A/N: "Wait, what's this?" I can hear you say. "What happened to I Never Wanted to be the Hero, this fic's former title?" Well... it's a long story, but I can boil it down to two main reasons: 1. The early chapters of I Never Wanted to be the Hero were horrendous, and quite frankly, they needed a massive spit-and-polish, which is exactly what this reboot is for the whole story, essentially. In addition, if we have any long-time readers here, you may remember that I Never Wanted to be the Hero had a lot of... rather strange continuity errors, owing to my lack of ability to keep information in mind and manipulate it for more than two seconds. I'm pleased to report that in the year since I went on hiatus, this has improved by leaps and bounds, so continuity errors will be a thing of the past! ^^

The second reason I needed to reboot this is to buy time for IcyAltheon to finish his novelization of Pokemon X (which is set in the same universe as this story), because he will (hopefully) be writing the sequel to this, and I don't want to burden him with two stories at once.

Now, to nip all the incoming complaints in the bud, the original will NOT be gone forever. I'm going to post all the chapters that I have finished (plus what little of chapter 30 I managed to complete) to another website, a Pokemon fansite called Lake Valor, over the next few weeks, so if for whatever reason you wanna torture yourself by reading the original, go right ahead. One last thing to wrap up this overly-long A/N is that unless I have an important announcement to make, there will be no A/N's to bookend chapters. You will hear from me, but only rarely.

Long Way to Fall

By: Rylek196

Prologue 1: Forced Evolution

"Is everything ready?" a man with green hair asked.

"Yes, sir," a scientist wearing a lab coat and sitting in front of a control panel answered. "The laser is good to go. We can begin any time."

The other scientist sitting next to him was not so confident. "This is insane," he muttered fearfully. "Once we do this, that thing's gonna evolve, get loose and kill everything. Everything being us."

The green-haired man simply pulled a Poke Ball from his belt, and clicked the circular button on its front twice, opening it. In a flash of light, a deadly-looking Pokemon appeared. It was red, humanoid, and just over five feet tall. Its body was clad in armor resembling a samurai mixed with a chess piece, an axe-like blade adorning its head. Wickedly sharp blades were also present on its forearms and stomach.

The Pokemon took a fighting stance as the offending scientist cowered in fear. "Bisharp, as you will," the green-haired man said. "Night Slash."

As the Bisharp's forearm blades extended to twice their usual length, the doomed scientist got up out of his chair and ran for the door. Bisharp, however, moved to block his way, grabbing him and slamming him into the wall hard enough to make the man cry out in pain. With a quick motion of one of its arms, it then cut his throat wide open, letting him slide to the floor with a choking gurgle, his blood pooling on the floor.

The other scientist gave an uninterested grunt as the green-haired man recalled the Bisharp to its Poke Ball. That was Ghetsis for you, the scientist thought. All business, all-committed to his goals, all the time. There was no room for those who were uncertain. And his murder of the scientist demonstrated a fundamental rule of Pokemon: They could not kill each other, but they could very easily kill humans.

"Shall we... bring it in, sir?" he asked, not giving the corpse a second glance.

"Yes," Ghetsis replied. "Get someone down here to replace the incompetent, and... have guards posted outside the room with Fighting-types, just in case."

The scientist nodded, calling someone over the intercom in the lab. Two more workers hurried into the room shortly thereafter, one dragging the body away, while the other sat down behind the control panel, preparing to monitor the energy levels of the Pokemon that was about to be brought into the adjacent room.

Through a large, thick glass window, they could see a scientist wheel a cart on a track into the room behind the control panel. Thoroughly strapped down to the cart, was a black-and-blue coloured, quadrupedal Dark/Dragon-type known as Zweilous. Zweilous was a very unique Pokemon, to say the least. The middle stage of the Deino line, it could evolve into its final form, the deadly pseudo-legendary called Hydreigon, one of two ways. The first way was getting both of Zweilous's dueling dual heads that often competed over food to like each other, accomplished by raising it to level 64. This would trigger a split personality merge, leading to evolution into Hydreigon.

However, this approach come with significant downsides, particularly where time and training were concerned. Raising a Zweilous, which were notoriously difficult to handle at the best of times, took many months, and Ghetsis did not have that much time, not now.

Fortunately, there was another way. This second option was dismissed by experts worldwide as, "insane," "barbaric," and it was something that, "only the most uncaring and utterly inhumane of Trainers would dare do."

Ghetsis gave an evil smirk, recalling that last quote. What he wouldn't have given to see the look on the face of the fool who said it, Professor Rowan, right now... He would have to snap his neck afterwards, of course, though. Still, in hindsight, it was a massive error in judgment to leave such a crucial part of bis plan to the last minute, but now there was no other choice.

Once two guards armed with Fighting-types- one of the Deino line's few reliable weaknesses- were posted outside the room the Zweilous was in, Ghetsis gave the order.

"Fire up the laser. Make sure to keep it steady, and watch for any sign of that thing's energy levels fluctuating."

"Yes, sir," the first scientist replied, pressing a few buttons on the control panel. The other kept a close eye on the monitor in front of him.

Through the glass window, a machine attached to the ceiling whirred to life. Various red lights on it powered up, glowing. Slowly, it began to move along its rail until it was about a foot from the Zweilous. The Pokemon thrashed against its restraints, but they were simply too strong.

"It's energy levels are steady, despite how much it's struggling," the scientist watching the monitor reported.

"Good," Ghetsis said. "Ready?" At the other scientist's nod, he simply said, "Do it."

The man flipped a switch, and the machine began to fire a red-hot laser from its tip, leaving a scorch mark in the floor. It moved closer to one of the unfortunate Zweilous's two necks. There was no blood, gore, or anything of the sort as the Hostile Pokemon had a head cut off, nor had anyone expected there to be. Pokemon were unlike any other beings in the universe, comprised of solid energy, and nothing more. This was why they were unable to kill each other, as the energy of their attacks and energy that made up their bodies canceled each other out, preventing fatal damage. Even the fabled Hoenn deities of the land and sea, Groudon and Kyogre, could not kill a measly Caterpie. In fact, as the decapitated head fell to the floor, it dissolved into a white mist.

"That's all we need to do," Ghetsis said. "Shut it down."

With the turn of a knob, the laser was powered down. Beginning at the stump on the end of its neck, a white glow began to envelop the Zweilous's body. The glow spread, until it had completely covered the Hostile Pokemon. Its form became larger, more fearsome, more deadly. To the horror of the scientists, the restraints holding the evolving Zweilous down began to snap due to its changing body shape.

"Sh-should we be worried, sir?" the second scientist asked. Ghetsis just shot him a dark look that said, 'Say one more word and you share your predecessor's fate.' That got the man to quickly shut up. The scientist had good reason to be worried. He had heard of the destructive power of Hydreigon, but had never witnessed it, and he didn't want to.

He was destined to be disappointed.

The glow around the Zweilous faded. In its place was the three-headed, six-winged terror known as Hydreigon. A freed, and very, very angry Hydreigon. The Pokemon snarled up at the laser emitter, then flew up the several feet it needed to reach it. It quickly ripped the machine to bits, literally tearing it down and rending the metal. It then, seemingly in an insane fit of pain, began to throw its body around, hitting the walls hard enough to dent them.

Nervously, the second scientist called the two guards with the Fighting-types over the intercom. "...We could use some help subduing that thing, please."

Two men entered the cautiously, each throwing out Poke Balls that opened to reveal humanoid Fighting-types: the squat, red-skinned Judo expert called Throh, and the lean, blue-skinned Karate master known as Sawk.

The rampaging Hydreigon whipped its heads towards the intruders. It let out a roar that Ghetsis and the scientists could hear even behind the pane of thick glass. The Sawk's Trainer gave the first command. "Sawk, use Rock Smash!" he called. The blue Pokemon leaped into action, hitting the crazed Dark/Dragon-type with a pressure-point striking punch. The Hydreigon screamed as it was hit with the super-effective attack, flying across the room and hitting the wall hard. It was far from finished, though. It got right back back up, and swooped, not towards the Sawk, but towards its Trainer.

Luckily, the Throh's Trainer was there to provide backup. "Seismic Toss, now!"

Throh intercepted the Hydreigon, grabbing it and tossing it to the floor. Despite being hit with two attacks, the beast was still not down for the count. It got back up yet again, knowing that if it took one more hit, it would faint. When it attacked this time, though, it truly showed its power, unleashing a devastating Dragon Pulse at the Sawk.

At such close range, the blue Pokemon didn't have a hope in hell of dodging the multi-coloured beam. It was struck hard, and due to Sawk being a glass cannon defensively- that was, it could hit hard, but couldn't take a hit- it went down, condensing back into the energy it was as its Trainer recalled it to its Poke Ball.

The Hydreigon then turned its attention to the Throh. It used the scant few seconds of shock that came over its Trainer to viciously attack the Judo Pokemon, biting and attacking with savage bloodlust. "Throh!" the Trainer yelled. "Dammit, get out of there!"

At the sound of the human's voice, the Hydreigon stopped trying to gore the poor Throh, and gathered flames in its maw, launching what looked like a five-pointed star made of fire at him. The man was killed instantly as the Fire Blast made contact, and also turned the sealed room's temperature up several hundred degrees in a second. The Sawk's Trainer shrieked as he was cooked alive. The scientists in the adjoining room were rooted to their seats in fear., but Ghetsis was watching with a perverse sense of awe at what he was witnessing. He smiled to himself. Perfect, he thought.

Then, without warning, the Hydreigon began to gather yellow energy in front of it, congealing it into a sphere. Ghetsis's smile vanished in a heartbeat. "It's charging up a Focus Blast!" one of the scientists yelled. "Everyone, down!"

Despite the glass being made to withstand heavy impacts, it was no match for the Hydreigon's sheer power. The pane shattered instantly as the bolt of kinetic energy hit it, sending deadly shrapnel flying at the three men. Ghetsis dove to the floor, but not quite fast enough. Several stray pieces of glass hit his right arm, tearing the sleeve of his lab coat and drawing blood, while one sliced across his eye, blinding it immediately. Unfortunately for him, adrenaline didn't enter his system right away, so the pain was acute.

The scientist on the left had managed to duck in time and avoid the shards, but the other had not been so lucky. His body was slumped forwards, pierced in dozens of places by razor-sharp glass. The still-living scientist pressed the intercom button on the still functioning control panel and began to yell frantically. "We need backup down here! We need-!" he never finished his sentence, as another Focus Blast turned him into meat juice, sending blood and various bits of guts flying everywhere.

"Gah..." clutching the bleeding side of his face, Ghetsis stood, pulling out Bisharp's Poke Ball and releasing the Sword Blade Pokemon. "Bisharp... nhhgh... X-Scissor!" The only other weakness of Dark-types was Bug, and X-Scissor was a Bug-type move. The Bisharp ran at the Hydreigon, its arm-blades glowing green and crossed in an 'x' shape, ready to slash, but it was cut down in a heartbeat by another Fire Blast from the insane Dragon-type.

Ghetsis looked upon the beast with the same sense of awe as before, despite a growing voice in his head telling him he should run for his life. The monster truly was a perfect killing machine, and would have no trouble accomplishing the task he had in mind for it. He heard footsteps out in the hall, moving closer. Apparently the dead scientist's final message had gotten through. He just needed to hold out a little longer...

The Hydreigon let loose one more Fire Blast right at him. Ghetsis almost dodged the fiery five-pointed star, but it caught him on the arm, setting it ablaze. He screamed in pain, rolling around on the floor, trying to smother the flames. As the monstrous dragon opened its mouth for one final Dragon Pulse, a blue blur came out of nowhere and slammed into the beast. The Hydreigon smashed into the wall on the far side of the room and landed in a heap, at last knocked out. In shock that he was still alive, if wounded and burned, Ghetsis passed out, and everything went black.