FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's Note: So yeah. It's here. I don't know what to say, so I'll jut stop here and let you all read. I apologize for any grammar mistakes. When I first got this back from my friend, about a quarter of it was marked as "Needs to be worked on".

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.

Chapter 10: Observer

I woke up suddenly, the only light in the room was what little filtered in from underneath the closed door. My body moved sluggishly, as I slowly sat at the edge of the bed. I felt my hands curl up into a fist before relaxing again. My toes and fingers wiggled for a moment, before they stopped on their own. Standing up slowly, so as to not disturb anyone's sleep, I made my way to the bathroom. Opening the door and closing it behind me, I turned on the lights. My eyes closed instantly as an overload of light washed everything white. Yawning as my eyes adjusted, I made my way to the white sink. I tested out the water for temperature, and finding a preferred balance of hot and cold, began to wash my face.

"Interesting. It is good to see that you are not completely under my control, even when you are asleep."

I flinched, backing up and almost falling against door behind me. Gasping for breath, I looked around but found no one inside the small room. I rubbed my temples gently, trying to ease what felt like a headache coming along.

"That will not work, Master."

"Mist?" I asked, as realization dawned on me.

"But of course," she said, her voice soft inside my mind. "Who else would it be that is sharing your body?"

I nodded slowly, trying not to aggravate the pain that was starting to become more pronounced. A sudden chill went up my spine, as something felt like it was coming out of my back. I lost my balance, only managing to avoid hitting my face against the sink by grabbing hold of it with my hands. On my knees now, my body shivered uncontrollably as what felt like something was being pulled out of me. The sensation wasn't painful, thankfully, but it went with the speed of water trickling through a pin hole.

The seeping sensation became more intense, as Mist's body began to pull out of my chest. I shivered, the feeling of a bucket of ice water being dumped on my head wracking my nerves. Gasps came out strangled, as I tried to keep my mouth clamped shut. It was bad enough that Joy probably suspected something. I didn't want to give her more reasons to treat me differently. Like she needed any more.

As Mist finally exited out of my body, it felt like my body was missing something. The sensation still felt extremely odd, and I tried not thinking about it. She floated in front of me, before coming closer. I cradled her in my arms, still in awe that she can do such things.

Her 'hands' stroked my hair gently as I looked at her with a mix of fear and respect. Mist must have known what I was thinking, because she smiled at me. We didn't speak to each other for a moment, the silence between us was comfortable as I lay there on the tiled floor. She giggled softly after a while, breaking the stillness in the air, as she floated slightly away from me. I stood on shaking feet, my hands holding onto the edges of the sink to steady myself.

"Good morning, Master," Mist said softly. "I apologize for awakening you, but it was for the best."

"Why?" I asked.

"Your body needed to use the restroom," she stated. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Are you going to watch, too?" I asked.

"If that is your wish," she stated enigmatically.

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

I exited the room as quietly as I could, closing the door behind me. Mist followed me silently, refusing to rest back inside her Pokéball. I considered recalling her, but thought better of it. Wild Pokémon were known to roam around, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

We made our way down the hallway and into the main room of the Pokémon Center, finding it empty. A Chansey waved in our direction, and I waved back. The Pokémon didn't ask questions, and continued with her duties. It was a good thing, as we didn't want to wake Nurse Joy. We exited the building, the dawn slowly making its way the sky. Street lights were still on as they washed everything in their even white light, even as the sun's rays slowly begun to peek over Mount Coronet. I made my way back west, this time with the intention of going over that bridge. Nausea flooded over me immediately, just from the thought of crossing any bridge. I smothered the feeling as best I could, but my stomach continued to churn against my will.

It wasn't long before we encountered the bridge. I gulped audibly, trying to stem the fear I felt rising again. The water was as calm as I saw it yesterday. I had to remind myself that this couldn't be some flimsy thing. I mean, this was standing next to a city. I'm sure they kept it in constant repair. Right? My feet stopped at the edge of the bridge, nerves beginning to take over again. I could feel the cold sweat dripping down the back of my neck.

"At least if I fall, it won't be so bad," I said out loud, chuckling nervously.

"I have learned from my past mistake, Master," Mist said. "I will not fail you again."

I nodded silently, trying not to think about the possibility of falling. There were no rails, but as I stepped on the wood, it didn't sway. Emboldened, I slowly took another step forward. A smile crept on my face as I took yet another step forward. Though my heart was pounding in my chest and my breath was caught in my throat, I managed to continue walking forward. Mist floated beside me, eyeing me with caution. I smiled widely at her, nodding. Starting to become less hesitant, I tried to walk normally, forcing the hesitation out of me. Though it took a few attempts, my knees stopped locking up and I managed to walk normally up to the halfway point.

A large square platform was the junction that connected two bridges. I nodded, standing in the middle of the square area. Dawn was coming along quickly, shadows of the nearby buildings stretched as the sun finally pulled its light above the horizon. The bridge under my legs didn't sway, though there wasn't any breeze. The water was calm, the surface mirrored the surroundings perfectly. Slight distortions rippled along its surface, from either something shifting or a Pokémon, I couldn't tell, but it was the only thing that disturbed the breathtaking scene.

"Quite a lovely sight, isn't it?"

I gasped, turning around to see a man standing next to me. I didn't even hear him! Either he just moved extremely quietly, or I was completely absorbed in looking around me. I quickly studied him, finding his clothing unlike anything I've ever seen before. The man wore some kind of robe, I imagine? It was a dark brown color, the only thing I could compare it was mud. A matching sash held it tight around his flat waist. Thin looking arms were crossed in front of his chest, long fingers cradling his elbows. A long face with a strong jaw was outlined with a rather wild black beard. The hair on his head matched the beard, though it was more tamed. Though from my perspective, the long hair looked like it needed a good brushing. I could spot some tangles in his hair, though I'm not sure if he didn't mind. His green eyes watched me silently, as if studying me in turn.

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my breathing under control. I nodded to the stranger. "Yeah, it really is," I said, smiling. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you walk up to me."

He bowed his head slightly in my direction. "I apologize. I did not mean to startle you."

He spoke like Mist. I grinned. "No worries. My name's Aaron. Nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand to him.

The man smiled, grasping my outstretched hand in a firm handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Aaron. My name is Aiden."

"It's nice to meet you, Aiden," I said, smiling. "Where are you from, if I might ask?"

The man smiled at me, chuckling softly. "I am not from one of the major cities," he answered me. "I come from the far south, along the Coronet mountain range. There is a monastery there, which I am part of."

"Oh! I've never heard of such a place. It would be nice to visit, if it would be possible."

The man smiled at me. "It is nice to see someone so young be looking for adventure. Are you out to make a name for yourself?"

I grinned. "Kinda. I want to see places, travel. Becoming a Pokémon trainer seemed like the logical step. I'm not interested in becoming famous, if that's what you're asking."

"I see. A wandering spirit," he mused, his smile never leaving his face. "It is my hope that you find what you seek, whatever it may be. And that you have the wisdom to acknowledge it, when you do."

I was stunned for a moment by his words. I coughed, trying to coerce words to come out of my throat. "Thank you, Aiden," I said after a moment. "Sorry, I've never met anyone quite like you. Even living in Solaceon, and that place gets a lot of strange visitors."

"You are not from around here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nope, I'm Solaceon born and raised," I said with a hint of pride. "Though it's a small town, that old couple of the daycare center made it famous."

"Yes, I've heard of Solaceon," Aiden said, smiling warmly. "It is a nice quiet town, from what I understand."

"Yep," I said, nodding. "Not a whole lot happens. There's always the Solaceon Ruins to the east, and if you need to visit the Lost Tower, it's only a short walk away."

The man nodded. "Is it true that Pokémon are buried there?" he asked.

"Yes they are. They are placed within their Pokéballs when they are put inside of the tower. There are a lot of graves in there."

"Have you been inside of it?"

I nodded. "I helped keep it as clean as possible while I lived in Solaceon. So many leaves. I still don't know how they kept getting in there. Are you headed for the Lost Tower?"

For the first time, his smile left his face. He looked immensely sad. I was about to apologize, but Aiden shook his head. Though the smile wasn't back, the frown was replaced with a stoic look.

"Yes, that is my ultimate destination on this journey," he said, his voice rather flat.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking away. I rubbed my shoulder, feeling extremely uncomfortable. I've met a few trainers while I was cleaning around the Lost Tower. It was always an awkward moment when it was brought up.

When I looked back at the man, the smile had returned. He shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. "Please, do not apologize, for you could not have known," he said gently. "It is my partner's brother who I am to honor."

"I see," I said, still feeling awkward.

"I can tell that this subject bothers you," he said, chuckling softly.

I cringed at the accusation, but I sighed. "Yeah, talking about the dead isn't easy for me. It doesn't feel right. Don't really know how to explain it."

Aiden laughed, his head thrown back as he guffawed loudly to the morning air. I turned to Mist, who shook her head at me when I raised an eyebrow at her. I turned back to Aiden, who was now chuckling.

"Please, do not feel this way," he said, smiling again. "While it is unfortunate that these things happen, everything happens for a reason."

Right, I thought darkly. Because Darkrai completely had a reason to do what he did.

Aiden must have seen a change on my face, or the way I was standing. His eyes narrowed for a moment, his easy smile disappearing into his stoic look once more. I don't think he looked disapprovingly at me, but there was something that told me that he would argue his logic to the ends of the earth if he had to. We stayed silent, and while trying to get out of this weird situation, Mist tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned to Mist, who had her eyes narrowed past me. "We should head back, Master," she whispered. "I do not like this human."

I nodded. Sounded like a good enough of a reason to get out of here. "Aiden, I apologize, but I have to head back," I said, forcing a smile. "Have to get my Pokémon and things from the center. Meet up with my friends, busy day."

"I see," he said, nodding. "Mind if I follow you? I would like to rest for the moment."

I nodded. "Sure, I'll show you were the Pokémon Center is."

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

Hurray for small victories. Walked over a bridge and didn't freak out. Twice!

Aiden and I walked inside the Pokémon Center, to run into Joy and Jonathan. I was about to greet them when the first thing I get is a punch that left my head ringing.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Joy demanded sternly. I stumbled backwards, held up by Aiden to prevent me from falling. Damn, she hit hard.

"You pathetic excuse of what crawled into your mother's womb!" Mist raged loudly, floating in front of Joy's face. "You shall NEVER hit my Master!"

She punctuated her verbal threat with a physical one, a wave of shadow energy pulsing in front of the ghost. Joy only had a moment's notice, but even when she brought her hands forward to protect herself, it seemed to have little to no effect in helping her. The wave of energy washed over her, pushing her back. Joy slammed against the receptionist counter with a loud thud. Joy let out a gasp of pain, though she didn't attempt to stand. Mist slowly floated towards her target, though I have no idea what kind of intentions she had. Before anything worse could be done, I decided to intervene. I quickly made my way to the floating ghost and spun her around to face me. Her eyes glowed brightly, though when before I would associate that light with the normal calm Mist I know, this light that came was wild and erratic. I made the mental picture of trying to put lightning in a bottle, power barely being contained inside of its vessel.

"Mist, I'm going to ask you to stop," I said, trying to swallow the fear that was beginning to crawl up my throat. "I appreciate what you-."

"No!" she screamed at me, purple energy crackling around the ghost. "She has no right to hit you! I will not tolerate it anymore! This is the last-."

"MIST!"

For the first time, I screamed at her. She was silent as soon as her name echoed around the room loudly. If anyone wasn't awake yet, they were now. If they didn't wake up to Joy banging her head against the desk a few moments prior, that is. For a moment, I hesitated, probably being the focus of everyone's attention at the moment. I shook my head, both to clear my head of the fear and buying myself time to think of something.

In a flash of inspiration, I decided to take this somewhere else. Anywhere that was away from Joy. I don't think that having her there would benefit anyone at the moment. While still holding onto Mist, I made my way outside again. A few people turned towards me, giving me awkward looks, but I ignored them. I headed south this time, following the road towards the outskirts of town. Now that we were out of earshot from anyone, and away from Joy, it felt like a good opportunity to talk to Mist. She squirmed out of my hands immediately, floating in front of me with a look that I could only describe as hate on her face.

"Mist," I said, taking deep breaths to steady my nerves and voice, "why did you do that?"

She didn't answer immediately. I was afraid that she would start yelling at me. After a moment, she sighed, hovering there silently. The glow ebbed from around her, but didn't stir. I didn't know if she had an answer or not, so I continued regardless.

"Look, I can appreciate what you did to an extent," I said, giving her a small smile. "But hurting her isn't going to help us. I don't really like her either, but she's determined to come along, and Jonathan doesn't seem to mind her."

"So, are you not going to fight?" Mist asked softly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, perplexed. "Fight?"

"Were you just going to allow her to belittle you?" she asked. Her voice was back to normal, but I could still feel the anger in her words. "Were you just going to sit there and do nothing?"

"Stooping to her level doesn't make us a friend, Mist," I said sternly. "I don't see a reason to fight, nor should you."

"But she hurt you!" Mist exclaimed.

I stood there, quiet for a moment. I had a response in mind, but I decided to switch tactics.

"Mist, I appreciate your concern over me. I really do," I said, crossing my hands in front of my chest. "But, since when did you become so concerned for me?"

"I truly do not wish to talk about it," she stated.

"Why?" I asked softly.

A gust of wind swept around us, whistling softly past. Mist's eyes widened at my question, and she quickly looked away. It was the first time I've seen the Mismagius act so awkward around me. She gave me the feeling that she was always completely sure of herself. That personality was no longer in front of me. What was left was an unsure being, her eyes darting to and away from me. Her gems glowed erratically as her makeshift hands played with the frills of her dress.

"Please, answer me Mist," I pressed gently. I extended my hands to her, hoping that she would accept. "I promise I won't be mad."

"I know you will not," she said, slowly approaching me. Silence threatened to loom over us again, but she shook her head after a moment. It was as if the act cleared her mind.

"My previous master," she said suddenly, "she... she was not the best person to choose, now looking back in hindsight."

I probably was looking rather confused, for she elaborated. "Ghost Pokémon are not easily captured. We choose to go with a trainer, not the other way around. We do not appear in front of someone that we do not consider worthy in some degree."

I nodded in understanding, but kept quiet. This wasn't easy for her to talk about, that much was obvious. Though I've never taken her for hesitating in most things, I could understand being so cautious now. I imagine that it was the fear of abandonment that held her. I wouldn't imagine why she would feel that way, seeing as that she's probably pulled everything out of my head by now. Knowing and doing are two different things, though.

She sighed after a moment. "I had chosen a female trainer that was passing by," Mist said. Her voice was quivering slightly, distorting the speech. "When this happened, it was not the first time I had seen her. She looks rather similar to this Joy woman, but her hair was blonde and her features were more rugged.

"I presented myself to her in her dreams," Mist continued. "She was ecstatic about me. She was looking for a ghost Pokémon to finish building her team. That was her excuse. After being captured, everything was as well as I expected. That trainer made me feel like I belonged, that I had a place where before I had only my own."

I wanted to stop her. It wasn't that I didn't want to hear the story, far from it. I didn't want to see her in this weakened state. It looked like she wanted to sink through the ground, and never reappear. I reached out to her, placing my hands at her waist and bringing her close to me. While she didn't cry, Mist shivered against me.

"She wanted me to be a child bearer," Mist intoned. "She was planning on using me as a breeding tool. I did not believe it, until they put me in that damnable daycare center with that shape changing blob."

I nodded. I had a feeling this was going to turn ugly.

"That is not what the worst offense was," Mist continued, looking up to me. "While I did obey her, out of nothing but the link of master and servant, I could not bear the child."

I blinked, the implication sinking in really quickly. "Wait, so you're infertile?" I blurted.

Mist nodded slowly, and I felt like an idiot for saying it like that. She smiled sadly at me, patting my cheek with one of her hands. "It is not your fault, Master."

"I should have been more tactful, though," I countered with a frown.

"Perhaps, but I know you did not mean to be hurtful," she said, a smile creeping on her face. That smile quickly disappeared, as she threw her arms around my neck and shivered in my arms again.

"Please do not send me away."

I was shocked for a moment. Why would she think I would? Because she wasn't fertile? While unfortunate, it isn't going to stop her from being next to me. I raised Mist's head from my chest, my fingers gently tracing the outline of her face. I smiled down at the ghost in my arms, taking a moment for her to finally relax in my arms.

"Mist, I had no idea what you've been through," I said. "As a trainer, I'm sorry that you've been through that. But, it doesn't mean that I'm going to send you back. Song is with us, even after our encounter with... that one. I'm not going to send you away, not after all you've done. Not unless you want to, of course."

Mist's expression was somewhere between belief and fear. I didn't let her sit there for long, though. I brought my arms around her and pulled her tightly in a hug. For a moment she stiffened, but then relaxed. Then the tears came, as her body shook in my arms.

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

"I'm sorry, Aaron. I know I shouldn't have done that," Joy said.

We were outside of the Pokémon center, standing in front of the twin statues of Palkia and Dialga in Eterna City. Jonathan had agreed to help Aiden get situated while he stayed here in Eterna, so we all agreed to take in the sights. I still wanted to check out the gym, in case there was some sort of procedure that had to be done before challenging the leader. Either way, we weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

We were all spread out. Aiden and Jonathan went together near the steps that led downward to Mount Coronet. They were talking rather animatedly, so I imagined that they knew each other. Joy was standing next to me. As I turned to look at her, she was mumbling softly. I shrugged to myself, not sure if she saw me or not. Mist and Song were both standing near me, keeping me company. I still didn't want to deal with Zin after Mist threw her into the Pokéball.

I shrugged at Joy. "Look, it doesn't matter," I said. "Just don't hit me again. Not unless I really do something stupid. And even then, I'm pretty sure if you'd talk to me instead, it would be better than punching me in the face."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Really, it isn't that big of a deal, unless you keep reminding me."

"But how do you just shrug it off?" she asked me.

"What do you mean? You hitting me?"

She nodded, and I grinned at her. "Because I won't stoop to your level," I said simply. "I don't think I need to hit someone to get their attention, or for you to punch my face to get mine. If you really wanted to say something, you'd ask for my attention, in a way that doesn't involve physical violence."

She stayed quiet, and I continued. "Besides, do you really want to get on Zin's bad side? Or even worse, be on bad terms with Song and Mist?"

She stiffened at the mention of the last two. Seeing as they were both present in the conversation, it had that implication that they could do something. Plus, they heard her confession. I don't think they'd go easy on her now. Especially Mist, after that display earlier.

"So again, don't worry too much," I said, chuckling.

"I'll try not to," she said softly.

"You can always go your own way. No one's making you go with us," I pointed out.

"I asked Jonathan if I could travel with you two, and he said to ask you," she said softly. "After the short time that we've known each other, I don't think that'll happen, knowing how I've acted."

So, when in the world did this change of heart happen? I shook my head, trying to get that annoyed feeling from my chest. But why would Jonathan defer such a decision to me? Shouldn't it be at least a group choice? I'll talk to him about it later.

On one hand, she was an experienced trainer, and she claims that she's a breeder. She's obviously used to traveling, much like Jonathan in that respect. She seems to know the areas around Sinnoh pretty well, as well as local Pokémon information. How in the world she knew about the Abomasnow migratory path, I'll never know. Maybe it really was just local information, and we messed up. Rather glad that we ran into her, even if it was by chance. Though I'm pretty sure Spirit would have handled things if given the opportunity.

On the other hand, she was a bit arrogant, impulsive, and downright rude. She likes hitting me in the face, and loves to pick a fight. I'm honestly surprised that I've managed to tolerate it for this long. I imagine Jonathan has more experience with asinine people than I do, but it's reached the point of ridiculous in my book. I mean, who goes and slaps someone across the face for looking at them? OK, staring, but even then, who does that? Not even Song would. Well, except that one time when a pretty girl was walking by. I think I deserved it, because I ended up drooling.

"Would it be really that bad to have her with us, Master?" Song asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"No, it wouldn't," I said, shaking my head. I faced Joy to address her. "You can come, as long as Jonathan has no major complaints. Though from what you said, I don't think he does."

She smiled at me, a sigh of relief heaving out of her chest. She grabbed and shook my hand forcibly, almost making me bounce up and down by sheer force.

"You won't regret this! I promise!" she said, before releasing me. "Oh! I gotta go get my stuff from Sis. Be right back!"

With that, she ran down the stairs in direction of Eterna. I shook my head as she weaved in between people walking the streets. I wondered what I had just unleashed into my life.

"Are you sure this was a wise choice?" Mist asked, voicing my thoughts.

I chuckled. "Not at all," I answered. "Though there's safety in numbers."

"You and Jonathan have done fine so far," Mist pointed out. "We did not need someone of her caliber."

"Probably," I conceded. "But in all honesty, it's better that she's with us than not. I don't need her spreading around rumors about me."

"What do you mean, Master?" Song intoned.

"Zin's slip up a few days ago," I said, lowering my voice. "She did mention that I was her mate then, remember?"

Both Song and Mist winced at the reference. "I see your point now," Song said, nodding. "It's better if she is with us."

"Well, for the time, anyway," I said, sighing. "Still have no idea what's going to happen when I let Zin out."

"I am sure that she would be content to see you once more," Mist said calmly. "I did explain to her what was going on."

"Then why did she act the way she did?" I asked.

"Perhaps she forgot?" Mist offered. "I did mention it to her before we left to Eterna."

I shrugged. "Well, we'll deal with it when it comes up. Right now, I still want to inspect this statue more thoroughly."

"Why?" Song asked. "Is it because of the Celestic Ruins?"

"Basically," I answered, tapping the foot of the four legged beast. "Dialga and Palkia are part of the creation process, or so the legend goes. The ruins pointed that there were three creatures created by Arceus. We know these two, but who's the third, is the real question."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I doubt anything is written here that we don't already know, but we can at least cross this place out for any clues if we've inspected it properly."

I ignored the footsteps behind me, focusing my attention on the statue. The wording was still the same as I remembered from when we passed this a few days ago. I ran my fingers over the letters, trying to embed it all within my memory.

"Dialga and Palkia," I murmured to myself. "The Roar of Time? The Space between Worlds? Would these be their tittles?"

"They are indeed, Aaron," Aiden said, breaking my concentration.

Turning around, both Aiden and Jonathan stood next to me, looking curiously at my actions. I looked at Aiden curiously when he didn't continue. With a smile, he spoke to me. "Would you like to know what information I have?"

I nodded. His smile widened as he continued. "It is generally believed that Arceus is the creator, correct? Well, the first things he created were his first two sons. Dialga and Palkia, time and space made physical beings. To Dialga, Arceus gave him rule of the stars, while to Palkia, he gave the power of space and dimensions."

"That sounds a bit crazy," I said, frowning. "I've never heard of this, not even in all my time with my parent's research."

"Not much is recorded, and quite a bit is inferred by other, older writings," Aiden said, nodding. "It is as much belief as it is a mystery."

I sighed, frowning. "That doesn't explain the third jewel I saw in the Celestic Ruins."

"That would be Giratina," Aiden said stoically. I blinked for a moment. The name sounded familiar. I know I've at least read it once before.

"Isn't Giratina the gatekeeper?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, that is what is generally believed," Aiden conceded. "It has not been made apparent what is Giratina's duty. All that is known is that he is the third son."

"What is he the gatekeeper for?" I asked.

Jonathan looked at Aiden, who shrugged. Turning to me, Jonathan said, "Well, it is generally believed that Giratina is the gatekeeper of the dead, to be judged by him in front of Arceus."

"It is also implied that he was given charge of our world as its caretaker," Aiden intoned. "Similar to how Dialga was given the stars and Palkia was given the dimensions as their duties."

I nodded, taking this new information. "That still doesn't explain why Darkrai showed up, though," I said, sighing.

Aiden flinched, bringing his hands over his ears and eyes wide. "You fought against the Night Walker?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

I sighed and nodded. "Not willingly, if that's what you're worried about," I answered. "He kinda picked a fight with me."

He blinked for a moment, before turning to Jonathan. "Is this what you were worried about when you visited?" Aiden asked him.

Jonathan nodded. "Yeah, this was exactly what I feared."

I looked at them, confused at what they were talking about. They ignored me for the moment, as they looked at each other. Through the silence, they seemed to reach an agreement. Aiden nodded, while Jonathan just shook his head and sighed.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" I asked at the two.

"It would be better if I showed you, but this isn't the place," Jonathan said. "Where's Joy?"

"I'm right here!"

I turned around to see Song helping Joy with her belongings. She had various objects in her hands, which seemed to have fallen at one point or another. I sighed, shaking my head at the sight. At least Song seemed to be taking everything in stride.

"Change of plans," Jonathan stated. "We're headed south."

"South?" I asked. "But what about the gym?"

"The gym isn't going anywhere," he rebuked calmly, shaking his head. "Where we're going, we have a chance to helping solve this mystery about Darkrai."

Joy stiffened visibly at the name. "Wait what? What are we doing?" she asked.

"Aaron, can you pull out your Pokédex, please?" Jonathan asked me, ignoring Joy's question.

I nodded, pulling the device out of my pocket and opening it. Activating the map function, I passed it over to Jonathan. He quickly tapped a few buttons and passed it over to me again. Instead of the local Sinnoh area, where the major routes and cities were labeled, there were more routes and a few locations that I've never even heard of before.

"There's a monastery, hidden near the edge of the land mass of Sinnoh, located at the end of the Coronet Mountain range," he said, nodding. "This is where I was before I flew over here to Celestic Town to correlate information."

"Is that what you were doing? Gathering information?" I asked.

"I told you that I'm also looking into this whole Darkrai phenomenon," he said, rolling his eyes. "You just so happened to be the latest victim."

"Wait, what's going on again?" Joy asked.

"I'll fill you in when we land," Jonathan said, shaking his head. "Unless you guys have some fast flyers, we're in for a long trip."

"But I thought we were going to stay here longer?" Joy asked, clearly irritated. "I wanted to talk to my sister!"

"Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury," Jonathan said clearly. "Either you come with us, or you can stay. We'll be back, Arceus willing."

I looked at Jonathan for a moment, thinking that he lost his marbles. What would be willing to kill us? Oh, wait, that's right, kinda hard to get away from darkness itself if it wants you.

"My master would be glad to see you once again, Jonathan," Aiden said, bowing to us. "May your journey be swift, and the winds of hope be at your back."

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

We were to leave as soon as we resupplied back in town. I was still miffed about not checking out the gym, but I guess Jonathan had a point. It wasn't going anywhere, and we'll be back. Hopefully we can learn something productive, and this trip doesn't end up feeling like a wild chase across Sinnoh. It's already starting to feel a bit hopeless. I was still stuffing the last bit of potions and vitamins in my backpack when Jonathan and Joy ran into me inside the Pokémon Center. They gave me an inquisitive look, and I just shrugged.

"With this guy," I said, pointing at Jonathan, "I have a feeling that I wouldn't know when we'll reach this place. I'm just making sure we're prepared with extra supplies."

"We all bought extra supplies," Joy reminded me.

"Extra on extra," I said, grinning. She sighed and rolled her eyes at me, but left the subject lie. Though we didn't exactly see eye to eye, it looked like she was making an effort to change. I can live with that.

Jonathan chuckled at me, though. "Very true, that is," he said. "While Storm can get there in no time, I don't know how fast your flying Pokémon are, so we'll take our time getting there. Hopefully luck is with us and the weather stays clear. We don't need anything starting up that'll throw us off-track."

Both me and Joy nodded. We really didn't need something like that messing our travels. Getting lost is one thing, because at least the maps were accurate on my Pokédex. Becoming separated in the wilderness, where maps were less updated, it would be equal to suicide. I picked up my backpack and headed outside, quickly followed by my two companions.

It was a brand new day. We decided to stay over to get a good night of rest and double checking our Pokémon, before making such a long journey. Jonathan estimates it would take us at least five days to get there. I'm betting my money on a week.

I fished out Spirit's Pokéball, quickly letting the green dragon out of her confines. When she fully materialized, she gave me a quick hug, seemingly intent on double checking my physical condition. I chuckled as she ran her claws through my hair and opening my mouth with her claws. I obliged as best I could, though I had no idea why she would need to check my tonsils.

"Why does she do that?" Jonathan asked, putting away his Dragonite's Pokéball.

"Beats me," I said, shrugging. "I think she's making up for being shy around me."

Spirit nodded, the scales around her cheeks changing into that familiar red hue. I laughed as I patted her on the shoulder. She smiled down at me, but immediately cringed when she looked in Joy's direction. I turned to see that three headed thing again, hovering next to her.

"That thing isn't going to roar at me again, right?" I asked, backing away slightly.

Joy laughed, petting the Pokémon's 'arm'. I don't even know if it can be called an arm, because both ended in a face with a huge maw. Filled with teeth.

"Zefyra understands that you aren't a threat," she said, giggling. "She might allow you to pet her."

"I'll let her decide that, thank you," I said, waving my hands in front of me. "No need to get my hands bitten off."

"And before I forget, her species is called Hydreigon," she said, smiling. The beast in her hands rumbled happily, two of her three heads nodding simultaneously.

"I'll remember that," I said, grinning. "Though I think that Jonathan is waiting for us."

"Thank you for remembering me," he said, already atop of his Dragonite. "If you two are done introducing each other, we need to get going. Daylight's burning."

Spirit quickly bent down as I made myself comfortable. Double checking my backpack straps and making sure I wasn't going to slide off Spirit's back. She tested her wings, their buzzing louder than what I was used to. I was sitting on her back, my legs just behind where her wings were. I grinned as she twisted her neck to see if I was alright. I nodded and leaned forward to pat her neck gently, and she nodded back at me. After adjusting her footing for a moment, a leap into the air had me holding onto her shoulders. Her wings buzzing next to me, I looked to my side to see the roof of the Pokémon Center pass by.

Jonathan was already in the air, and Spirit aligned herself to him and his Dragonite, Storm. How did he take off without me noticing? I voiced my concern, raising my voice over the buzzing of Spirit's wings.

"She's pretty good about that, isn't she?" he asked rhetorically, his voice loud. "Storm's had a lot of practice!"

I shrugged, and he laughed, tilting his head backwards. I was afraid that he was going to fall, though my worry was proven false as Storm adjusted to him. He nodded at me, pointing next to me. I turned to see Joy and her Hydreigon, Zefyra, flying next to me. The beast's six wings beat at the air, lifting her without seemingly a care. I nodded at her, as a blast of air made me aware that Jonathan has moving. Joy laughed, shaking her head and motioned me to follow. I patted Spirit on the neck and nodded. Don't know if it was for my own sake, or if she saw the action. She raced after them just the same, flying in formation behind Zefyra and Joy.

I couldn't tell how fast we were traveling, but if I was to venture a guess, pretty fast. The wind howled, mimicking the sound of a Houndoom, the temperature making me shiver slightly. The sun was still shining, which helped a lot to mitigate that feeling though. It was the reason why I wasn't wearing a jacket. Sensibilities be forgotten, we were going to solve this damn mystery, one way or another.

I thought wistfully of home. I wondered how mom and dad were doing. Were they worried about me? I imagine they were. They're parents, after all. I wonder how they would react if I called them about breaking my ribs. Or meeting Suicune. What about finding Xola almost dead? Darkrai? Would they even believe me? I sighed, closing my eyes and shaking my head. No use worrying about that right now. Maybe I can use that phone thing that Jonathan did to my Pokédex to call them. Hopefully it can get a signal, wherever we're headed.

Dread rose in my stomach suddenly. What if Darkrai found out about my parents? My heart felt like it skipped a beat at the implication. They didn't have Pokémon to defend themselves if he did show up. I ground my teeth, and I pulled my hands from Spirit's shoulders, to avoid surprising her by accident. Taking deep breaths, I forced myself to focus on Zefyra and the Pokémon's rider. Spirit's neck twisted slightly, red covered eye looking at me with caution. I smiled, shaking my head at her. I doubt she bought my ruse, but she nodded and kept flying, following our guide to wherever this place was.

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

We began our decent around what looked like midday. The sun was high in the sky, and the clouds were getting thicker when I saw Storm and Jonathan slowly lowering themselves into the cloud cover underneath us. I leaned forward, holding tightly against Spirit as we followed Joy and Zefyra into the clouds. I closed my eyes, the water droplets obscuring my vision and making it painful to try to keep up. I envied my Flygon slightly, for having natural eye protection. Passing the cloud cover didn't take as long as I thought, as the droplets of water stopped soaking everything I had.

The clouds above us now were uniform across the sky, fluffy white preventing the sun's rays from fully reaching the surface. Thankfully, both Jonathan and Joy were easy to spot above the impressive tree line and the rolling mountains that spanned the landscape. While the trees were thick in some areas, it wasn't all connected. Large open areas were easily visible from our vantage point, and it's where Jonathan was headed. Both Joy and myself quickly followed him towards one of these spots. From high above, it didn't look like it had much in the way of grass. It looked like a barren rock field in a rather circular shape. Like someone made a cut-out of the forest, and forgot to put it back.

Spirit landed next to Zefyra, and I dismounted as quickly as I could. I wanted to give her a good rest before we flew again. Scratching under her chin, she gave me a sigh of relief. I grinned as she tried to mimic my actions, and I followed with my other unoccupied hand. She copied me again, using both of her claws to gently scratch my neck. I chuckled as I stopped, and she quickly followed suit. I wondered if she was ticklish.

"Alright, we're going to set up camp here," Jonathan said, nodding. "We're making great time."

"Why are we stopping so early?" I asked. "It looks like it's barely noon."

"It's about one o'clock right now, but yeah," he said, waving my comment away. "The reason why we stopped is because the next part has no clear and safe area to land to rest. I don't want to overextend ourselves without a reason."

I nodded, understanding the concern. Knowing him, he'd be there by now.

"Let's set up," Joy said, nodding. "If you two give me your tents, I'll set them up. If you two brought food, one of you can cook it and the other can look for dead branches for the fire."

"Dibs on cooking!" Jonathan exclaimed, as soon as Joy finished talking. I blinked, surprised by the reaction.

I shrugged regardless. Wasn't going to complain about it, and I wasn't sure about my own cooking skills anyway.

"Spirit, I want you to rest here, alright?" I asked her, gently petting her in between her eyes. "You deserve a rest."

She nodded, though gave me a concerned look. "What, you think I'll be in danger?" I asked her.

She nodded, playing with her claws again. I chuckled, opening Song's Pokéball. The Gardevoir appeared with a twirl next to me, a soft giggle in my ears.

"It's good to finally be out of that thing," she said happily. "Are we there yet?"

"No, not by a long shot," I said, chuckling. At her sigh, I shook my head. "Apparently, this place is at the end of the Coronet Mountains. Jonathan guesses we'll make it there in five days."

"I think a week is more appropriate," she said, nodding.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Well anyway, I've been asked to gather some firewood. Would you like to help me?"

"But of course!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hands. I stopped her for a moment, if only to shed my backpack and keep it with Spirit for safe keeping.

"Let Joy get anything she needs from there, Spirit!" I called, as I was dragged away by Song's enthusiasm. I stumbled a few times, losing my balance on the uneven ground and by being pulled along by Song. She slowed down when she saw me almost fall, laughing about it. I laughed with her, feeling giddy about everything.

"You should let everyone out," Song commented. "It'll do everyone some good."

I nodded, pulling out everyone else's Pokéballs and releasing them. With everyone present and accounted for, it wasn't long before Zin and Akalia tackled me, barely staying upright.

"You did it!" Zin exclaimed at me. "You did it!"

As much as I wanted to ask what she meant, I really didn't want to know. Probably about the whole Mist being possessive thing. I didn't dissuade her, nodding at her happy exclamation.

"Alright, I need help gathering some firewood," I said, smiling at everyone. "Probably what you didn't want to hear, but we get food at the end."

"Cooked food?" Zin asked.

"Yep," I said, nodding. "So find as much as you can. It doesn't look like it's rained around here in a while, so we shouldn't have a problem finding dry stuff."

Everyone nodded, and we walked together in a loose group. Akalia and Zin began finding sticks and branches quickly among the trees. It didn't take long for us to have two good armfuls of the stuff. It also didn't help that Mist was cheating, shaking the trees gently if any loose branches came down. I was quick to point it out, to which she giggled at me.

"Are you truly going to argue?" she asked.

"Not me, but probably an angry bird," I said, grinning.

To prove my point, a Murkrow flew right past me, the gust of wind trailing behind it almost making me lose my balance. I looked upwards, to see a leafless tree with a full swarm of them. I couldn't tell when a Murkrow ended and the next began. A Honchkrow flew down, a feathered wing tipping his 'hat' down, as if greeting us.

I mimicked the Pokémon's actions, much to the birds surprise. I looked at Song, who nodded at me.

"Song, could you translate for me?" I asked.

She nodded, smiling. "I don't think there's a need for that. They were sleeping."

Right. Murkrow and Honchkrow are nocturnal Pokémon. I shook my head, smiling. "We're sorry for waking you," I said clearly. "We're not here to pick on anyone."

I hoped that the leader got the message. For a moment, all the bird did was look at me straight in the eye. As much as it made me feel uncomfortable, I didn't look away. I began to count time by my heartbeats, feeling the moment stretch as my perspective got focused. Thankfully, it only took ten counts for the Honchkrow to nod and fly up to his flock.

We quickly headed opposite to where the nest was, retracing our steps back into the clearing. As we passed the trees, I noticed that the sun was starting to come down. I shook my head, startled by the time change. I chided myself, and frowned when I remembered that my Pokédex had an internal clock.

We walked in silence together, enjoying each other's company. Zin and Akalia were ahead of us, Zin's calls warning us for unstable footing. We swiftly made it back to camp under their watchful eyes, Jonathan and Joy meeting us to relieve our burdens. We got a fire started, and Jonathan began to lay out some food for all of us.

Our tents were set up already. I asked where Spirit was, and Joy pointed to my tent. I shook my head, but shrugged all the same. She deserved the rest.

"Do you need help getting her out of there?" Joy asked.

"Nah, that's fine," I said, shrugging. "She's probably more tired than I thought."

"She's probably not used to flying long distances," Jonathan said thoughtfully. "Flygon's tend to be strong flyers, but not for distance. I think we might have problems tomorrow."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

He shrugged, as he pulled a cutting board from his backpack. Joy pulled a head of lettuce and handed it to him. While Jonathan was cutting, she pulled out a small soup pot and poured some bottled water inside of it.

"Sorry, only enough soup for the humans," Joy said to Zin, giggling at the Houndoom's hurt look.

I knelt down and petted her between her horns. "I'll let you taste some," I said, grinning.

"Sorry, I totally spaced," Jonathan said, putting in the sliced vegetables inside the water. "Just a personal observation. I've never met a Flygon that can go a full day of flying. Not saying it isn't possible, just that I haven't seen one do it."

I nodded, grinning. "I don't know how strong Spirit is, but I'm sure she'll surprise us if given the chance."

He laughed as Joy dropped some noodles inside the water, and began passing some tomatoes to Jonathan. "Too true," he said, chuckling still. "I'm not going to be surprised by anything today, not after her Ditto."

"Who?" I asked.

He pointed behind me, and I turned to look. What I saw made my entire brain process stop. The scream that I wanted to yell died in my throat, panic completely locking me up. I wanted to run, do something, but fear kept me still.

Darkrai was right behind me.

Song's scream was the only thing that snapped me out of my paralysis. Not caring if I had imagined it or if it was real, I lunged forward at the shadow, my fist meeting the Night Walker's face. Meeting the ground, I stood up as fast as I could to see Zin lunge forward.

"Hey! Stop hurting my Ditto!"

Zin stopped just before she leapt at the creature. Focusing on the creature, its skin began to convulse, shrinking rapidly into a pink blob with two eyes and a wide mouth. Two little tentacle hands rubbed the sides of its cheek, most likely where I had connected. Joy ran past me, scooping up the Pokémon in her hands, giving me a horrified look.

"Why would you do that?" she asked me.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Me and Darkrai... we don't get along?" I offered. She stared directly into my eyes, and I laughed nervously. I sighed again. "I'll explain."

"You better," was all she said, as she went back to Jonathan's side.

I looked over at Mist, who was currently just hovering next to my tent. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She blinked, as if lost in thought, then focused on me.

"I apologize, Master," she whispered. "I... I knew what it was, it-."

"Don't worry about it," I said, as I wrapped her in a hug. Since when did such a confident ghost turn the other way? "We'll get stronger, I promise."

She laid her head on my shoulder as I walked back to the fire. Before I got there, her body began sinking inside of me. Though I knew the feelings, it wasn't without its suddenness. I was thankful I could keep walking and prevent myself from shivering.

She didn't say anything once inside of me, but I could feel her. She was safe, that was all that mattered.

Joy looked up at me, her eyes narrowed. I sighed as I sat down and began explaining my situation.

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

The sun was now down, officially. I talked myself hoarse, barely eating my soup as Joy questioned my story time and time again. I came clean with her, starting all the way from the beginning of my little adventure.

"Well, that explains it," she said, as I finished detailing the events in the Celestic Ruins. "Doesn't make sense why he'd attack, but now I understand why you reacted that way.

"I want to apologize to you, for my Ditto," she continued, sighing. "He's a bit eccentric like that. He likes to copy any and all kinds of Pokémon."

I nodded. "It's fine," I said. "Thank you, for accepting my apology."

"I think you said it best," she said, waving my apology away.

I laughed as I brought my bowl of soup to my mouth. I was surprised at the taste, the broth warming me up almost instantly. While it scalded my tongue, all I wanted was to drink it down as fast as possible. Jonathan laughed as I panted, feeling myself sweat.

"Don't drink it too fast," he advised. "Enjoy it. You're cooking tomorrow."

I laughed and nodded. Zin pressed a paw on my knee, sticking her nose up to smell the contents of my bowl. Everyone chuckled as I brought the bowl to her level, letting her taste it. She licked for a moment, before diving forward, almost knocking the bowl out of my hands.

"Well, that's a first," Jonathan said in between laughs. "Never seen a Pokémon go so crazy about the food I've made."

Zin didn't respond, but looked at him while licking her chops with her long tongue. She snuggled next to me, her head resting on my lap. Song was resting against my back, Xola next to her. Spirit was still inside my tent, and Akalia had gone inside there not that long ago. Mist was still inside of me. Good, everyone was accounted for.

"So, who's going to take first watch?" Jonathan asked. "Just in case any wild Pokémon show up."

I raised my hand. "I'll stay up," I said, grinning. "I haven't finished my food, since I was talking all this time."

"Fair enough," Jonathan said, smiling. "You can have the leftovers, too, if you'd like."

"Thanks," I said, nodding. Both of them headed for their nearby tents a few steps away from the fire. They waved goodbye and disappeared inside.

I held my bowl of soup in one hand, grabbing a handful of sticks and putting them inside the fire. I grabbed a larger one and gently prodded it inside; making sure that it wouldn't roll out of place. Putting a fist sized rock next to the last large piece, I nodded to myself. Bringing the bowl to my lips, I enjoyed the flavors that danced across my tongue.

"Master," Mist said, her voice echoing softly inside my mind. "There's something out there."

Slowly lowering the bowel from my lips, I looked around casually. At first I didn't see anything. A second look didn't bring anything strange in the encroaching darkness around me. I couldn't hear any footsteps across the barren rocky field surrounding us, so I couldn't imagine anything or anyone bypassing me.

"Unless they can float," Mist whispered warningly at me. "Do not let the darkness deceive you."

I willed myself not to stand up at the mention of levitation and just nodded at her warning. I focused on my food again, trying to keep those thoughts out, while trying to keep an ear out for anything suspicious. Focusing on my breathing, I drank my soup slowly, doing my best to stem the paranoia that felt that was crawling up my spine. No one stirred around me. Zin was still asleep, while Song and Xola were still unmoving behind me. I could feel Song stir for a moment against my back but nothing more.

I lowered my bowl, and just beyond the ring of light of the fire was... something. I couldn't tell any more than two glowing white eyes in a field of black. They looked to be level with me, so I couldn't tell if the creature was short, or kneeling. I didn't look away, but I didn't move. I hoped that we weren't in some Pokémon's territory.

I blinked, but in that moment, the eyes that were in front of me disappeared. I almost jumped, startled at suddenness. Did I see what I really did, or am I just seeing things?

"No, I saw it too," Mist said thoughtfully. "My powers could not sense what it was, either. It was as if it was protected from psychic powers."

"Whatever it was, it looks like it's gone," I whispered, slowly shaking my head. "Thank you, Mist."

She giggled softly, the sound echoing inside of me. I smiled, as I let the happiness she was feeling warm me. Along with the fire, I felt content. I hoped, again, that we weren't inside a Pokémon's territory. I also hoped that they wouldn't show up again, with more friends.

The clouds had cleared out slightly, stars peeking out in between the nimbus. I smiled, enjoying the company of my friends. I just hoped that Aiden hadn't sent us on a wild goose chase.