{"sf1_id":451560,"sf2_id":"5nzBPAdn","title":"A Trainer's Tale - Chapter 33","author":"FoxStriker25","words":14492,"posted_at":"2012-10-16T23:51:00.000Z","tags":["Gardevoir","Human","Mismagius","Plot Development","Pokemon"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/451560-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-33","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/5nzBPAdn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/6c/b4/6cb4ee72-c001-473a-b91a-a75089875e39","description":"#33 of A Trainer's Tale","content":" **Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc.\u0026nbsp; Individual characters are my own imagining, and are not intended to be any part of main cannon / plotline.\u0026nbsp; Individual characters like Aaron, Song, Zin, etc, are my own creations, so please ask before using.\u0026nbsp; Thank you.**\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nChapter 33: Upheaval\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhere do we go from here?\u0026nbsp; That's the real question that needed to be answered.\u0026nbsp; Though just as important is what do we do.\u0026nbsp; Saying 'we' may be too many people.\u0026nbsp; What should I do?\u0026nbsp; Is it true what Suicune said?\u0026nbsp; How much of what she said was the truth?\u0026nbsp; I still don't get the whole shard business, either.\u0026nbsp; Something about it doesn't make sense to me.\u0026nbsp; Though what would provoke the two Darkrai into attacking?\u0026nbsp; Not to mention Cresselia and her craziness.\u0026nbsp; That might just be that she is simply insane.\u0026nbsp; It didn't stop it from happening, though.\u0026nbsp; Also, Moltres showed up.\u0026nbsp; What did she say?\u0026nbsp; I frowned as I tried to concentrate, but my brain refused to cooperate.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat really confuses me is who is with whom?\u0026nbsp; Suicune and Giratina are obviously in different stances. \u0026nbsp;At least I think so.\u0026nbsp; Though why they worked together in the Ruins of Alph is a question that begs to be answered.\u0026nbsp; Could it be true, then?\u0026nbsp; I frowned, shaking my head again as I leaned on the railing.\u0026nbsp; No, that's just a bunch of stupid shit.\u0026nbsp; Whatever happened to Arceus is beyond our control.\u0026nbsp; For all I know, Suicune could have said that just to get us out of her cave in a convenient manner.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA gust of wind blew by, whipping my hair around and sending a chill down my spine.\u0026nbsp; It felt good, though being in shorts and a shirt seemed to make the change in temperature more pronounced.\u0026nbsp; The city lights of Violet City were still bright against the darkness of the night.\u0026nbsp; I pulled out my Pokédex, the light almost blinding me due to the proximity.\u0026nbsp; The numbers clearly spelled out that it was two-thirty in the morning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Mist, are you awake?\" I spoke softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_You called, Master_?\" she answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm not bothering you, am I?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I will admit that the wind is soothing, feeling it through your skin_.\" she responded.\u0026nbsp; \"_Other than that, no.\u0026nbsp; Though, if you do not mind me saying, it is entertaining watching you think._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm pretty sure you know what I'm about to ask.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Please enlighten me.\u0026nbsp; It isn't the same if I just pluck at your thoughts_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You were there for when Suicune mentioned that whole shard of Arceus bit.\u0026nbsp; What do you think?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist stayed quiet for a moment, her voice mumbling in the back of my mind.\u0026nbsp; I distracted myself with looking at the sky, noting that the stars were hidden away.\u0026nbsp; A few clouds passed by, revealing the moon for the first time tonight.\u0026nbsp; Two-thirty?\u0026nbsp; I've been up here for the past hour now.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_No, I do not think Suicune was lying_.\" Mist answered.\u0026nbsp; \"_The reason why is because ever since the first time you allowed me to merge, I could feel something inside of you._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was surprised by this.\u0026nbsp; \"And you never told me?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I was not sure how well you would react.\u0026nbsp; Humans tend to be guarded a lot about the things they do not know.\u0026nbsp; How would you feel if I mentioned this before_?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe did have a point.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm sorry, Mist.\u0026nbsp; You're right.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_But to continue, there is something here.\u0026nbsp; Some kind of energy trapped or entwined with your own life energy._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Have you interacted with it before?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_No.\u0026nbsp; The thought both excites and terrifies me_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gulped at that.\u0026nbsp; What would scare Mist?\u0026nbsp; Surprised, maybe.\u0026nbsp; I find it hard to visualize her actually being afraid.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Interacting with this could cause you endless pain_.\" she said.\u0026nbsp; \"_I am afraid that if it is moved without proper care, the agony could be unbearable._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you see?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_It is a bit hard to explain to someone that is not used to seeing what we can.\u0026nbsp; I will do my best, though.\u0026nbsp; Imagine a small sphere, about the size of your closed fist.\u0026nbsp; It also constantly shifts colors with no discernible pattern.\u0026nbsp; Tied to this small sphere is a thick and elastic substance.\u0026nbsp; For lack of better terms, your soul.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps filaments is the better term.\u0026nbsp; Regardless, this sphere and you are integrated to each other.\u0026nbsp; Though if you did not know, perhaps it is integrated to you._\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Before you ask, no, I have never touched this.\u0026nbsp; Like I said, I feared that it may harm you if it was interacted with.\u0026nbsp; This is something that should be handled with extreme care._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Could you touch it?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Master!\u0026nbsp; I was just done telling you that it's dangerous for me to do so!_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, you said you think it is.\u0026nbsp; That it might.\u0026nbsp; I trust you to be careful.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should play a joke.\u0026nbsp; I suppressed the idea quickly.\u0026nbsp; It wouldn't be nice to the ghost that is going to be handling something that is apparently tied to my very being.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I agree, Master._\" she said with a giggle.\u0026nbsp; Her voice turned serious.\u0026nbsp; \"_Please let me know if you feel anything.\u0026nbsp; While I should be able to tell, your input would be appreciated._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded. \u0026nbsp;\"I'm ready.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;Without knowing what to expect, I focused on trying to feel something out of the ordinary.\u0026nbsp; My hands held a light hold of the railing in the attempt to keep myself as relaxed as possible.\u0026nbsp; A sharp sensation went through me.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't painful at the very least.\u0026nbsp; It was more like having a bucket of ice water dumped on your head.\u0026nbsp; A ghostly finger traced down my spine.\u0026nbsp; The problem was that I wasn't sure if it was happening for real, or it was Mist.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Are you alright, Master_?\" Mist asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm fine.\" I answered breathlessly.\u0026nbsp; \"Nothing hurts.\u0026nbsp; It feels like something is rubbing my back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sensation traveled to my shoulders next.\u0026nbsp; It felt like someone was giving me a massage or something like that.\u0026nbsp; I reached to my chest, feeling it rise and fall beneath my fingers.\u0026nbsp; After a moment, my heartbeat became the center of my focus.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Are you alright, Master?_\" Mist asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, I'm fine.\u0026nbsp; Just trying to stay calm.\u0026nbsp; Nothing hurts so far.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I am holding the sphere while it is mainly attached to your soul._\" she clarified.\u0026nbsp; \"_It... it is warm to the touch.\u0026nbsp; Do you feel anything of the sort?_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, I don't, though it felt like someone was massaging my shoulders a moment ago.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That would be me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stiffened at the new voice.\u0026nbsp; Turning around, Joy was giving me a smile as she stood behind me.\u0026nbsp; She wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulders.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What are you doing?\u0026nbsp; Experimenting?\" she asked teasingly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Probably a little.\" I admitted.\u0026nbsp; \"It looks like Mist knew all along that there was something odd about me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy shrugged.\u0026nbsp; \"Well, that doesn't take a genius to figure out.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI chuckled.\u0026nbsp; \"That's true.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe pulled away from me for a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"What has you up this early in the morning?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thinking about what we should do.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You can think about that in the morning, after everyone's done being caught up.\u0026nbsp; We'll see what we can do to get tickets to Hoenn, and we'll be safe there.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't think 'safe' was the proper word.\u0026nbsp; I'm not entirely sure if going to Hoenn was the best idea.\u0026nbsp; Regardless of these thoughts, I nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Alright.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And who were you talking to?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Mist.\u0026nbsp; She's inside of me right now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat left her speechless for a moment.\u0026nbsp; Joy rolled her eyes as she shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"You're crazy.\u0026nbsp; Mist, please don't touch anything that you shouldn't.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Too late for that.\" I said, holding up a hand.\u0026nbsp; \"I insisted.\u0026nbsp; In her defense, if anything happened to me is due to ignoring any warnings from her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I stopped handling the orb just now._\" Mist said.\u0026nbsp; \"_Did you feel anything out of the ordinary?_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, Mist, I didn't.\" I reported.\u0026nbsp; \"It looks like I don't feel anything through it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_If you do not mind, I will leave it alone from now on.\u0026nbsp; It feels like I should not be the one handling such objects of power._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy grabbed my hand.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's go back to bed.\u0026nbsp; Zin was already threatening to burn things if I didn't get you back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI chuckled, nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"Fine.\u0026nbsp; Let's go.\u0026nbsp; I think I'm ready to get some more rest anyway.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe smiled at me, pulling my hand as she took the lead.\u0026nbsp; We tried to be as quiet as possible going down the stairs.\u0026nbsp; Our footsteps echoed loudly in the staircase and the hallway.\u0026nbsp; The door to our room was open, Baast and Victini both acting like they were standing guard.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I figured it would be you, Master._\" Baast said with a toothy smile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What happened?\" Victini asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"Just thinking.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Ready to go to bed?_\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Zin is being unbearable right now._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Joy mentioned something about her.\" I said with a grin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Calm her down, would you?\" Victini asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded as we walked inside.\u0026nbsp; Zin must have been waiting for the door to open, because she jumped into my chest the moment it opened.\u0026nbsp; Good thing I was in front of everyone.\u0026nbsp; She didn't say anything as my arms wrapped around her.\u0026nbsp; Her cold nose pressed against my neck, making me shiver.\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, carefully navigating my way back to the bed.\u0026nbsp; After managing that, Baast insisted that I used her lap as a pillow.\u0026nbsp; With Zin snoozing in my arms, Joy rested against my back.\u0026nbsp; Victini was somewhere, I wasn't sure right now.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEither way, it was still hard to relax.\u0026nbsp; How would Jon take this news?\u0026nbsp; How would everyone else?\u0026nbsp; Only five others knew about this whole Arceus thing.\u0026nbsp; Would this push our group apart?\n\n========================////////////////////////////=====================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon joined us in the morning on the roof of the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; I honestly didn't even feel safe.\u0026nbsp; Joy was standing beside me, holding my left arm in a tight grip.\u0026nbsp; Mist was surprisingly outside of my body.\u0026nbsp; She was hovering to my right, her touch on my shoulder sending a shiver down my spine.\u0026nbsp; Joy insisted that I took a shower before coming up here, and that I use some of the new clothing that she picked out for me.\u0026nbsp; The blue shirt with yellow makes me feel like I'm a Luxray or something.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, what happened?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aaron has some kind of piece of Arceus attached to him.\" Joy said without much preamble.\u0026nbsp; \"It seems that's why we're being targeted by individuals or groups of legendary Pokémon.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wait what.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You heard me, dammit!\u0026nbsp; Don't make me repeat it again!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're being serious.\" Jon said, looking towards me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"That's what Suicune said.\u0026nbsp; Mist confirms it, due to her seeing something whenever she merges in me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're going to take the word of a crazy legendary and a ghost.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The ghost you're talking about is right here, so show some respect.\" I pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And you trust her?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, I do.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon looked at me for a moment before shaking his head.\u0026nbsp; \"You're really trusting, aren't you?\u0026nbsp; Alright. \u0026nbsp;Say this is real, and that you have some missing piece that whoever is looking for.\u0026nbsp; What do we do?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's what I was trying to figure out.\u0026nbsp; Suicune mentioned something along the lines of something of gold and silver.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Gold and silver?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Does that ring any bells?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Quite literally.\" he said, nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"We need to go back to Ecruteak.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why go back there?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, usually it's there that we can find any connections to the two that you mentioned.\u0026nbsp; You remember the two towers that we passed by, right?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"That's where we're going.\" Jon finished.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wait a second.\u0026nbsp; Now you suddenly believe him?\" Joy asked with a frown.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon shrugged.\u0026nbsp; \"It's not about if I believe him or not.\u0026nbsp; I've seen what's been going on since we first met.\u0026nbsp; It makes sense.... if I don't try to think about it too hard.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"How does it make sense?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just how Suicune keeps appearing in convenient situations.\" he said.\u0026nbsp; \"You don't normally have someone of that kind of power just watching over you because he or she is bored.\u0026nbsp; She obviously is taking precautions to keep you safe.\u0026nbsp; If bringing everyone to life will do that, she'll do it.\u0026nbsp; She's willing to work with someone that's obviously against her to get what she needs, so there is that to think about as well.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Though I guess who is the real enemy is the real question.\u0026nbsp; Why does Suicune want you safe?\u0026nbsp; Why were the Darkrai first sent, and then withdrawn?\u0026nbsp; Who sent Cresselia after you?\u0026nbsp; This is beginning to grow out of our hands extremely fast.\u0026nbsp; I think that we should really turn to Cynthia and the other champions to see if they're willing to help us out.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Is she still around?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"Cynthia, I mean.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"She was going to stay around Violet City for a few more days before heading out to her next target.\u0026nbsp; She didn't say where.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you know where she would be right now, let's go.\u0026nbsp; If we can get her opinion on this, the better.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you sure that you should mention that?\" Mist asked, concern in her voice.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"I feel like we can trust her.\u0026nbsp; She hasn't outright lied to us.\u0026nbsp; At least, it doesn't feel like it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She's always had a good image with the public.\" I said, nodding.\u0026nbsp; \"Alright.\u0026nbsp; Lead the way, then.\u0026nbsp; I don't know where she's staying.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"And why in the fuck do you think I know?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"By the time I left, you were giving her a look that said 'Take me!\u0026nbsp; Take me now!'\" Joy said, laughing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon's face looked like it was sunburnt.\u0026nbsp; He walked past us with his head facing down.\u0026nbsp; He opened the door to the staircase loudly, ignoring us any further.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you guys coming or not!\" he shouted.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=======================////////////////////////////////==================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe found Cynthia leaving the same restaurant that she took us in the other day.\u0026nbsp; She greeted us with a grin and a wave, giving the air of being happy to see us again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hey you three.\" she said as she approached.\u0026nbsp; \"Good to see you again.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good to see you again, Cynthia.\" Jon said with a smile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI can totally understand why Joy has her opinion about Jon and Cynthia now.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What happened down there?\" Cynthia asked.\u0026nbsp; \"I mean, you told me, but jeez.\u0026nbsp; You guys weren't kidding, were you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, we weren't.\" I answered.\u0026nbsp; \"By the way, is there some way we can ask you some questions?\u0026nbsp; Somewhere in private, if possible?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe looked at me curiously, but nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Sure.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCynthia took the lead, taking us towards the Ruins of Alph.\u0026nbsp; The moment I saw the entrance, the first thought was to turn the other way.\u0026nbsp; This was the last place I wanted to be.\u0026nbsp; Joy held my hand tightly, keeping my pace with her.\u0026nbsp; Cynthia held up a section of the caution tape that was used to ward off the area.\u0026nbsp; I was surprised, but then again it makes sense.\u0026nbsp; It should have been pretty obvious that something happened down there while we were there.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSuddenly, I really wish I hadn't recalled Mist back into her Pokéball.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, we only stepped inside the main entrance and didn't go much further inside the ruins.\u0026nbsp; Cynthia turned towards us, a pensive look on her face as she studied our faces.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I imagine that something happened, if you're asking for my help.\" she stated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe were silent, but I nodded after a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, you can say that.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tell me, please.\u0026nbsp; I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as you do.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'm not sure about that, but I'll believe you.\u0026nbsp; \"Alright.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't leave anything out of our encounter with Suicune.\u0026nbsp; Joy helped me out to describe what happened, and any specifics that my retelling skipped over.\u0026nbsp; Cynthia was frowning as she shook her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So let me get this straight.\u0026nbsp; Giratina wants you dead because that's the only way to get... whatever it is... that's a piece of Arceus?\u0026nbsp; And then Suicune doesn't want you to get killed so Giratina doesn't get it because of something that happened who knows when?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"That sounds about right.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; The only part that didn't make any sense is why did both Darkrai say that the orders they received were a mistake?\u0026nbsp; Giratina also confirmed that.\u0026nbsp; This isn't as simple as Cynthia wants it to be.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The only problem is that I don't think Giratina wants me dead.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; \"He just mentioned that there was a mistake.\u0026nbsp; But what exactly is the question.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCynthia shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Either way, I think that there's enough evidence that your life and the lives of those around you are in danger.\u0026nbsp; You should lay low, get out of Johto.\u0026nbsp; Go somewhere else other than here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We were planning on going to Hoenn.\" I said slowly.\u0026nbsp; Cynthia clapped her hands.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That sounds like a plan.\u0026nbsp; I'll let Lance know that you'll be in Hoenn later today.\u0026nbsp; When do you plan on leaving?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Today, if possible.\u0026nbsp; Though most likely it'll be whenever they have available seats.\" Jon said.\u0026nbsp; \"We had terrible luck when we came from Sinnoh to Johto, so we're not making any bets that it's been any better.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCynthia nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Either way, it's best that he knows that you'll be on your way.\u0026nbsp; He'll be in the area.\u0026nbsp; Hopefully, anyway.\u0026nbsp; The guy can be a real bastard when he wants to be.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was about to ask what she meant by that, but she continued speaking.\u0026nbsp; \"Regardless, you guys should start heading out to Goldenrod.\u0026nbsp; The sooner you can buy your tickets, the better.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"We'll get there.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There's one more thing.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"Suicune mentioned something about the Watchers of Gold and Silver.\u0026nbsp; Do you know what that would mean?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; She frowned.\u0026nbsp; \"Sounds like something to refer to Ho-Oh and Lugia.\u0026nbsp; Though why I have no idea.\u0026nbsp; The last time those two showed up, the sky looked like something out of a snow globe.\u0026nbsp; Except replace the snow with rain and have fire painting the night sky red.\"\n\nCynthia shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe that bit of news was never really circulated.\" she said with a shrug.\u0026nbsp; \"Either way, if you do decide to call on them, I'll leave you with two warnings.\u0026nbsp; One, they don't get along.\u0026nbsp; Ever.\u0026nbsp; All the accounts of both Lugia and Ho-Oh being anywhere within anywhere means that something bad is going to happen.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The second is that they haven't been spotted, even individually, for ten years.\u0026nbsp; Researchers and trainers have been trying to find them ever since that one time they both showed up at the same time.\u0026nbsp; It's the only reason the vast majority of visitors that actually go to the Bell Tower is to pray for Ho-Oh's return.\u0026nbsp; Why is something else entirely.\u0026nbsp; Some people believe that should Ho-Oh defeat Lugia, peace will return to the world.\u0026nbsp; Though I'm not entirely sure what they mean by 'peace'.\u0026nbsp; It's not like we've been in a war or anything similar.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon tapped his foot.\u0026nbsp; \"It sounds like there's a lot more going on that what we know right now.\" he said with a frown.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you honestly think it would be a good idea to investigate this?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you suggest waiting on our asses while something else happens?\" I asked back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"As long as none of us go off on our own and get ambushed.\" he retaliated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI rolled my eyes but held my tongue in check.\u0026nbsp; \"Right.\u0026nbsp; Anyway, what do you think, Cynthia?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head, shrugging.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you trust Suicune?\" Cynthia asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat was the ten thousand Zenny question, wasn't it.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't know.\u0026nbsp; She has helped me before, and she doesn't seem to want to harm us.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"At least not yet anyway.\" Cynthia said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She specifically mentioned that if any danger reaches her, she would tell me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And how much of that is true?\u0026nbsp; How do you know?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She healed Xola.\" I responded.\u0026nbsp; \"Suicune did that without asking for any payment.\u0026nbsp; I can safely say that if there was any legendary Pokémon that wasn't after us, it would be her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBoth Jon and Cynthia shared the same displeased expression.\u0026nbsp; \"I still think you should be careful.\" Cynthia warned.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm not saying that we shouldn't.\u0026nbsp; I'm insisting that we shouldn't just sit on our asses waiting for whatever comes next and just reacting to it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And if that plays into the enemies hands?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's happened more than once before.\u0026nbsp; When that female Darkrai showed up, we didn't hesitate to fight back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe frowned, but nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's just stick together from now on.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI returned the nod.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, sounds like you guys will be going to Ecruteak.\" Cynthia said.\u0026nbsp; \"You should go before it gets any later.\u0026nbsp; The Bell Tower tends to be iffy on its time schedule for visitors.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n===========================////////////////////=========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe reached Ecruteak a bit late in the afternoon.\u0026nbsp; By the time we reached the Bell Tower, many people were on their way back into the city proper.\u0026nbsp; We were stopped from going any further due to the doors actually being closed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, it looks like Cynthia was right.\" I sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Still, we're here, so we wait until tomorrow.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon and Joy nodded, making our way back to the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; No one seemed to come close to us.\u0026nbsp; A few trainers threw challenging looks our way, but none stepped up to actually challenge any one of us.\u0026nbsp; Which, to be honest, was surprising.\u0026nbsp; Was there some kind of rule against public battling that I wasn't aware of?\u0026nbsp; I voiced my question to my friends, and they both shook their heads.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, they're just too pussy shit to do something about it.\" Joy said with a shrug.\u0026nbsp; \"They think we're easy pickings, but can't be bothered by it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Probably for the best.\u0026nbsp; I don't really need to be fighting today to be prepared for tomorrow.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you think something will happen in the Bell Tower?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"To be honest, no.\u0026nbsp; At least, nothing should happen.\u0026nbsp; Cynthia said that neither Ho-Oh nor Lugia have been spotted in a very long time.\u0026nbsp; It would be very unlikely.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"As unlikely it was that both Moltres and Cresselia came to pay you a visit?\" Jon asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"I just don't think it'll happen.\u0026nbsp; Cresselia was already spotted before coming to me.\u0026nbsp; And even then, we didn't know back then what we know now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"You have a point.\u0026nbsp; Let's keep our guard up, just in case.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe all agreed as we entered the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy greeted us with a warm smile.\u0026nbsp; When asked about staying, we nodded.\u0026nbsp; Joy was quick to say we only needed two rooms instead of three.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy got a sly look as she placed a third key down, handing her and Jon the two keys.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, who's the boyfriend?\" Nurse Joy asked.\u0026nbsp; \"The guy with the long hair?\u0026nbsp; You always had something for guys with mullets.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grabbed hold of my hair, trying to judge the length by feeling it.\u0026nbsp; It was longer than shoulder length.\u0026nbsp; Was that what people mean by that?\u0026nbsp; I've personally never heard it called that.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's not really a mullet, you know.\" Jon said.\u0026nbsp; \"It's not just long in the back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNurse Joy laughed.\u0026nbsp; \"I know.\u0026nbsp; Just giving my sister a hard time.\u0026nbsp; But anyway, really, who is it?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me next to her.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy scrutinized me for a moment, leaning forward over her desk to get a closer look.\u0026nbsp; Her blue eyes darted over my face.\u0026nbsp; It felt like she was trying to find something wrong with me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He looks decent enough.\" she said with a huff.\u0026nbsp; \"Anyone else asked about him?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, not really.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Treat her well, or there's going to be fucking hell to pay.\" Nurse Joy said, pointing a finger at me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded numbly.\u0026nbsp; \"Joy, I'll take the key and your things.\u0026nbsp; I'll meet you in a little while, alright?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded, passing me the room key and her belongings.\u0026nbsp; Nurse Joy pointed towards her left.\u0026nbsp; \"That's where the rooms are.\" she said, staring at us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded, falling behind Jon as he started walking in that direction.\u0026nbsp; As soon as we turned a corner, he shook his head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Jeez, what's her problem?\" he asked in a hushed voice.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shrugged.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't know.\u0026nbsp; Ideally we won't be here for very long so we won't have to worry too much.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; We found our rooms to be near the middle of the hallway.\u0026nbsp; Jon took a look at the numbers and sighed.\u0026nbsp; I raised an eyebrow at him with my door already opened and me almost through it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't do anything you shouldn't do.\" he said while shaking his head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't plan on it.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"It's everyone else that wants it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, be the voice of reason if they get out of control.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Try telling that to a Houndoom that threatens to bite your extremities when she doesn't get what she wants.\" I pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you really want that?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Good luck.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI went inside the room after saying our goodbyes to each other.\u0026nbsp; The concern was appreciated, but it really wasn't as bad as it seemed.\u0026nbsp; My hands dropped their cargo, turning on the lights to see my surroundings as I closed the door behind me.\u0026nbsp; My thoughts went to my Pokémon, reflecting on what Jon said.\u0026nbsp; Zin does tend to be a bit clingy, but so is Song.\u0026nbsp; Mist is always hovering close by, or hanging somewhere in the depths of my body.\u0026nbsp; Baast and Spirit can be just as bad, especially the Lucario during the Ghast Festival.\u0026nbsp; That was honestly something that wasn't expected.\u0026nbsp; The only 'normal' ones seem to be Akalia and Aurora.\u0026nbsp; Speaking of the Weavile, maybe she should get more time outside of her ball.\u0026nbsp; A sigh escaped me.\u0026nbsp; It feels like everything is going crazy and I'm not paying attention to everything.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grabbed the Weavile's Pokéball, the sound of it opening echoing loudly in the silent room.\u0026nbsp; She materialized on top of the bed.\u0026nbsp; Aurora looked around for a moment before her eyes settled on me.\u0026nbsp; With a jump she easily covered the distance, landing on my chest.\u0026nbsp; I dropped what was on my hands to make sure she didn't fall.\u0026nbsp; Though I'm pretty sure her claws would have done something to stop that.\u0026nbsp; Probably for the best, because ruining a shirt right now could very well mean an infuriated Joy when she came in.\n\n\u0026nbsp; I sat down on the bed, slowly relaxing.\u0026nbsp; A stray thought crossed my mind that maybe this would have been better if I was sitting on a chair.\u0026nbsp; Oh well.\u0026nbsp; I leaned back, holding onto Aurora gently to make sure that she wouldn't fall off her perch.\u0026nbsp; Her body temperature was lower than normal.\u0026nbsp; Usually when she's sitting on my head it doesn't bother me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you feeling alright, Aurora?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe didn't respond to my question in any way.\u0026nbsp; While I didn't want to move her from her spot, my concern was quickly overriding that initial hesitation.\u0026nbsp; Maybe she's just tired?\u0026nbsp; My hands pressed against her back gently.\u0026nbsp; Her cold breath washed over my chest quickly.\u0026nbsp; Her breathing was beginning to turn erratic.\u0026nbsp; I tried to pull her away from me to take a closer look, but her claws dug deeper into my sides.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aurora.\" I called.\u0026nbsp; \"Can you hear me?\u0026nbsp; It's me, Aaron.\u0026nbsp; Are you alright?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe responded by shaking her head against my chest.\u0026nbsp; I've never seen her like this before.\u0026nbsp; Her body shook against mine as her claws continued to bury themselves deeper into me.\u0026nbsp; A stray thought crossed my mind if the wounds were deep enough to spill blood.\u0026nbsp; It didn't feel like it, but I wasn't entirely sure.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed, holding the Weavile tightly.\u0026nbsp; She wouldn't pull her face out of my chest, and her body still shivered.\u0026nbsp; My fingers touched along her body, but this would cause her arms to tighten her hold on me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aurora, you're going to have to let go or I'm going to be missing a lung or two soon.\" I said while rubbing her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot surprisingly, it only made her hold tighter.\u0026nbsp; The door opened as Joy came in the room.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes widened immediately as she rushed over.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's going on?\" she demanded.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not sure.\u0026nbsp; I got Aurora out of her Pokéball and she's been like this ever since.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're bleeding.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thought so.\u0026nbsp; I'm sorry for ruining the shirt.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Idiot.\u0026nbsp; Don't worry about that now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy moved behind Aurora, her hands gently moving her claws away from me.\u0026nbsp; I winced, but did my best to stay calm.\u0026nbsp; A stinging sensation was my reward as the first claw was removed.\u0026nbsp; The second one joined it, leaving me with my sides feeling like they were burning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Stay still and don't let her out of your sight.\" she demanded.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll be right back.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded, holding onto Aurora gently.\u0026nbsp; Her arms were wrapped around her as she began to shake.\u0026nbsp; What would cause this to happen?\u0026nbsp; I don't think it was something I said.\u0026nbsp; Pushing these thoughts away, my focus returned to the shaking Weavile.\u0026nbsp; It didn't take long for Joy to come back with bandages in one hand and a syringe in the other.\u0026nbsp; The bandages were thrown at my face as Joy kneeled behind Aurora.\u0026nbsp; Grabbing hold of the shaking Weavile, she pushed the needle under the skin and black fur to inject whatever liquid was inside.\u0026nbsp; Joy pulled the needle out, grabbing the bandages and wrapped the injury up quickly.\u0026nbsp; After securing the bandages, she stood up and walked out without a word.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turned my focus back to Aurora, feeling her shaking slow down.\u0026nbsp; It was still there, but it felt like her breathing was returning to normal.\u0026nbsp; Very slowly, but at the very least she was calming down.\u0026nbsp; I removed my shirt, inspecting the damage done by feel.\u0026nbsp; My fingers touched something wet, so that must be my blood.\u0026nbsp; Feeling a little bit more, the wounds could be felt.\u0026nbsp; These weren't too deep, or at least didn't feel like it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy came back inside the room, a towel in one hand and more bandages in the other.\u0026nbsp; The door closed behind her as she approached, so someone else knew what was going on.\u0026nbsp; She approached me silently, staring at Aurora as she rocked by herself.\u0026nbsp; Throwing the towel and bandages at me, she took Aurora in her hands and hugged her gently.\u0026nbsp; The Weavile seemed to be taken by surprise as Joy petted her head softly.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes were wide as she shook her head side to side.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you have her papers still, Aaron?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"They're in my bag.\" I answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy passed Aurora to me.\u0026nbsp; I held her gently against my naked chest, feeling her cold fur against my skin.\u0026nbsp; My fingers gently rubbed her back as Joy went through my things.\u0026nbsp; It didn't take her very long to find them, bringing the entire folder with her.\u0026nbsp; Joy flipped through a few pages before staring at one in specific.\u0026nbsp; She then looked at me like if I was insane.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That look is getting old, to be honest.\" I said, shaking my head.\u0026nbsp; \"I get it enough from Jon.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She has PTSD.\" she stated flatly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe acronym didn't exactly trigger a response from me.\u0026nbsp; Joy sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Post-traumatic stress disorder.\" she clarified.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy eyes widened at that.\u0026nbsp; The Weavile in my arms began to shake again.\u0026nbsp; We both looked down at Aurora as she shook her head side to side.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe right now is not the best time to talk about it.\" I offered.\u0026nbsp; \"Regardless of what the reason is, I'm not giving her up.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Even after hurting you?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It was an accident.\" I said softly.\u0026nbsp; \"Nothing more and nothing less.\u0026nbsp; I'm fine anyway.\u0026nbsp; It's not like part of me was ripped off.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Lift her up for a second.\" Joy said.\u0026nbsp; I did as was asked as she pulled out the towel from my lap.\u0026nbsp; \"You've been getting the bed all bloody.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShit.\u0026nbsp; \"I'll take another room or something, so you don't-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't worry about it.\" she said, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; \"This might sting a little.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore I could ask what she meant by that, my left side felt like it was on fire.\u0026nbsp; It was quickly joined by my right.\u0026nbsp; A hiss escaped my mouth, trying to keep my voice under control.\u0026nbsp; My body shivered a little bit due to the stinging, but it took a moment for the sensation to finally stop.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The bandages had alcohol on them.\" she explained after the fact.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You don't say.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"At least the wounds should close up.\u0026nbsp; Also, you'd probably get sick if they were exposed all night.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm pretty I wouldn't be sleeping if they were open all night.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy smiled at me.\u0026nbsp; \"Can't believe we're talking so casually about it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It was an accident.\u0026nbsp; We took care of it, and that's that.\u0026nbsp; While it was painful, it isn't something that's unknown to me.\u0026nbsp; I've had my fair share of cuts and bruises before.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm sure that Song can tell me all about those.\" Joys said with a grin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shrugged.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe.\u0026nbsp; Xola was the cause of a few, so she has the eyewitness experience.\u0026nbsp; Song will just tell you about what she's seen after I come hobbling over to her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hobbling?\" Joy asked.\u0026nbsp; \"What, did you twist your ankle or something?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shrugged.\u0026nbsp; \"I've broken a leg or two before.\" I answered.\u0026nbsp; \"Miracle of modern medicine has me still kicking.\u0026nbsp; Literally.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"Jeez.\u0026nbsp; That's crazy.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You could ask the Solaceon Nurse Joy if you'd like.\u0026nbsp; She treated me in more than one occasion.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Your parents must wonder how you lived half the time.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"Half the injuries I ever got were when I was with them on digs.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJoy shook her head before leaning against me.\u0026nbsp; \"Try to stay safe from now on, alright?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't try to find dangerous things.\u0026nbsp; If I had my way of it, all of this could have never happened.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; I tightened my grip around Aurora before continuing.\u0026nbsp; \"But then again, I would have never met you, or Aurora, or Jon.\u0026nbsp; Maybe it'll all make sense soon, but I'm glad that I've met you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe lapsed into silence, Joy leaning on my shoulder and Aurora resting gently.\u0026nbsp; It was likely that the Weavile was asleep right now.\u0026nbsp; It was more likely that Joy used some kind of sedative.\u0026nbsp; While I wasn't entirely sure it was necessary, the deed was done already.\u0026nbsp; A sigh escaped me, struggling to wrap my head around what I expected to happen.\u0026nbsp; What are we expecting?\u0026nbsp; For Ho-Oh and Lugia to show up the day that we go to the tower?\u0026nbsp; The idea sounded stupid in my head, let alone expecting something like that.\u0026nbsp; Hopefully we can just learn more of what's going on.\u0026nbsp; Or at least be able to understand what would cause all this to happen in the first place.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=======================/////////////////////////========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was awoken by something sharp poking my belly.\u0026nbsp; It startled me, but most of my body was restrained in some way.\u0026nbsp; To my right was Joy, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around my body.\u0026nbsp; That explains that, but what poked me?\u0026nbsp; The sensation happened again, a little gentler than the first time.\u0026nbsp; I looked down to see Aurora looking up to me, her left claw poking at my side.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI smiled, rubbing her back gently.\u0026nbsp; She shook her head from side to side, before poking me again.\u0026nbsp; What did she want?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You don't have to apologize.\" I whispered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe poked me again, muttering something to herself.\u0026nbsp; While I couldn't understand what she was saying, I hoped that it wasn't self-degrading.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just so we're clear, you're not going anywhere.\" I pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"Unless you want to leave.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head again, lifting her head up and opening her mouth.\u0026nbsp; Before she could say anything out loud, I pressed a finger against her lips.\u0026nbsp; Her breath, just like her body, was cold against my skin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You don't have to say anything.\" I said with a smile.\u0026nbsp; \"There's nothing wrong with you.\u0026nbsp; You're not going anywhere from here, alright?\u0026nbsp; Though I have to remember to let you around more often.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer claws grabbed hold of my arm, refusing to let go when I tried to shake them off gently.\u0026nbsp; Aurora shook her head, her hold tightening on my skin.\u0026nbsp; I could feel the claws beginning to cut into my skin.\u0026nbsp; She started shaking again.\u0026nbsp; Trying to keep her calm, my fingers reached to touch her.\u0026nbsp; I was thankful that she relented, and slowly began calming down again.\u0026nbsp; Aurora rested her head against my chest as my hands held her against me.\u0026nbsp; My left hand held her head gently, trying not to ruffle her crest too much while my right was against her back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could feel Aurora relax, her claws resting on her sides and hanging limp.\u0026nbsp; Her breathing was relaxed against my skin, which sent a shiver up my spine.\u0026nbsp; Joy's soft laughter made me sit up straight.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're good.\" she whispered.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't really know of anyone that wouldn't have freaked out after they heard those words.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'll have to look at her file before we leave in the morning.\" I said softly, rubbing Aurora's back.\u0026nbsp; \"Just so I know how to handle her better.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Slowly but surely.\" Joy said, nodding on my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; \"What time is it?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not sure.\u0026nbsp; I don't think its morning yet.\u0026nbsp; My Pokédex isn't ringing and Jon isn't beating our door down.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wake me up when something happens.\" she said before taking a deep breath and falling silent.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stayed awake for a little while longer, enjoying the moment.\u0026nbsp; My eyes felt tired after a few minutes of this, though.\u0026nbsp; Even after closing them, my mind stayed active.\u0026nbsp; Most of my worries came from what would happen tomorrow.\u0026nbsp; I gently pushed them back, telling myself that it's something that's out of my control at the moment.\u0026nbsp; I sighed, resting my head against Joy's and slowly following her example.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=========================///////////////////////========================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAurora was on my shoulder as I read her file.\u0026nbsp; Joy was still asleep, but it was still early in the morning.\u0026nbsp; My Weavile was somewhere in between awake and resting.\u0026nbsp; She moved around every so often, but wasn't very animated.\u0026nbsp; Maybe she still felt bad about what happened last night.\u0026nbsp; Every time I touched her back, her purring almost lulled me into a stupor.\u0026nbsp; It rumbled her body enough to make my head feel numb.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs I looked at her profile, it was obvious that she had trust issues.\u0026nbsp; From the instances where doctors and volunteers were injured to damaged equipment.\u0026nbsp; I was already aware of that, so what's this about PTSD?\u0026nbsp; Going through the paperwork, it was startling to see that there was no mention of such diagnosed condition.\u0026nbsp; Did Joy do some research without my knowledge, or is she just calling it on the fly?\u0026nbsp; Getting the answer from Aurora could prove either fruitful or disastrous.\u0026nbsp; I don't want her to feel like I'm prodding too much, especially if she has gone through some traumatic experience.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sun was still trying to come up in the morning.\u0026nbsp; I did wake up before my Pokédex rang, so Joy was getting a little bit of more sleep than I was.\u0026nbsp; Probably for the best.\u0026nbsp; When I woke up this morning, she didn't even move.\u0026nbsp; Her arms and legs were wrapped around me possessively.\u0026nbsp; Somehow Aurora had gotten away from Joy's grasp, but it was probably for the best.\u0026nbsp; She had slept on her usual spot on top of my head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI noticed a number on the bottom of one of the pages.\u0026nbsp; Going back inside the Pokémon Center, I quickly spotted Nurse Joy behind her desk.\u0026nbsp; Approaching a little hesitantly, she spoke before anything left my mouth.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you want?\" she asked coldly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Could I use one of your phones, please?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded, pointing behind her with a wave of her hand.\u0026nbsp; \"Knock yourself out.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thanks.\" I said, moving towards the telephones.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThese weren't like the ones in the mall that we used to call my mom and dad.\u0026nbsp; Picking up the receiver and getting the normal dial tone confirmed that they worked.\u0026nbsp; That's all I needed.\u0026nbsp; Punching in the numbers, the familiar sound of a dial tone poured from the speaker next to my ear.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thank you for calling the Breeder's License Bureau.\u0026nbsp; How can we direct your call?\" a feminine voice answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was surprised, to be honest.\u0026nbsp; \"I'd like to speak with Dan please.\u0026nbsp; It's about a certain Weavile that I adopted while I was taking my test there.\u0026nbsp; My name's Aaron.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"One moment, please.\u0026nbsp; I'm not sure if he's in this early in the morning.\u0026nbsp; Could you hold, please?\" the lady asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sure.\" I replied.\u0026nbsp; I was put on hold immediately after saying the words.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSome classical music started to play from the receiver while I waited.\u0026nbsp; It was just getting to the good part when the music stopped playing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aaron?\u0026nbsp; What's up?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hey Dan.\u0026nbsp; I have a question about Weavile.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's up?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are the files you handed me her most recent?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA sigh came from his side.\u0026nbsp; \"No, they're not.\u0026nbsp; I realized it after you had already left for Johto.\u0026nbsp; We still have your Pokédex on file, so we can send you the information to your device if you would like.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes, please.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Did something happen?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There was an accident.\" I said softly.\u0026nbsp; \"I opened her Pokéball and she latched on to me like she was scared or something.\u0026nbsp; After a few moments, I noticed that her claws were digging into my sides.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you alright?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I didn't get hurt too bad.\u0026nbsp; Tell me, does Aurora have some kind of traumatic event happen to her?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Who's Aurora?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The Weavile I adopted.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Right.\u0026nbsp; Anyway, yeah, she has some... issues.\u0026nbsp; Personal issues, mind you.\u0026nbsp; She didn't show this kind of trauma until a few days after being left with us.\u0026nbsp; To be honest, I'm not sure what's wrong with her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Joy thinks it's PTSD.\" I offered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, she doesn't have that.\u0026nbsp; Her previous caretaker was always in contact with us, and I've seen her personally before and after she was handed over.\u0026nbsp; I highly doubt it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Then what do you think it might be?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Trust issues, for one.\u0026nbsp; Over-attachment is another.\" he answered.\u0026nbsp; \"But no PTSD.\u0026nbsp; I wonder why Joy would think of that out of all things.\u0026nbsp; Either case, don't worry too much.\u0026nbsp; Just take care not to get stabbed again.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'll try to keep in touch with you, just in case.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It would be nice.\u0026nbsp; How are things in Johto?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They're nice, I have to admit.\u0026nbsp; Joy wants us to go to Hoenn, so we'll be leaving as soon as we can secure the air travel.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good old Hoenn.\" Dan said wistfully.\u0026nbsp; \"Take lots of pictures.\u0026nbsp; I'm quite sure you've never seen anything like it.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I will.\u0026nbsp; Thanks, Dan.\u0026nbsp; Have a good day.\" I said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You too.\" he responded before he hung up.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI placed the receiver back in its cradle, my mind running with what Dan just said.\u0026nbsp; At least there isn't some traumatic experience.\u0026nbsp; At least one that isn't as traumatic as what Joy thought.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps when Dan sends me the data on Aurora will this get cleared out?\u0026nbsp; Hopefully it isn't something like what Spirit or Mist had to go through.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy Pokédex made a pinging sound, startling me with the sudden input.\u0026nbsp; Pulling it out of my pocket, I opened it up to see that it was receiving something.\u0026nbsp; Probably that document Dan was talking about.\u0026nbsp; My Pokédex made another pinging sound when it told me that the document was here.\u0026nbsp; That was faster than I thought it would be.\u0026nbsp; Still need to sit down one day to figure out how to work this darn thing.\u0026nbsp; With all the commotion going on, I don't even know half the features that I've read about!\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA hand pressed my shoulder, accompanied by a soft hiss.\u0026nbsp; Turning around slowly, Nurse Joy was standing over me.\u0026nbsp; At first, it looked like she was angry.\u0026nbsp; It took me a moment to notice that she was more worried than anything.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you alright?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Is my Weavile still asleep?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, she's still passed out.\u0026nbsp; You didn't answer my question.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm alright.\u0026nbsp; Just trying to get my head around things is all.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sounds like you have a lot to think about.\" she said.\u0026nbsp; \"Are you alright, though?\u0026nbsp; My sister did say that you were injured.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm fine.\u0026nbsp; After Joy patched me up, everything ended up better than expected.\u0026nbsp; Thank you for asking.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I want to apologize for yelling at you when you arrived.\" she continued.\u0026nbsp; \"I don't tend to do very well with guys dating or going out with one of my sisters.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh yeah, that little stunt.\u0026nbsp; \"We just started really considering starting a relationship.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"It was her idea, to be honest.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNurse Joy smiled, nodding.\u0026nbsp; It was true enough, so I don't think this will backfire too much when Joy finds out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, how do you stand her?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Excuse me?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"My sister.\u0026nbsp; How do you put up with her?\" Nurse Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI silently stood up, making sure that Aurora was safe and still sleeping.\u0026nbsp; My thoughts quickly turned to what was asked of me.\u0026nbsp; Feelings and memories were quickly recalled, from helping me and Jon through Mount Coronet when we first met, to the most recent things we've been through.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She puts up with my crap just as much as I do with her.\" I said with a smile.\u0026nbsp; \"We end up getting along more often than we fight, though.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And how often do you fight?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nCome to think about it, when have we actually gotten to a heated argument?\u0026nbsp; \"We haven't actually fought.\" I said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=========================/////////////////////////======================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNow that we were finally inside the Bell Tower, I could see why there were so many visitors.\u0026nbsp; The gentle smell of incense distracted me and dulled my senses.\u0026nbsp; Song and Aurora were the ones with me at the moment.\u0026nbsp; Jon got the brilliant idea of covering more ground by splitting up and gathering what we've found in a few hours.\u0026nbsp; My protests fell on deaf ears, as they argued that none of our assaulters has attacked in broad daylight and to endanger other lives.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI still didn't like it.\u0026nbsp; It's not like that would really stop them, right?\u0026nbsp; A few more casualties shouldn't stop them from getting what they wanted.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stopped moving forward, my body being pushed against the wall.\u0026nbsp; Blinking my eyes in confusion, it wasn't until a few people looked surprised at me that made me a little self-conscious.\u0026nbsp; Song shook her head, waving everyone ahead.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There's nothing to see here, you idiots.\" she muttered.\u0026nbsp; I was extremely thankful that no one else had Pokémon out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was pretty sure that no one wanted to argue with her, especially with the look she had on her face.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, no one dared question the Gardevoir's actions.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps it didn't help that Aurora was doing something.\u0026nbsp; She wasn't sitting still on top of my head, that's for sure.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Weavile?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master wasn't paying attention.\" Song said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Trying to think.\" I muttered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"More like trying to think of an excuse why nothing has happened.\" she said, poking a finger into my chest.\u0026nbsp; \"Relax for once.\u0026nbsp; You're going to punish yourself with sleepless nights if you don't.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'll stay sleepless regardless.\" I said, guarding myself from her inquisitive finger.\u0026nbsp; \"Besides, I think we're here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe doors opened to an outside balcony.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't sure how high we were, but we were pretty high.\u0026nbsp; I lost count of the floors past the fifteenth.\u0026nbsp; A cold breeze blew, making me shiver slightly.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps following Joy's suggestion today about wearing a jacket would have been a good idea.\u0026nbsp; It was a beautiful day outside.\u0026nbsp; A few clouds dotted the sky, but it was mostly a bright and sunny day.\u0026nbsp; A few bird Pokémon flew by, a Pidgeotto and a few Pidgey following after it.\u0026nbsp; The area around us was currently empty.\u0026nbsp; The only company other than my Pokémon was the solitary trash.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed as I walked forward towards the stone railing.\u0026nbsp; Leaning against it, the sight was something to remember.\u0026nbsp; Maybe I should take a picture?\u0026nbsp; A mechanical sound made me turn around, seeing Song with my Pokédex in her hands.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I 'heard' what you thought.\" she said with a smile.\u0026nbsp; \"A good thing I'm taller than you, isn't it?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI chuckled at that.\u0026nbsp; \"Probably for the best.\u0026nbsp; Would you mind taking a few more?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe giggled, but nodded.\u0026nbsp; Song leaned against my back as Aurora moved to accommodate the large Gardevoir.\u0026nbsp; Aurora must have said something because Song started laughing gently.\u0026nbsp; It remained a mystery, as Song didn't respond back.\u0026nbsp; A few more clicking sounds came from above as I relaxed.\u0026nbsp; If anything, this let us unwind from everything that's happened recently.\u0026nbsp; More of my Pokémon would be out here, but the monks here were ready to kick me out that I broke their 'one Pokémon' rule.\u0026nbsp; Because apparently Aurora just takes so much space in the hallways that she would block people walking by.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There.\u0026nbsp; That should be good to send to your parents, right?\" Song asked, passing the Pokédex down to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grasped the Pokédex, seeing the pictures she took.\u0026nbsp; A grin spread across my face when I noticed the last one was of the three of us.\u0026nbsp; I totally didn't know what was going on and it was easy to see from the picture.\u0026nbsp; Aurora had squeezed in at the last moment into the picture it seemed.\u0026nbsp; There was a bit of a motion blur in the picture.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thanks.\" I said with a smile.\u0026nbsp; \"They're perfect.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI felt Song's hands roam across my chest as her head rested on top of mine.\u0026nbsp; The shard on her chest poked at my back but it wasn't too bothersome.\u0026nbsp; A soft hymn came from Song, making my eyes go wide.\u0026nbsp; It was a simple melody, but it was one of the first that I 'taught' her.\u0026nbsp; Her fingers gripped my shirt, as if somehow I was escaping her grasp.\u0026nbsp; It was a slow humming, which was an adaptation of the actual song.\u0026nbsp; Either way she continued, holding me tightly against her as she sang her melody into me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt felt like what was happening to me was separate from everything else.\u0026nbsp; The only thing that mattered was the soft melody reverberating through me and the feeling of her body against mine.\u0026nbsp; Aurora's claws would occasionally make me shift in place, but nothing distracted me or Song.\u0026nbsp; The humming shifted a little bit, the pace picking up as she switched to another melody.\u0026nbsp; She slowly pulled away, a shiver running up my spine as her warmth left my back.\u0026nbsp; I slowly turned towards her, slowly noticing that she was holding my right arm in her hands.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Please?\"_ she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo be honest, dancing in public has never been a calling of mine.\u0026nbsp; But to say no right now... I think it's time to swallow that fear.\u0026nbsp; I approached her slowly, our free hands meeting halfway before she slid inside my arms.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't the first time that I marveled at how tall she was.\u0026nbsp; Easily standing a foot above me, she was taller than most of her kind.\u0026nbsp; I still remember when she was so embarrassed about being taller than I was.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI wouldn't call it dancing, what we were doing.\u0026nbsp; Though, perhaps this is all she wanted to do.\u0026nbsp; Either way, she held me tightly against her.\u0026nbsp; The prominent shard on her chest rested on my right cheek as she held me against her chest.\u0026nbsp; She kept humming all the while almost without a reason.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI wasn't sure how long we stayed like that.\u0026nbsp; At one point the humming stopped but Song didn't let go.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't until Aurora said her name loudly did Song let me go.\u0026nbsp; The red on her face told me that Aurora was saying something embarrassing.\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, not only at what was going around me, but to shake off the fuzzy feeling that surrounded me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Master!\u0026nbsp; Please tell her that what I did wasn't sexual!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tell her!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh Arceus.\u0026nbsp; I shook my head, holding up a hand to stave off any further talking while I got my bearings again.\u0026nbsp; After taking a few deep breaths, it felt like my mind was in working order again.\u0026nbsp; Aurora was standing on the ground with her arms crossed looking at us rather accusingly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why would you think anything like that was going on?\" I asked, phrasing myself carefully.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAurora proceeded to speak loudly, pointing at the two of us.\u0026nbsp; Song's face was bright red when the Weavile was done speaking.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well?\" I asked the Gardevoir.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's nothing.\" she said.\n\n\"I'm pretty sure that Aurora will disagree with you there.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong played with her fingers for a moment before answering.\u0026nbsp; \"She was saying that I was... getting aroused.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh.\u0026nbsp; \"Well... are you?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"More than I'd care to admit.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Would you like to return to your Pokéball?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded swiftly.\u0026nbsp; \"Let me out as soon as we can be in private.\u0026nbsp; I promise I'll be fine by then.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded, pulling out her Pokéball and recalling her.\u0026nbsp; Not entirely sure I should feel nervous or excited about what she just said.\u0026nbsp; Either way, Aurora jumped into my arms.\u0026nbsp; She stared at me for a moment, before snorting and looking away.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe pointed down.\u0026nbsp; I looked, seeing that I was not proper for my own good.\u0026nbsp; Turning to face the railing once more, I forced myself to think of anything else.\u0026nbsp; Aurora's laughter didn't particularly help me calm down.\u0026nbsp; It was only by luck that no one saw us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe doors flew open behind us, making me jump slightly.\u0026nbsp; Turning around, a few dozen monks ran past us quickly.\u0026nbsp; Aurora quickly pointed towards them, looking at me with a questioning gaze.\u0026nbsp; She wanted me to follow them?\u0026nbsp; I shrugged, but she pointed at the monks again with a bit more force than before.\u0026nbsp; Giving myself another check to make sure I was not inappropriate, I gave chase.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI imagined that the balcony just surrounded this top floor and that I would be at the beginning.\u0026nbsp; That wasn't the case.\u0026nbsp; A large open stairway was at the back, leading higher up the tower.\u0026nbsp; I could see a few monks climbing the stairs and reaching another level above.\u0026nbsp; Aurora pointed up the stairs with one claw, the other poking me in the back to encourage me.\u0026nbsp; Sighing, I climbed the stairs.\u0026nbsp; It really didn't seem like a good idea.\u0026nbsp; It was either this or risk having her run on her own.\u0026nbsp; Though this wasn't getting any favors from me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe reached the top of the stairs, all the monks on the floor surrounding a statue of a giant bird Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; It was in the same design of the ones on the lower floors, but done in a much larger scale.\u0026nbsp; The wing feathers were of a bold red with either the tips being white and green, or there was a secondary set of feathers.\u0026nbsp; It had a distinctive beak and crown on top of the head.\u0026nbsp; It also had numerous tail feathers, gold in color and opened like a giant hand fan.\u0026nbsp; I stepped forward, my footstep making a few monks next to me to look at me.\u0026nbsp; A gasp from a few of them made the rest turn around to face me.\u0026nbsp; One was about to open their mouth when the entire statue of the bird caught on _fire_.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAurora hid in my arms to avoid the heat radiating from the flames.\u0026nbsp; I took a step back, trying to shield my eyes from the heat and light. \u0026nbsp;It was hard to tell what was going on around me.\u0026nbsp; The fire seemed to grow by itself, reaching out towards me.\u0026nbsp; A part of me wanted to run, and it seemed to be the sensible approach to the situation.\u0026nbsp; Turning to go back downstairs made the fire surge around me, blocking my path instantly.\u0026nbsp; It felt like my skin was on fire, and this couldn't be good for Aurora.\u0026nbsp; While making sure Aurora was still safe with my left hand, my free hand grabbed Spirit's Pokéball.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs I was about to release it, something made its presence known with a loud screech.\u0026nbsp; Turning around to face the source of the flame, it looked like a gigantic bird of flame stood in place of the statue.\u0026nbsp; The sound of stone cracking was loud due to the fire around us not making any kind of noise.\u0026nbsp; The flames retreated from around us before gathering back to the statue.\u0026nbsp; After a few moments, the flames shot upwards as if leaving a shell.\u0026nbsp; The light was too bright to look at directly, and my eyes hurt even as I shielded them.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI wasn't sure how long I stayed there.\u0026nbsp; I was lifted up forcefully to my feet by my arms.\u0026nbsp; Two of the monks dragged me in front of another.\u0026nbsp; No one spoke as a golden feather was presented to me.\u0026nbsp; I blinked, confused at what was being presented to me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Take it.\" the man in front of me said.\u0026nbsp; \"Be reminded.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI took the feather gently from his outstretched hand.\u0026nbsp; A strong warmth came from it, as if it there was a flame hidden inside the golden feather.\u0026nbsp; When I looked up, no one was standing around me.\u0026nbsp; Did that just really happen?\u0026nbsp; Turning back towards the statue, what greeted me were the remains of it.\u0026nbsp; Whatever just happened couldn't have been good.\u0026nbsp; I stood up, making sure that Aurora and the feather were held securely.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhatever just happened, it looked like Ho-Oh knows about me now. \u0026nbsp;Going down the stairs, I stood next to the trash can that was next to the exit of the balcony.\u0026nbsp; Something told me that getting rid of this would probably save me a ton of trouble.\u0026nbsp; My fingers almost let go of it before Aurora grabbed my arms.\u0026nbsp; She shook her head, frowning at me and the feather.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Weavile.\" she simply said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"You think that keeping it is for the best?\"\u0026nbsp; She nodded in response.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFrowning, I held onto the feather for now.\u0026nbsp; At least until we could find out exactly what it all means.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n==========================////////////////////////======================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aaron!\u0026nbsp; Did you see what happened?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe were outside of the Bell Tower now, waiting for Jon to come meet with us.\u0026nbsp; I sighed as I showed her the golden feather.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, I saw what happened alright.\u0026nbsp; Front row.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's with the feather?\" Joy asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"A good question.\" I admitted.\u0026nbsp; \"The statue at the top blew up in flames.\u0026nbsp; When I tried to get away, the fire got in the way, condensed back into the statue and blew up into the sky.\u0026nbsp; Thank Arceus that there wasn't any kind of roof or we would have been screwed.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Me, Aurora, and the monks that were there.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe frowned.\u0026nbsp; \"Do you think Ho-Oh knows?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He or she has to.\" I said, frowning.\u0026nbsp; \"I still have that stupid feather.\u0026nbsp; Whatever happens, they'll know.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you think it means?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJon came in before I could answer, waving at us as he pushed through the crowd.\u0026nbsp; \"Did you see what happened at the roof of the tower?\" he asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe stared at him as I held up the golden feather.\u0026nbsp; His face fell.\u0026nbsp; \"Oh.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, Aaron was just done telling me he was there when it happened.\" Joy said, frowning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, don't wave it around.\" Jon said, pushing my hand down.\u0026nbsp; \"We shouldn't even be talking about it out here.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Agreed.\u0026nbsp; When did you say that we leave for Hoenn?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tomorrow morning.\" he said.\u0026nbsp; \"Hopefully we'll meet up with Lance as soon as possible.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's get out of here before we get trampled.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy companions nodded as we got up and headed back to the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; I honestly had no idea what was going on anymore.\u0026nbsp; Wait... did I have an idea what was going on in the first place?\u0026nbsp; Shaking my head, I decided to split off from the group.\u0026nbsp; When questioned, I answered that I needed some air and time to think to myself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhich was pretty much the truth.\u0026nbsp; At least right now anyway.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't much, but at least letting everyone out might help me calm down.\u0026nbsp; Also getting everyone caught up to what just happened today seemed like a good idea.\u0026nbsp; Aurora was still snuggled in my arms.\u0026nbsp; She stirred on occasion, shifting her weight in my hands as I walked.\u0026nbsp; The sun was still high in the sky, so most of the city was bustling with some kind of activity.\u0026nbsp; Definitely not a sleepy town, especially judging by how many people seem to visit the towers and any trainers that are passing by to challenge the gym leaders.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI highly doubt that the gym will be as nice as the Celadon gym.\u0026nbsp; Though finding a park or an open area would be nice.\u0026nbsp; This city seems to be more modernized than any of the others we've visited.\u0026nbsp; There were a lot more people, too.\u0026nbsp; If they were visitors or people that lived here is another question entirely.\u0026nbsp; It certainly didn't look like so many people lived here.\u0026nbsp; Not at first glance, anyway.\u0026nbsp; Maybe there are more buildings than what we saw when we landed?\u0026nbsp; I'm not entirely sure.\u0026nbsp; Or maybe the homes allow for more people to live in them?\u0026nbsp; I shrugged, thinking of these silly ideas as people and buildings passed me by.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt took me enough time to ask someone if there was a park or something to sit at, and they pointed at me towards the right direction.\u0026nbsp; Thanking them for their help, at least now there was a goal in mind.\u0026nbsp; Though getting there had me crossing a few roads and going against the flow of bodies every so often.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, nothing actually happened.\u0026nbsp; Other than the odd temperature differences I felt when Aurora snuggled close to me or I the golden feather decided to heat up at random.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy mind was on the feather when I reached the park.\u0026nbsp; Why would this happen?\u0026nbsp; It wasn't some odd stone in the shape of a feather.\u0026nbsp; It didn't weigh anything, and didn't feel like anything I've ever felt before.\u0026nbsp; It was smooth as some of that expensive cloth, but resilient enough to keep its shape.\u0026nbsp; Was it really a feather from Ho-Oh?\u0026nbsp; And if it was, what was the point of me holding on to it?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI grabbed hold of Mist's Pokéball first.\u0026nbsp; If there was anyone that should know about this first, it was her.\u0026nbsp; Maybe she could offer something more enlightening than me running around in circles inside my thoughts.\u0026nbsp; The Pokéball opened with its traditional sound, revealing the ghost in front of me.\u0026nbsp; She looked as if she was asleep.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps this isn't the best time.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_No, I'm fine.\u0026nbsp; I was just relaxing, is all_.\" Mist said, the Mismagius opening her eyes and yawning.\u0026nbsp; \"_Something troubles you_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't refute that, giving her my experience from what happened at the Bell Tower.\u0026nbsp; Mist didn't ask any questions, just listening to what I had to say.\u0026nbsp; It was a little embarrassing to recall what Song and I went through, but I told her regardless.\u0026nbsp; If there was one person that wouldn't hold anything against me, it was going to be Mist.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter finishing my story, Mist hovered in front of me.\u0026nbsp; \"_Aurora, could you tell me what you saw_?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAurora stirred in my hands, sitting up and nodding slowly.\u0026nbsp; She spoke quietly and hurriedly, as if to get the attention off from her.\u0026nbsp; Her gaze was on her claws, never looking directly at Mist.\u0026nbsp; Whenever she stopped, I would gently remind her that I was still there.\u0026nbsp; Mist hovered in front of us silently.\u0026nbsp; She shook her head after a moment, the gems on her body glowing in a random pattern.\u0026nbsp; The intensity varied but it stopped as quickly as it started.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_May I see this feather, Master_?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI nodded, pulling it out of my left pocket.\u0026nbsp; It was still in pristine condition, just like the moment I got it.\u0026nbsp; She looked at it, hovering around my outstretched hand.\u0026nbsp; Curiosity was all over her face as she inspected it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Interesting_.\" she said.\u0026nbsp; \"_I can feel its warmth, and it has some kind of power attached to it_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can you tell what it is?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"Is it hostile?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"_From what I can tell, no.\u0026nbsp; I don't believe that it is hostile.\u0026nbsp; It may even be aligned to us_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI frowned.\u0026nbsp; \"What good does that do?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe ghost shrugged, a wispy tentacle stretching out towards the feather.\u0026nbsp; As she came in contact with it, a gentle heat came from the feather and our connection.\u0026nbsp; Mist grabbed my arm suddenly.\u0026nbsp; I almost pulled away on reflex, but her hold didn't allow me to do so.\u0026nbsp; It was only when the feather stopped emitting whatever it was that she finally let go of me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Ho-Oh is watching us_.\" she said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you mean?\" I asked worriedly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_As long as you have that feather, they know where we are or will be_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Ho-Oh and whoever they decide to share this information with_.\" she said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, it was probably a good idea that I didn't tell everybody about this just yet.\u0026nbsp; Though it wouldn't be that surprising if somehow one of them found out.\u0026nbsp; Baast and Song can both read my mind.\u0026nbsp; Zin would find out somehow.\u0026nbsp; Spirit would just get worried about how my own well-being.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_You should tell them_.\" Mist said.\u0026nbsp; \"_Also, please put the feather away.\u0026nbsp; It is almost like you are waving a sign to blatantly announce our presence here._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI quickly stuffed the feather back into my pocket.\u0026nbsp; It glowed one last time as I put it away.\u0026nbsp; A warm feeling raced up my arm as it finally stopped touching my skin.\u0026nbsp; It was definitely an odd sensation.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why do you say that?\" I asked.\u0026nbsp; \"I mean, about letting everyone know.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_They will all find out sooner or later_.\" she said, shaking her head.\u0026nbsp; \"_Do you really want to worry Spirit_?\u0026nbsp; _I also truly do not wish to handle a more than ornery Houndoom, either_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe.\u0026nbsp; I still don't know how most of them will handle this new development.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_You seem to forget that we all were recently brought back from the land of death itself._\" Mist pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"_I would think that we are all taking it rather well.\u0026nbsp; Especially me, since I'm already at the border of it._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere's no winning this one, is there?\u0026nbsp; The ghost chuckled.\u0026nbsp; \"_The sooner you realize this, the sooner you preserve your mind._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're not helping, Mist.\" I said, frowning.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA soft tapping got my attention.\u0026nbsp; Turning my focus to it, Aurora was poking her claws at me gently.\u0026nbsp; She whispered a few words and turned away from me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_She wishes to apologize about what happened to you_?\" Mist translated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aurora stabbed me by accident.\" I explained.\u0026nbsp; Mist looked at me strangely.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_By accident_?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes.\u0026nbsp; Trust me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_May I say that you worry me sometimes_?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI smiled at the comment.\u0026nbsp; Turning my attention to Aurora, I gave the Weavile a cuddle.\u0026nbsp; Her claws reached around my neck as she rubbed cheek rubbed against mine.\u0026nbsp; Her cold breath washed over me as she whimpered softly into my ear.\u0026nbsp; This won't do at all.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're already forgiven.\" I whispered.\u0026nbsp; \"Don't hold this against yourself.\u0026nbsp; Where's that playful Weavile I first met?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe didn't respond.\u0026nbsp; \"I should tickle you.\u0026nbsp; Or throw a snowball at you.\u0026nbsp; Maybe that would make you feel better.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could feel her stiffen in my hands.\u0026nbsp; Maybe it was working?\u0026nbsp; Pulling away, a cold wind blew across my face.\u0026nbsp; The temperature drop was enough to make my eyes close due to the stinging sensation.\u0026nbsp; A soft giggle came from Aurora, a sound that I haven't heard often enough.\u0026nbsp; Maybe I'll let everyone know later?\u0026nbsp; Though, Song did want to get out of her Pokéball.\u0026nbsp; Brushing the frost over my face with one of my hands, Aurora climbed on my shoulders.\u0026nbsp; She snuggled against the back of my head and letting out a rather loud purr.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Feeling better?\" I asked, scratching her back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Weavile.\" she whispered.\u0026nbsp; She scratched the top of my heads with her claws.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist hovered next to me, giving me an amused smile.\u0026nbsp; I shook a finger at her.\u0026nbsp; \"Don't even say it.\" I warned her.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_My lips are sealed, Master_.\" she said.\u0026nbsp; \"_But if I ask, what was the purpose of coming here_?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"To try to make sense of anything that's happened to us.\" I said with a frown.\u0026nbsp; \"So far, I've come up with nothing.\u0026nbsp; It's turning easier to cope with what's going on instead of trying to understand them.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_These are powers out of our control and understanding_.\" she pointed out.\u0026nbsp; \"_You need to stop this before you drive yourself insane._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can you blame an inquisitive nature?\" I asked, grabbing hold of Song's Pokéball.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_I could.\u0026nbsp; Though that is one of your better qualities_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.\" I said with a chuckle.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSong materialized from the ball, immediately grabbing hold of me and pressing my face into her chest.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, the red crystal thing on her chest missed my face.\u0026nbsp; It didn't stop her from trying to suffocate me.\u0026nbsp; Aurora voice complained rapidly of my rapidly degenerating posture.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sorry!\" Song exclaimed.\u0026nbsp; A gasp of air filled my lungs.\u0026nbsp; The Gardevoirs arms still held me against her though.\u0026nbsp; I'll take my victories when I get them.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs Song held me, I slowly managed to release everyone out of their Pokéballs.\u0026nbsp; A few looks were passed between some of them, but no one said a word.\u0026nbsp; Smoke was coming off from Zin's nose and mouth as she stared at Song.\u0026nbsp; It only helped make the Gardevoirs hold on me tighten.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_Everyone needs to calm down._\" Mist said.\u0026nbsp; \"_Master has something to say._\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI thanked Mist for her timely intervention and quickly took advantage of the silence.\u0026nbsp; Bringing the feather out, I explained what happened after Song had to go back to her Pokéball.\u0026nbsp; My retelling significantly changed why I did recall her to save her a bit of embarrassment.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So a statue blew up for no reason?\" Zin asked.\u0026nbsp; \"And then a feather just so happens to be there?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It was handed to me.\u0026nbsp; I'm not sure where the feather came from.\" I answered.\u0026nbsp; \"Mist is confident that it is linked to Ho-Oh though.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_How_?\" Baast asked, stepping forward.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_The energies tied to it defy anything in the material realm_.\" Mist said, floating through me to stand in front of the Lucario.\u0026nbsp; \"_The heat that emanates from the feather is something that could burn me, yet it doesn't_.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_That doesn't explain anything, ghost_!\" Baast pointed out.\u0026nbsp; Her paw grabbed hold of the feather, and my entire hand exploded in pain.\u0026nbsp; It felt like if Zin was breathing flames through me.\u0026nbsp; My arms seized up, being held in Baast's grip as pain raced through me.\u0026nbsp; Spirit and Io grabbed hold of Baast and pulled her away from me.\u0026nbsp; Song and Mist pulled on me in the opposite direction.\u0026nbsp; It did the trick, as the pain instantly stopped.\u0026nbsp; The feather fell from my grip straight down to the ground.\u0026nbsp; I expected the grass to catch fire but thankfully nothing happened.\u0026nbsp; The feather pulsed a few more times before the light fading away and returning to normal.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think that shows that this isn't a normal feather, Baast.\" I pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded mutely.\u0026nbsp; No one said anything as I knelt to grab the feather.\u0026nbsp; I touched it with the slight fear that whatever just happened would happen again.\u0026nbsp; Thankfully, nothing happened.\u0026nbsp; Again, the feather pulsed warmly against my skin.\u0026nbsp; How odd.\u0026nbsp; I quickly stuffed the feather inside my pant pocket.\u0026nbsp; Hopefully to not burn anyone or anything until I could find somewhere to store it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Io, do you have any ideas?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shook her head.\u0026nbsp; \"No, sadly.\u0026nbsp; Anything to do with any of the legendary Pokémon is a mystery to me.\u0026nbsp; I have never encountered any of them before meeting you, and truth be told, I do not want to meet any more.\u0026nbsp; I do not wish to be part of the machinations that they seem to have in store for you.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI frowned at the confession.\u0026nbsp; Spirit was nodding, standing next to Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; Akalia quickly followed, standing next to the two large bipeds.\u0026nbsp; Xola also joined them after a moment's hesitation.\u0026nbsp; A bell rung from somewhere in the city.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't entirely sure from where, but it's probably more likely to be from the Bell Tower.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So... you don't want me to continue searching?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We just don't want to see you hurt.\u0026nbsp; We're all worried that this may just end getting you hurt again.\" Iolanthe answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI couldn't honestly blame them.\u0026nbsp; They did die, technically.\u0026nbsp; Zin stepped forward, growling heatedly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You ungrateful Jigglypuffs!\" she shouted out loud.\u0026nbsp; \"You're basically saying that you just want to quit?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhile it wasn't how I would have put it, that is how I was feeling.\u0026nbsp; For how long have they felt this way?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You think that you can walk away from this?\" Zin continued.\u0026nbsp; \"You think it's just that easy?\u0026nbsp; That Master can just turn his back on this and not be hounded down by these Pokémon?\u0026nbsp; Would you prefer to be chased down in your own dens instead?!\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What about that?\u0026nbsp; Would you rather be back in the Sinnoh Pokémon Center, worried sleepless about him right now?\u0026nbsp; Or would you rather be out here, actually helping to keep him safe?\u0026nbsp; You wouldn't even KNOW if he even died!\u0026nbsp; How would you feel then?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAkalia and Xola both didn't look towards Zin.\u0026nbsp; Spirit was glaring down at the Houndoom.\u0026nbsp; It almost looked like she was daring Zin to continue.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Zin, I-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And what about you, overgrown lizard?!\" Zin shouted, her tail pointing towards the Flygon.\u0026nbsp; \"What do YOU have to say for yourself?\u0026nbsp; The one that's taken up Master as almost a son?\u0026nbsp; Huh?\u0026nbsp; What do-\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSpirit let loose a jet of flame towards the Houndoom.\u0026nbsp; Zin didn't bother dodging it, allowing the flames to roll over her.\u0026nbsp; I tried to break away from Song's grip on me, but Baast stopped me from forcing myself away.\u0026nbsp; This wasn't looking to be something that would be resolved quickly either.\u0026nbsp; The flames that were coming from Zin were different from the standard orange flames.\u0026nbsp; From what I could see, the fires were tinged black and blue.\u0026nbsp; Spirit took to the skies, the familiar buzzing of her wings reaching us as she flew up into the air.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Aurora, Mist, I want you two to do damage control.\u0026nbsp; Hopefully things haven't caught on fire yet.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMist nodded as Aurora jumped off my shoulders.\u0026nbsp; I turned my focus to Song.\u0026nbsp; She let me go before the words left my mouth as she turned around and grabbed Iolanthe.\u0026nbsp; \"Come on.\" she said and stepping away from the group.\u0026nbsp; After a few moments, a large bubble shimmered into view.\u0026nbsp; It encapsulated both fighters inside.\u0026nbsp; A burst of flame came from Zin, Spirit dodging the attack.\u0026nbsp; The flames hit the bubble but didn't pierce through.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWell, to be honest this wasn't what I had hoped for, but it was something.\u0026nbsp; \"Baast, is there anything that you can do?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"_This isn't what I was expecting from her_.\" she said softly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Join the club.\u0026nbsp; If you think of something, let me know.\" I said, nodding towards her.\u0026nbsp; She nodded back, her gaze turning towards Zin and Spirit.\u0026nbsp; Xola and Akalia both looked like they would rather be any place other than here right now.\u0026nbsp; I sighed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Look... we can talk about this after we get those two calmed down first.\" I said.\u0026nbsp; \"That's first priority.\u0026nbsp; We can't have these two going crazy in town.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey both nodded slowly.\u0026nbsp; The odds that either of them would come up with something were small, but it was still an odd chance that it would work.\u0026nbsp; Turning towards the two that were fighting it was relieving to see that they were limiting themselves to just throwing projectiles around.\u0026nbsp; It could be worse.\u0026nbsp; Zin tends to prefer melee, and I'm not entirely sure how Spirit will be able to handle that.\u0026nbsp; Though there was that moment when she shot whatever it was at Darkrai that one time.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nZin unleashed another Flamethrower up towards Spirit, who dodged towards her left and dove straight down.\u0026nbsp; Zin instantly stopped throwing fire and adjusted herself.\u0026nbsp; The Houndoom jumped upwards, meeting the Flygon in the air.\u0026nbsp; They both tumbled into the ground hard, grass and dirt flying upwards.\u0026nbsp; Well, maybe the direct route was easier?\u0026nbsp; I grabbed hold of both of their Pokéballs, hoping to get them inside their devices before more public property got damaged.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nGetting Zin's Pokéball first, I made my first attempt.\u0026nbsp; To my surprise, the beam actually hit the intended target.\u0026nbsp; It even recalled her back inside the ball.\u0026nbsp; Though somehow it was struggling to keep her inside.\u0026nbsp; The ball opened on its own, the Houndoom growling as she ran back towards Spirit.\u0026nbsp; Before she could reach her, I tried recalling Spirit inside of her ball.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe beam hit Spirit as Zin as jumping towards the Flygon.\u0026nbsp; Though it was amusing in an odd sort of way to see her miss entirely, the ball itself was shaking in my hands when Spirit was fully recalled.\u0026nbsp; After a few moments the ball stopped moving in my hands.\u0026nbsp; I sighed in relief.\u0026nbsp; When I went to put the ball on my belt, it opened by its own.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Spirit, stop!\" I yelled, standing in front of her.\u0026nbsp; While her eyes were looking at me, it was pretty obvious that it wasn't me that she was seeing.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nGrabbing her face, I made her eyes focus on mine.\u0026nbsp; \"Calm down.\u0026nbsp; Please calm down, Spirit!\u0026nbsp; You don't have to fight anymore, OK?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was a gambit that I was afraid to play.\u0026nbsp; I've never seen her so angry other than when we fought Darkrai.\u0026nbsp; Spirit stood in front of me, unmoving and unwavering.\u0026nbsp; It was scaring me.\u0026nbsp; Her fangs were biting into her lower lips.\u0026nbsp; A trickle of blood oozed out from biting too hard I suppose.\u0026nbsp; Her wings twitched in reflex.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't entirely sure what Zin was doing behind my back.\u0026nbsp; Perhaps she was reacting to that.\u0026nbsp; Spirit's jaw slowly lost its tension after staring at each other for a good minute or two.\u0026nbsp; Her body dropped on top of me.\u0026nbsp; I was thankful that Baast was quick to react.\u0026nbsp; Between the two of us, we managed to get her to the ground safely.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI turned to see Zin growling at Spirit.\u0026nbsp; Walking towards her, the first instinct that had to be pushed down was to hit her across her muzzle.\u0026nbsp; That wasn't going to make thing any better.\u0026nbsp; Especially if anyone saw what went on between the two.\u0026nbsp; The Houndoom took a step back when I approached, but didn't turn away as I looked down at her.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you calm now, too?\" I asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No.\" she answered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, we'll have to talk about this.\u0026nbsp; Not now, though.\u0026nbsp; We're leaving for Hoenn tomorrow, and between all that's going on it might take some time before we talk.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe growled.\u0026nbsp; \"Yes, Master.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't think that you're getting off easy.\" I warned her.\u0026nbsp; \"We're supposed to be a team.\u0026nbsp; Antagonizing each other doesn't help right now.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But she wants to leave!\" she screamed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head.\u0026nbsp; \"Does she?\u0026nbsp; Have you talked to her?\u0026nbsp; Do you know exactly what she's thinking, Zin?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen she didn't respond, the answer was obvious.\u0026nbsp; I sighed, shaking my head.\u0026nbsp; \"We'll talk about this.\u0026nbsp; For now, you're going back inside your Pokéball.\u0026nbsp; We'll see about talking when we land in Hoenn.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe opened her mouth to complain, but I stared her down.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm not budging from this, Zin.\" I warned her.\u0026nbsp; \"You've made your move.\u0026nbsp; I have to protect my friends, too.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe look on her face would be comical if the situation wasn't so serious.\u0026nbsp; Either way, I raised her Pokéball and pointed it towards her.\u0026nbsp; She didn't resist this time as she was recalled.\u0026nbsp; I did the same for Spirit, securing both of their Pokéballs on my belt.\u0026nbsp; Mist and Aurora came back, both reporting that they didn't spot any other kind of damage.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good.\u0026nbsp; At least we got away with that one.\" I muttered.\u0026nbsp; \"Let's get back to the Pokémon Center.\u0026nbsp; We're leaving tomorrow, so no funny business.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n====================////////////////////////============================\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy stomach twisted and churned as I sat in the bed that was my room.\u0026nbsp; It was a similar design of the airplane from when we traveled here from Sinnoh.\u0026nbsp; Either way, I was glad to be by myself.\u0026nbsp; Joy still found it amusing that I wasn't able to stomach flying in an airplane, and Jon wasn't going to sit in my room again to get threatened by my Pokémon.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt wasn't like I asked for that to happen.\u0026nbsp; Though in hindsight, maybe I did.\u0026nbsp; This is Zin that is up to discussion.\u0026nbsp; Song was with me this time, making sure I didn't lose my mind as we took off and climbed in elevation.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you alright?\" she asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shook my head, drinking water and eating a saltine cracker.\u0026nbsp; \"Not particularly.\" I said after a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"It feels like my stomach is rebelling.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe smiled as she leaned on my shoulder.\u0026nbsp; It was only a matter of time now before she suggested what I feared she would.\u0026nbsp; Though it looked like she understood the need to pace the event from happening.\u0026nbsp; The plane itself was still climbing, after all.\u0026nbsp; Also, Jon wasn't able to secure us cabins next to each other like last time.\u0026nbsp; Jon was like two doors down from me, while Joy was about three or four.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't entirely sure.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill it helped with coping with things.\u0026nbsp; She was humming again, and the sound was helping me stay at ease.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's funny how a little tone can make you do anything I want you to.\" she said with a giggle.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't hear you complain too much.\" I pointed out.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And you only have yourself to blame!\" she said with a laugh.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, that is true, that I got you to sing.\" I mused.\u0026nbsp; \"Still don't know why it has such a strong effect on me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe you just enjoy a good melody?\" she suggested.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe I enjoy just being with you?\" I suggested with a grin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you start saying things like that, you may get something you didn't look for.\" she said, sitting on my lap facing me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are you that horny?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Ever since we separated.\" she said, leaning down to speak into my ear.\u0026nbsp; \"Since you took me to dance it's been on my mind.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I shouldn't keep a lady waiting, shouldn't I?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, you really shouldn't.\"\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"A Trainer\\'s Tale","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/419543-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-32.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/492768-a-trainer-s-tale-chapter-34.json"}}