FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc. Individual characters are my own imaginening, and are not intended to be any part of main cannon / plotline. Individual characters like Aaron, Song, Zin, etc, are my own creations, so please ask before using. Thank you.

Author's Notes: Look at me, I'm Italicized! Making this thing stand out a little more. Hopefully this won't turn into an eyesore. Not much for me to say, except that you all might hate me if I ever told you how long this took me to write. I'm really hard on myself when it comes to grammar, so I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes. After staring at this thing for a while, everything starts to blur together. I'll go out on a limb to say that the last three days was -just- grammar checking.

Also, to quote my friend X, "Let the shitstorm commence!". His words, not mine. Wouldn't have a clue why, though... Again, I think someone might threaten me if they knew the original idea for this chapter. All I'll say is be grateful that a COIN TOSS landed this way. You have been warned. Alright, having too much fun now. Cut, print, sell it. Just don't hurt me, please. >.<

Chapter six, for your reading pleasure.

Chapter 6: Twilight's Veil

The wind whipped around me as Spirit beat her wings. A grin spread across her face as we flew across the morning sky. Being rested and full of energy, she was more than ready to head back to Celestic Town. I was carrying the backpack in my hands as she held me close to her body, the humming of her wings barely heard across the wind rushing along us. Thankfully, we made it back to town before the noon sun perched itself high in the sky to avoid the hotter part of the day.

We landed near the Pokémon Center, noticing that there was no one outside of it. As we stepped inside, Nurse Joy stopped whatever she was doing at her desk and looked up. She immediately hurried around the desk, stopping in front of me. She grabbed my hands and pulled me to the desk. Spirit let out a startled cry and quickly grabbed my shoulders, preventing Nurse Joy from pulling me further. This didn't stop her from pulling harder however, and now I felt like a piece of rope in a tug of war competition.

"Hold it, before someone pops a bone out of place!" I yell out. This worked, as Nurse Joy let me go, and Spirit pulled me to her body possessively. Her claws clutched on to my shirt, as her tail circled around my waist. A snarl rumbled out of her throat, and I turned to calm Spirit down before she would do something that she'll regret. I patted the Flygon on her neck, noting how her eyes were narrowed even through the red layer protecting them. I gently touched her cheek, bringing her face to mine to break the stare she had on Nurse Joy.

"Calm down," I whispered sternly. "Please."

Spirit nodded, her stance slowly becoming more relaxed. I let out an amused sigh, and patted her head gently. I turned to Nurse Joy, who had her hands on her hips, giving me a stare of disbelief. I smiled at her, trying to defuse the situation before she screams at me.

"Good morning, Nurse Joy," I said, smiling. "How are you today?"

"You disappear for days, leaving me here worried after I release you from having a chest full of broken ribs, and you don't even let me know if your alive!" she exclaimed. "And now you show up all dandy, expecting me to-."

"Nurse Joy, thanks to you, I'm fine. I found my Milotic, and everything else is in the past," I said, nodding. "I apologize for interrupting, but I have to ask if you can check up on my Pokémon while I go out to pick up some supplies."

Her face was positively livid, her cheeks flushing red and her lips pressed together. Her eyes were narrowed at me, but she relented. I pulled the Pokéballs from my backpack and handed them to Nurse Joy. I turned to Spirit, taking one of her claws in my hands. She shook her head and made a cooing sound, but I shook my head.

"I want you to be checked up on too, you know," I said, smiling. "I'm sure it won't be long. Just don't get angry at her, ok?"

She nodded, conceding to me for the moment. I smiled as Spirit made her way to Nurse Joy's side. I slipped on my backpack again, fishing out the Pokédex from my pocket. Noting that it was near noon now, I chided myself to get things prepared for when we left Celestic and headed for Eterna. That would mean going through Mount Coronet.

"You should come back in a few hours," Nurse Joy said, nodding tensely.

I nodded back. "I'm only headed for the Poké Mart," I said. "I'll be back."

She turned away, taking my partners behind her desk to fill out some paperwork. Spirit frowned, shaking her head and giving me a forlorn look. I smiled sympathetically at the Flygon, before Nurse Joy patted her on the shoulder and guided her behind a set of double doors to the left of the desk.

I turned around and exited the Pokémon Center, heaving a sigh of relief as if an invisible weight was lifted off my shoulders. Xola didn't seem to be harmed after that event, and everyone else seemed to be in shape, but I couldn't be blamed for wanting to make sure. In a way, I could understand Nurse Joy's behavior, and I couldn't help but think that the Solaceon Nurse Joy contacted her sister here to make sure I was safe.

Sunlight colored everything brightly, somehow the town unaffected by the fog to the east. I walked by some homes, people milling around eating lunch, I imagine. One house I passed by had a little girl playing happily with a Skitty. I waved by as she looked up, and she smiled back waving happily. She quickly turned her attention back to her Skitty when it began pawing at her hands, jumping from the floor. I laughed as the girl picked up the cat Pokémon and snuggled together, before waving back at me again and heading out of my view.

I chuckled as I kept walking towards the Poké Mart. For some reason, the sight made a smile stick to my face and it allowed me to relax more as I walked through the grass. Thoughts still drifted back to what both Song and Mist spoke of yesterday. I still wondered what they meant with the things they said. What dangers was I at risk? Illness, physical injury, something else? I shook my head, chuckling still as I looked skywards. The sun was out, my team was getting double checked, and a new location to explore soon. In all honesty, it can't get much better than this.

I spotted the Poké Mart, and quickly made my way inside. The sliding doors opened silently, a gust of cold air blasting me in the face as I stepped inside. An old couple greeted me with a smile as I made my way to the counter.

"Hi," I said, smiling at them. "I'm planning on heading over through Mount Coronet. Are there any items you suggest to have?"

The old couple looked at each other and smiled. The old man came around the counter and waved at me silently to follow him. He took me to where another man was standing in front of the shelves, looking over the items placed there. The other man turned around, short brown hair matching his hazel eyes. He was covered head to toe with all kinds of equipment on a green vest. Blue jeans that seemed to have more holes than pockets, with black hiking boots completed the picture of someone that was well versed in not being at home for a while.

"Could you give him a hand, young man?" the old man said. "This sonny here is trying to cross Mount Coronet."

"Yeah, I'll give him a hand," the man said.

He looked older to me, but not by much. He wasn't that much taller than me, either. There was something about him, though, that made me think otherwise.

"Hi," I said, sticking my hand out. "Name's Aaron."

He shook my hand with a firm grip. "Names Jonathan," he said. "So, heading through Mount Coronet?"

"Yeah, gonna head on to Eterna to challenge the gym there," I said, nodding. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Where are you from?" he asked

"Solaceon," I said. "It's east of here if you follow Route two ten east and south through the fog."

He shook his head, a grin spreading across his face. "Sorry, I thought you'd be from Sandgem or somewhere down near Professor Rowan."

I shook my head. "No worries," I said, waving away his apology. "Where are you from?"

"Johto, actually. Blackthorn City," he answered. I looked at him, confused at the reference. The idea dawned on my mind after a moment of staring at him.

"Sorry, was trying to put a picture to the city," I said with an awkward laugh. "I just started my journey, actually."

"From Solaceon?" he asked

I nodded. "Yup."

"You have a full team, right?"

"I do, yes."

He sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. I don't want to end up saving you if I end up meeting you in a bad spot."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

From his vest he pulled a badge from a pocket, revealing a Pokémon Ranger badge. It wasn't any other badge, however. I recognized the stylized Pokéball design. Instead of the normal white on red, both sides were red, with a band of black dividing both halves. A lightning bolt was behind the Pokéball in the design, and it all was centered on a white shield.

"You're from the Lightning Unit of Johto!" I exclaimed. They were a recent addition to the Johto area, last I understood.

He grinned at me. "Yeah. I joined pretty recently, after traveling as a Pokémon Trainer. They allowed me to keep my partners instead of making me pick one. I'd think the girls would go ballistic."

I grinned back. "I can sympathize."

"You too?" he asked, bewildered.

"What, have a team of all female Pokémon?"

"Well, I have one that is male," he said, laughing. "But yeah, you have it worse than I do!"

My grinned widened. "Maybe we can compare notes, help each other out."

"That'd be cool," he said, nodding. "First though, we should take care of our shopping. The owners are probably wondering what we're doing here still."

I laughed. "Yeah, we should."

================= ===================== =============

I was very thankful to have had Jonathan's expert opinion on things. I was glad that mom and dad transferred funds to my new account, or I would have been stuck doing some jobs to buy all I got! Getting what felt like a mountain of potions, vitamins, extra food, and even some basic climbing gear, I felt ready enough to be out in the wilds for quite some time. The sun was still out, but it was beginning to set behind the mountains. It gave it the impression that it was later than it really was.

"Yeah, you should be fine for a while with all that stuff, especially with your original supplies," he said, helping me carry some of the things I bought and his own. "If you ration it, it'll last even longer."

"Definitely going to hope that there aren't any more emergencies," I said, nodding. He looked at me, and I shrugged. "Sorry, it still gives me the shivers thinking about that."

"What?"

I shook my head. Somehow, telling this person about Suicune didn't feel right. It felt as if I was violating some silent agreement. Also, I highly doubt that the legendary Water Pokémon would appreciate me blabbing. Jonathan thankfully dropped the subject, as we kept walking towards the Pokémon Center. We passed by the same house with the little girl inside it. It seemed that she was expecting me this time, and waved at me excitedly as we passed. I smiled and waved as best I could, carrying all my purchases.

When we stepped inside the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy was standing behind her counter. When she turned towards us she smiled widely, and thankfully didn't start with yelling at me.

"Welcome, you two! Both of your teams are healthy and ready for pickup," she said. She turned to me, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "I still want to give you a check-up, after breaking your ribs and all."

I sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Broken ribs?" Jonathan asked. "What did you do, fall off a cliff?"

"Bridge broke while walking on it. I grabbed on to the rope railing, only to be slammed to the side of a mountain."

His eyes widened, but didn't say anything else. He nodded towards Nurse Joy, who handed him a small tray with six notches that were occupied with Pokéballs. I noticed that they were different designed than the regular Pokéball. He grinned at me, noticing how I was looking at him curiously.

"You can get a Pokéball customized at various cities," he said, attaching the devices to his belt. "There's one in Eterna, since you're heading that way."

I nodded. "Thanks. It'd be nice to give them each a unique design. I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

"I know mine do," he said with a grin. He put the bag he was carrying that was mine on the floor, giving me a nod.

"I'd better start heading out," he said. "Even on vacation, I still have to do reports and stuff."

"It was nice meeting you. Any chance of running into you again?"

"Well, if you stay here for a day or two, we can travel together to Eterna," he said, nodding. "I was planning in heading in that direction, so if you don't mind waiting, we can go together."

"Yeah, that'd be great," I said excitedly. "I'm in no hurry, and I was planning on seeing the ruins here, so it works out perfectly."

Jonathan nodded. "I'll see you here in a few days, then?"

"I'm looking forward to it," I said. "Definitely."

He gave me a grin and a two fingered salute before walking through the double doors leading outside. I turned to Nurse Joy, who was softly tapping her foot, arms crossed across her chest. I sighed and shook my head.

"Alright, alright, I'll go," I said. "If it'll calm you down, so you can sleep soundly."

"It will," she said.

================= ======================= ==============

It didn't take long to get out of the Pokémon Center with my team and a clean bill of health. Whatever Suicune did, Xola was perfectly fine, and I wasn't any worse for wear. If Suicune even helped me, I don't know, but I'm pretty the legendary did something.

It was almost dark out, but there was enough ambient light that allowed me to see where I was headed. I had checked out a room, so my recently purchased items and backpack were safe. It also allowed me to try out my new Pokéball belt. Song floated next to me, silently keeping watch while we walked toward the Celestic ruins in a cave near the middle of the town. Inside, there were artificial lamps set up to bring light into the cave. Pillars left untouched except by careless individuals passing by adorned the sides of the cave, as if supporting it from collapsing. Scarred writing could be noted, but it was impossible to decode anything due to time or, again, carelessness of people passing by. I clicked my tongue in disgust, frowning.

"Such a waste," I murmured, staring at one of the pillars. "If only the writing was a bit more intact, I could start decoding even a sample."

"It is a shame," Song said, nodding. She placed a hand on my shoulders. "Perhaps we can find something further in?"

"I hope so, Song," I said, patting her hand. "It would be a true shame if nothing survived."

We continued walking the path of the tunnel as I tried my best to find intact, or close to intact, writing as possible. The tunnel abruptly ended, with what looked like a shrine. Behind the shrine on the wall, was some kind of mural, figures depicting some kind of diagram, perhaps? Starting in the middle, a golden circle or loop was drawn, and from this center point, three lines jutted out, connecting to three other circles. One had a blue gem and circle, the other was a deep purple with a matching jewel, while the third had no stone, but was drawn in a jet black color.

These three circles were then connected to matching, but smaller circles. The only exception to this was the black circle, which had two connections to it instead of one. Also, while one of these two was jet black, matching its connection, the other was a bright pink color.

All around the mural was writing, surprisingly intact. A grin spread across my face, and I quickly began scanning the letters, trying to come up with a quickly drawn translation in my mind. Song probably began to feel my excitement, as her voice had an edge of anxiety to it.

"Did you find something?" she asked

"Oh yeah we did," I said, grinning. I pointed to the writing. "It looks like this is the original creation mythos, of how Arceus is the creator of the world."

"We knew that already, though," Song said, her voice deflating slightly.

"Well, yeah, that's not new," I said, shaking my head. "But, some of this writing will probably change that."

I pointed towards the bottom of the mural, where there looked like the writing was more hastily written, or perhaps damaged.

"This here is what changes the picture," I said. "Though it's a bit hard to translate, due to either damage, missing letters, or my own stupidity, it roughly says that Arceus goes to a deep slumber after creating existence, only to awaken every so often."

"And that means what, exactly?" Song asked

I shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe he gets tired of sleeping for too long?"

As soon as those words left my lips, the lamps started to dim, as if something was covering the light they emitted. I turned around, but I didn't see anything immediately. That is, until I saw two floating blue eyes in the darkness. Even with the dim light, it seemed as if the eyes were pulling the shadows from behind the pillars to make a body made out of darkness. The shadows turned darker as more seemed to be pulled together in one location, and hands that ended with sharp claws extended out of the shadowy mass. Long, thin legs stepped forward, looking slightly disproportionate to the large body they supported. A mane of white flowed from the top of the head, giving the creature a very intimidating look.

"Darkrai!" Song exclaimed sharply. "Stay away from my Master, you beast!"

Darkrai didn't say anything. I wasn't exactly sure if he could speak. He mutely crossed in between us, paying us no heed, reaching the mural with one long claw. Some of the letters began to glow softly at Darkrai's touch, and the Pokémon nodded to himself.

"So, you're the one." I imagined that it was Darkrai talking. The voice sounded thick, as if a massive being was making an effort to speak softly.

I stood there, dumbfounded. I was terrified that he might be referring to me, Song, or anyone, but curiosity began to get the better of me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Song turned around to face me, her eyes wide. Darkrai didn't turn to face us, still looking at whatever held his attention.

"He is to be awakened again," the voice said. "He had said so himself."

I shook myself. Here was the Night Walker himself, and I was asking him questions? Have I truly lost my mind? I motioned to Song to follow me, and I softly backed up away from Darkrai, afraid of giving him an opportunity to sneak up on us.

Suddenly, Darkrai turned to face us while raising a clawed hand in our direction. A wave of purple and black shadows raced in our direction. Dumbfounded, I covered my face with my hands, in a vain attempt to protect myself from the attack. When I didn't feel an impact, I looked up to see Song standing in between me and the beam, the attack being shunted around us by a prismatic barrier she had formed around both of us.

"It seems that more extreme measures must be taken," Darkrai said. I didn't hesitate this time, pulling two Pokéballs from my belt and releasing their simultaneously.

Spirit and Mist appeared in a collective flash of red. The Mismagius floated for a moment, before her body stiffened when she saw who we were facing. Spirit mimicked Mist's body language, and looked like she was about to faint.

"I don't know what Darkrai wants, but he just tried to attack me," I explained. It seemed to make them focus, as they both stopped shaking in place.

Darkrai didn't move, so I decided to make the sound risk of initiating.

"Mist, Shadow Ball! Spirit, Flamethrower!" I shouted.

A bubble of purple shadow energy coalesced in front of Mist before she fired it straight ahead. Spirit leaned forward, her jaws opened wide as a jet of fire lit the cavern as it flew to her intended target. Darkrai didn't react immediately, but as I was sure that the attacks connected, he made a sweeping motion with one of his claws, deterring both attacks. I would be wracking my head to know what kind of ability that was, but I didn't have the luxury of time to find out right now.

I'd rather deal with a human than a legendary Pokémon at this point. Obviously, this was way out of my league. "Spirit, use Earthq-," I said, before getting cut off by Song.

"Don't! You'll risk having the entire cave fall on top of us, too!" she exclaimed.

Darkrai used this moment of hesitation to lunge forward, claws leaving a trail of energy behind them as he slashed forward. "Spirit, Dragon Claw!" I shouted, hoping that it'll work.

Spirit's claws met Darkrai's, a clash of purple and blue energy splashing over the cave. "Mist, Shadow Ball!" I called out.

Mist, who was hovering over Darkrai now, released another attack that was hopefully within his blind spot. He looked upwards, blue eyes not even surprised, lifting Spirit above him. Spirit's cry shook me as her body was impacted by friendly fire. Surprisingly, she didn't let that stop her, unleashing another Flamethrower at close range from behind Darkrai. This time, the Dark Walker registered surprise, a grunt escaping his composure. In retaliation, however, he threw Spirit upwards, making both Flygon and Mismagius collide together, smashing both against the stone roof. I didn't hesitate, pulling both Pokéballs out, recalling both of them back to safety. Attaching them back to the belt, I pulled two more.

"Zin, Akalia!" I said, releasing both the Houndoom and Luxray to fight off Darkrai.

"Why do you fight with so much focus?" he asked, his voice rasping like nails on a chalkboard. "This is all as intended."

"I got no idea what you're talking about, but you aren't harming anyone in this town with your nightmares!"

"Is that what you really think I'm here for?"

"Why else WOULD you be here for?" I countered

Darkrai stopped suddenly, but he didn't respond. He brought a claw to his face, hiding his face from view for a moment. He shook his head, peering in between his claws, his eyes glowing brightly. Bringing both of his arms up above his head, a mass of purple energy started forming. Before I could issue any orders, Song stepped forward.

"It's Dark Void!" she yelled, as she put herself in between Darkrai's attack.

Darkrai made a throwing gesture and the ball of energy, this Dark Void attack, flew at high speeds towards us. Song began chanting, as she formed another prismatic barrier around herself. When the attack met the barrier, it seemed to just ooze around Song's barrier, before disappearing. Thankfully, it didn't look like it dealt any harm to Song, as she immediately retaliated. Multi-colored leaves of psychic energy appeared around her, as she began to systematically launched them at Darkrai, putting the Dark Walker on the defensive.

"Screw this," I muttered. I pulled out Xola's Pokéball and opened it, revealing the Milotic.

"Xola, Akalia, Zin, long range attacks," I said. All three Pokémon nodded, as they all began alternating firing at Darkrai. He would dodge a magical leaf, only to dodge bolts of lightning, gouts of fire, or sprays of water. I was expecting him to try to press forward, but surprised me by instead disappearing through the stone wall.

"Stay alert, everyone!" I called. I turned around, watching our backs in case Darkrai decided to attack me instead of my team. Two yowls instantly made me turn around, seeing, Akalia Xola, and Zin laying against the stone walls, and Song struggling within the Dark Walker's grasp.

"Let her go!" I yelled, running towards him. He held me back with his free arm, and casually flicked me away. My feet left the ground, landing hard on my back and sliding backwards across the rocky ground. I stood up as my back screamed at me in protest, but I quelled it. I had way more important things to worry about than my back hurting.

"If I was taught anything," Darkrai said, blue eyes sparkling, "is to effectively break a subject, Pokémon or human. I will do as I have been commanded."

From where I was stumbling to stand, Darkrai began to pull shadows from the cave again to him. Instead of absorbing the shadows, however, they began to focus around the claw that was holding Song. By the time I was standing, the shadows stopped swirling together.

No words were exchanged, no signal given as the shadows suddenly closed in around her body. Song's scream echoed both through the cave with her natural voice, and in my mind with her psychic call. The feedback it caused made me buckle, screaming in pain that I was unable to stop. I couldn't close my eyes, even while I could feel my eyelids trying. It felt like my body was locking up against its own accord. My knees buckled as my body shook by itself. I clutched my head as the pain intensified suddenly. I screamed, my voice echoing through the cave and joining Song's own tortured voice.

I continued to scream until my voice became hoarse, and I continued to scream. No help came, however, as the waves of nausea and pain continued to enjoy torturing me. Song's scream continued as well, being able to hear her through my ears and inside my own head. I tried to struggle to stay standing, but all that did is make me meet the ground faster. I fell backwards, writhing on the ground, until the pain stopped suddenly.

I gasped, trying to catch my breath. My throat was sore and my mouth was dry, but I tried to push myself up from the ground. I was amazed how I didn't black out from the pain. It took all my energy to just stand up, and I barely made it to be kneeling before Darkrai's clawed hand grabbed me by the throat. I began choking instantly, as the grip he placed started to slowly suffocate me. The tips of his claws began to dig against my skin, pinpricks of pain swallowed by the unnerving look of complete calm that masked his face.

Not that it was hard for Darkrai. At this point, as I stared into his face, I couldn't tell a visible mouth. His blue eyes glowed brightly before narrowing menacingly.

"My goal has been completed," he said. "It is up to the others now."

With those words, he released me from his grasp, letting me fall into a heap on the floor. As I looked up to the Dark Walker, his form began to dissipate into the surrounding darkness. Arms and legs disappeared first, followed by the flowing white mane. His body was next, slowly becoming small specks of shadow. The last thing that disappeared were his eyes, that looked at me menacingly before closing and vanishing from sight. I struggled to my feet, enduring my body's protest against the movements.

The first thing my eyes landed on was Song, her body covered in what looked like soot. I stumbled towards her, falling to my knees as I reached her. I gently lifted her onto my lap as I cradled her head. I pressed my fingers against her neck, checking for her pulse. It felt like my heart skipped a beat when I didn't find one. I quickly dropped my head to see if I could hear her breath. I gently held her against my chest with one hand and using the other to quickly recall Akalia, Xola, and Zin to their Pokéballs as quickly as I could. I fished out the last one, and recalled Song as well. I just hoped that the device did its job and slowed down the pain for her.

I took a quick glance around, but I didn't see anyone. No one came to investigate the sounds between me and Darkrai. I stood up and pushing my body further, I ran out of the cave. It wasn't a long trek, but with every step my head pounded with pain. My body echoed the feeling, shooting pain through my arms, chest, and legs. I ignored it however, as adrenaline kept my body moving through it. I pushed the double doors open in the Pokémon Center, as Nurse Joy turned to face me. Whatever she had in mind vanished as she saw me in my current state. She ran around the counter, taking me by the hand behind the counter and through another pair of doors.

"What happened?" she asked sternly.

"I don't care, just help Song," I mumbled. She pressed me down into a chair as she stuck out her hands. I fumbled for a moment, pulling all of my Pokéballs from the belt and handing them over. I didn't hear her call for assistance, but six Chansey were standing behind her. She passed one to each, and all saluted as one, quickly running to do... whatever they would do.

"Now, what happened?" Nurse Joy

I shook my head. "I need to be with Song, my Gardevoir," I said. "I'll explain things when we're there."

"If your Pokémon is in any similar shape to yours, there's no way that I'd allow any visitors."

I stared at her disbelievingly, but the look on her face told me that she would probably tie me to the bed if I tried anything funny. I shook my head in defeat.

"Just take care of her first," I said, waving her away. "Don't worry about me until then."

"The machines can give immediate treatment for Pokémon, but you look like you've been thr-," she said heatedly before I raised my hand to silence her.

"I'm going to insist," I said flatly. "After I encountered Darkrai, he did something to Song. I need you to find out what, and if she'll survive at all. I didn't feel a pulse, and neither was she breathing. I think she has a higher priority than me."

She didn't argue with me after that, though she stared at me mutely for a few moments, before she moved on her own accord. I stared at the wall where Nurse Joy was standing previously, before lowering my head and bringing my hands to cover my face. I felt the tears come, and I didn't hesitate to cry as my body shook in fear and utter disbelief. Why was all this happening to me?

I stayed still, unmoving as my tears tapered off on their own. A blanket was gently placed on my back suddenly. I brought my face from my hands to see a Chansey smile at me and pat me on the shoulder, before rushing off. I sighed, pulling the blanket closer around me. I just hoped that everything would be alright.

============= ====================== ==============

"I don't really know how to tell you this, Aaron," Nurse Joy said to me. "I've never seen this kind of attack before."

"Give it to us straight, Nurse Joy," I said, nodding. "I think we both deserve to know what happened, or at least your professional opinion."

We were sitting in my team's recovery room. Xola, Zin, Akalia, and Spirit were all sleeping soundly. Mist was the first to fully recover, and was currently floating next to me. Even though she had her eyes closed, I had the impression that she was listening to what me and Nurse Joy were talking about. Song was also conscious, though in worse shape than everyone else. Bandages covered most of her head and face, and her neck was being supported by a brace. Nurse Joy looked at me, Song, and then back at me, before sighing and shaking her head.

"Alright, the straight answer then. It looks like, whatever you went through, destroyed your Gardevoirs Psychic abilities."

I stood up from my chair, eyes wide as fear seeped straight into me. I looked to Song, and her eyes were wide as well, shaking her head in disbelief. Turning to Mist, I was surprised that she wasn't reacting at all to this news. I sighed, and turned back to Nurse Joy, forcing myself to sit back down.

"Is there any way to help Song recover?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

Nurse Joy shook her head. "Not that I know of," she answered. "I've never seen or heard of something like this happen before. Not even my sisters know what could be done."

I turned to Song again, touching her hand and squeezing it gently. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, but I could see the tears beginning to swell in her eyes. Nurse Joy stood up and smiled sympathetically at me, before turning away to leave us alone.

I turned my chair to face the bed that Song was laying on. She turned to me and gently shook her head.

"What is it, Song?"

"She cannot speak with you through her telepathy, Master," Mist said suddenly. I turned to the ghost Pokémon before looking back at Song, who was nodding.

"Mist, is it because of Darkrai's attack?" I asked

"More likely than not," Mist answered. "Though I do not have any idea why Darkrai would do such a thing, it seems the likely culprit."

I shook my head, frowning at the new information. Song was visibly crying now, tears running down her cheeks as she shook her head side to side. I placed a hand on her cheek and she stopped, though she continued crying. I brought my chair closer to the bed, as Song leaned over to me.

"Nurse Joy isn't going to approve," I said, trying to make her smile.

"Garde, Gardevoir," Song said softly, sliding from the bed and on top of my lap. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she leaned her head on my shoulder. I held her against me, my arms supporting her. Her breathing slowed down, though her body shook due to the stress. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through, but I knew I would be here to support her.

"I want you to know, Song, that I'm not dropping you off anywhere," I said with conviction. "You're not going back to the adoption center, psychic powers or not. I want that to be clear between us."

She pulled back from my shoulder slowly, looking at me with her eyes wide. I smiled and nodded at her. Her body instantly relaxed against mine, as if a weight left her shoulders.

"Do you truly think this is wise, Master?" Mist asked, floating in front of me. "We would be without one combatant in travels, in the wild. We would be-."

"Thank you, Mist, for the analysis," I said, nodding. "I don't think that any one of you would appreciate it if I sent you back home to do nothing if one of you was injured so badly."

Mist didn't respond, but her eyes narrowed slightly, before sighing. "I understand," she said softly. A smile spread on her features before continuing. "You do have true loyalty to us."

"I wouldn't dare abandon any of you anywhere, Mist," I said. "That, at the very least, I can promise you with certainty."

Mist nodded, smiling at me. Her expression changed to one of amusement as Zin appeared, pressing against my legs. Akalia and Spirit weren't that far behind, though Xola stayed on her bed, grinning in our direction.

"I believe these chairs lean back," Mist said. The gems on her body glowed softly as the chair leaned back suddenly. It wasn't enough to leave me flat like on a bed, but comfortably so. Zin and Akalia took advantage of this and jumped up, quickly fighting over where over my lower body they would sleep. Spirit and Mist chuckled softly, as I gently cradled Song. Her eyes were closed and dried tears streaked down her cheeks, but a smile was on her face. I met her forehead with my own, placing a soft kiss on her cheek as Song let out a soft sigh.

I promised to myself that I would never betray my partners trust. We've been through so much already; it wouldn't be fair to abandon Song back at Solaceon. It would be downright cruel.

I felt myself become drowsy. I closed my eyes, and slept.