds of a parent’s love for their child. 

            He had seen what he had needed to see now, and Apollo turned to take his leave of the hill with Chief Stone and King Spark.  If only there was something to make this battle more exciting… It’s going to be such a dull victory. Unless…

            “King Spark, one more thing if I may,” he said. 

The King of Mauville clanged as he turned around in this armor.  He was seated on Manectric who also glimmered in the moonlight in its own armor.  “Can we start the battle tonight?  All this waiting for them to attack is like to bore my men.  If we lead the charge tonight, can you follow behind?”

The notion took Chief Stone aback, who sneezed.  Probopass let out a metallic buzz, also astonished.  The King pondered his words for a moment, considering the numbers.  It was well known that while the Brightflame’s kingdom was famous for their steel, the majority of the men who wielded it were severely lacking in skill. 

“I don’t see why not,” said King Spark after mulling it over for a moment.  “A surprise attack may take them off guard, ever increasing our chance of victory.”

A logical decision, and the most fun, thought Apollo.  “Very good.  When you hear the signal, fall in behind the Slateport men.”

“And how long until we can expect the charge?” Chief Stone interjected, taken aback (again).  The chubby man’s reactions amused Apollo to no end.

“Within the hour,” he said as he turned back down the hill towards his army.

He was surprised however, when Stone didn’t give up at the first response.  “And how will we know which men are Slateport’s?”

Apollo didn’t even turn around as he answered, “They’ll be the men the farthest in front, putting out all the fires and beating the enemy.”  He was proud of his comebacks.

Chief Kevin Wood of Petalburg, his designated second in command, waited with the Slateport army.  “I already took the liberty of readying the men.” Kevin Wood and Apollo Love had grown up together as boys.

Apollo looked up, and two thousand men were at attention at his command: five hundred Elite Slateport Spearmen astride on Crawdaunt, a thousand more on Doduo and Dodrio, the final thousand fishermen and farmers from across the Slateport Kingdom, yet as stern and ready as any warrior.  “You know me all too well, my friend.”  Even Kevin’s Slaking was ready for battle. 

“I knew you wouldn’t want to wait for the fun to begin in the morning,” Chief Wood grinned.  “I’ve instructed the men to not to scream or yell to announce their charge, we wouldn’t want to wake the sleeping children.  Carlos Brightflame’s newest war will be over before his army awakes.”

Apollo smiled at his friend and patted him on his shoulder, while Gallade crossed his arms seriously.  He called out to Slateport’s army.  “I heard you men are ready for victory!” he called out to them.  The army saluted silently in a shuffle of hands.  Perhaps Chief Wood made them a little bit too silent.  “Well, then… What are we waiting for?  Follow me!”

His men made their way around the city of Rustboro, so as not to even let any of the lights of the city that remained on glimmer to alert the enemy.  They think their little fires intimidate us, he thought.  But our darkness will aid our assault.  I piss on Carlos Brightflame’s fires.

Finally, the fires swam out of the darkness, and the first of them was up a ledge only twenty feet high.  He signaled some of his men with him, the others to silently make their way to the other fires, and to take no prisoners, for surely Mt. Chimney would show them no mercy.  He looked at Gallade, and the Pokémon nodded.  Spark’s Mauville army was not far behind, the Psychic Pokémon sensed it. 

His arms and legs were swift and sure while climbing the rocky ledge, more adrenaline pumped with every heartbeat.  This was battle, this was adventure.  He paused as he pulled his short curved steel out of its place on his belt, and placed it in his mouth, as he knew pirates were like to do.  As soon as he came over that ledge, Apollo knew what the surprise assault would bring.  As he first peered over the top of the ledge, the flames flickered in his eyes, and the sword’s steel tasted like victory.  Now where is the first of the poor mountain boys to kiss my blade?

Where, indeed.  As he and five other men climbed over the ledge, they were accompanied by three bonfires, yet no men, tents, or scrap of food lying in the night.

“APOLLO!” the voice was Kevin’s.  Gallade raced ahead as Apollo ran swiftly and silently behind, observant of every bonfire they passed and no person, much less an army, in sight.  He came upon a confused Kevin Wood, and an angry Slaking.  “They’re not here,” said Apollo’s second in command.  “The whole army is gone.”

A maniacal laugh was heard overhead, and a winged shape swooped in the dark.  It was only until the shadow crossed the moon when Apollo realized the shape was a Salamence, and its rider could only be Carlos Brightflame’s Lord Commander General, Miguel Starfall.  Apollo understood now: the bonfires, the empty camp, the laughing man flying around like an excited girl on his Dragon, it had all been an elaborate ruse to distract them from the true target of Carlos Brightflame’s assault. 

“Well shit,” Apollo heard himself say, his smile was gone. The laughing got quieter as it flew far into the night sky, was Starfall alone here? Did he take the liberty of creating all of the fires himself?  There was no time to ponder these questions.  “Kevin, go tell King Spark to turn back east to Mauville at once.  Damn him, he should have at least sent a scout.  Damn him, and the fat man, and his mustached Pokémon.  Had I known the camp was empty the whole time, it would have saved me the trouble.”

“Shall I tell that to King Spark, too?” asked Kevin Wood. 

“Damn you, too,” he said to his longtime friend.  The bonfires glittered like laughing Sableye making a mockery of him.  He hated those fires and finally turned away from them and toward the rest of his army who had stopped in confusion. 

“WE RIDE FOR MAUVILLE, AND THE LAST HUNDRED TO THE CITY WILL BE CLEANING THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE SHIPS IN SLATEPORTS NAVY.”  Two things went through Apollo Love’s mind then: how easily King Spark and he had been tricked, and how he better not be in the last group of one hundred to get to Mauville City.