FSE

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Note: This takes place roughly six months after Ian, Latias, and Gardevoir leave Altomare to travel to Littleroot Town, the first stop in their journey to honor Lucas. Please read, review, and enjoy! :3 and without further ado, let the journey begin...

I walked slowly along Route 101 in my human form, traveling towards Littleroot Town, my hometown in the Hoenn Region. Latias walked to my right in her human form, Gardevoir to my left as we trudged tiredly down the well-worn path winding through the forest from Oldale Town to Littleroot, the setting sun bathing everything a lurid red color. Six months of traveling, and I was almost home. My thoughts turned towards my parents, wondering if they would be able to accept me now, and if they would still love me as their son. As I thought about my parents, I felt guilt spring into my thoughts; I hadn't even called them, not once, in the past two and a half years. They were probably worried sick! I sighed quietly to myself. Latias and I could've flown to Littleroot in just a couple of weeks, but Gardevoir was unable to fly, so we had to walk. Not that I minded; before Latios had given me his powers I had to walk everywhere anyway. I smiled to myself as I looked at Latias, thinking about everything that had taken place since I first left on my Pokémon journey.

We rounded the final bend in the path, and I stopped dead in my tracks. The town had changed quite a bit since I had left to begin my journey! Instead of just Lucas and my own houses and Professor Birch's Pokémon Lab, there were now several cottages spread throughout the clearing, which had been enlarged quite a bit to accommodate all of the expansion. My house was now three stories tall with a second floor balcony that ran all the way around the house, the railing made of iron and intricately designed to look like climbing ivy. Lucas' house looked much the same as mine now did, except the railing on the second floor balcony was designed to look like Rapidashes in full gallop.

Is this were you grew up, love? Latias asked curiously, and I nodded.

"Yep. It's expanded quite a bit since I left though... See that three story house on the right? The one with the balcony railing that looks like climbing ivy? That's my old house." I said, and she looked at it curiously. "It wasn't always three stories, and it definitely didn't have a balcony when I left," I laughed happily, "I guess my parents used the opportunity to remodel a little. I like it." I smiled as Latias looked at me.

Why don't we go pay them a visit? she asked, and I smiled even wider.

"Of course! But... I'm a little worried, I have to admit...," I trailed off as my grin slipped away to be replaced by worry, "I can't help but wonder if they will accept me the way I am now, or if they'll still love me as their son... Or if they will accept you... I won't know what to do if they can't accept us... I can't just not tell them either; they're my parents..." I trailed off as Latias hugged me tightly.

They're your parents. They will love you no matter how different you are now, and I'm sure they will understand about us. she said, and I smiled and kissed her softly.

"Thanks love. That made me feel so much better." I said as I straightened and smiled at Gardevoir, who was watching us with a rather bemused expression. "What?" I asked, and she smiled.

Oh, nothing. she said, and no matter how hard I tried she wouldn't say another word. We'd better get to your parents house before it gets too dark Ian. was all she said, and I sighed. Gardevoir could be more stubborn than a Rhyhorn when she wanted to be. As the sun sank slowly beyond the horizon and the lurid red color started to fade to the black of evening, I walked with Latias and Gardevoir through the town to my house and knocked on the door, my nervousness returning as I waited for my parents to answer the door. Several moments passed, and I was just about to knock again when the door opened to reveal my mom, Carolin Moone. She was shorter than me, roughly five feet six inches, had shoulder length brown hair, and green eyes.

"Yes, who is-- Ian! You're home!" she yelled happily before she enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hi mom, nice to see you again too," I gasped out as she squeezed me tightly. "Sorry I haven't even called in two and a half years..." I apologized, and she let me go, holding my shoulders as she looked me up and down.

"It's okay honey. We understand." she said happily. I smiled in relief, and she let me go as she saw Latias standing shyly behind me, and Gardevoir as well.

"Who's this?" my mother asked as she pointed at Latias, causing her to blush.

"We'll have to explain inside." I replied evasively, and my mother gave me the you're-going-to-tell-me-whether-you-want-to-or-not look, and I chuckled. "I am going to explain, but not out here." I said, and she nodded acceptance as she studied Gardevoir closely.

"Wait... Gardevoir, is that you?" my mom asked in surprise, and Gardevoir nodded.

It's good to see you again Mrs. Moone. she said, and my mom just stared.

"We... thought you had... you know, killed yourself..." my mom said slowly, and Gardevoir nodded slightly.

I tried to. It's one of the things Ian will explain. Gardevoir said, and my mom snapped out of her shock.

"Yes, of course. Well, come in! We were just getting ready for dinner." she said, and I smiled as my stomach growled at the thought of eating my mothers' amazing cooking once more. She led us into the house, and I closed the door behind us as we followed her through the house to the kitchen, which was located on the far left side of the first floor. As we walked into the kitchen, my father, Daniel Moone, looked up from where he was sitting at the table and smiled as he saw us. He was roughly six feet three inches, had short, spiky brown hair, and blue eyes.

"Ian, you're home! It's been awhile!" he said, his powerful voice welcoming. I went over and gave him a hug.

"Sorry I haven't even called in two years." I apologized for the second time, and my father simply chuckled.

"Don't worry about it, I remember what it was like when I went on my own journey as a Trainer. Who's this?" he asked as he noticed Latias, just like my mother had. I looked at her as well, and she nodded, knowing I wanted to go ahead and get it over with.

"Well... before we eat, I guess I should explain a lot of things..." I said hesitantly, and my parents instantly picked up on my tone.

"Honey, is something wrong?" my mother asked in concern as she sat next to my father at the table.

"No, I... I'm just not sure how you're going to react to this..." I sighed, and they glanced at each other worriedly. "I kinda... like Pokémon... instead of humans..." I said slowly, and their worried expressions were slowly replaced with knowing smiles.

"Son, we've known that for years." my father said, laughing a little, and I felt my face burn. How had they known?

"How..." I started to ask, and my mother interrupted me.

"We just know you that well. And we saw you once when you were... with, one of your Pokémon, I think it was Flareon. We never said anything because she always seemed so happy and okay with it afterwards. Plus, we're that way too, you know. We kinda figured you would be too." she said with a wink, and I felt my face burn even more. They had seen me when I was having sex with one of my Pokémon?! Oh Arceus... I glanced at Latias and saw her hiding a smile with her hand as she laughed at how embarrassed I had become.

"A-anyway, that's the first bit of the explanation...," I stammered as I tried to find my train of thought again, "The second bit is directly because of that." I said as I nodded to Latias and she walked over to stand beside me. "This is my mate, Latias." I said, and Latias' body shimmered as she changed forms, becoming her red-and-white furred jet-like true form. I looked at my parents reactions, and laughed. They were shocked, and rightly so.

"Your... Mate?" my mother said slowly, and I nodded.

"That's why I haven't called in two and a half years." I said, and my parents nodded slowly.

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Moone. It's nice to meet the parents of my mate. Latias said telepathically to my parents, and they jumped in surprise.

"I-it's nice to meet you too, Latias..." they replied.

"You're... mated to a Legendary Pokémon?" my father said incredulously, and I nodded.

"I love her above all else." I replied simply. "And now, for the final part of my explanation..." I trailed off as my body shimmered, reshaping itself into my dark blue-and-white furred jet-like true form. I watched my parents reaction carefully, trying to detect if they were okay with it. My mother was the first to react, shock and wonder written all across her expression.

"You're... a Pokémon..." she muttered softly, and my father shook his head.

"No, not just a Pokémon... He's a Legendary... Our son is a Legendary Pokémon..." he said, his voice filled with wonder. I smiled at him, both in relief that they seemed okay with it, and at the wonder in his tone.

Yes, I suppose you could call me a Legendary Pokémon...Even more rare since I wasn't born as a Pokémon. I let out a soft, musical Pokémon chuckle as Latias wrapped her arms around my right arm and hugged it softly. The other part of the explanation is how Gardevoir is still alive, but I'm guessing you two have it figured out now? I asked, and they nodded quickly, smiling a little.

"Well... Why don't the two of you... sit down, I guess? So we can eat? While we're eating, why don't you tell us how you became a Pokémon, Ian?" my mother asked a little nervously, and I looked at Latias.

"I think our true forms are making her a little uncomfortable..." I said to her aloud, so that my parents wouldn't understand since they weren't Pokémon themselves. Latias nodded in understanding even before I had finished speaking, and as her form shimmered and shrank back to her human form, I marveled at how she could tell what I was going to ask before I even asked it. I followed suit, returning to my own human form and taking a seat at the table, Latias pulling up a chair to sit on my right. Gardevoir sat across from me, and my mom sat across from my father after she got up and brought the food to the table.

"You didn't have to go back to your human selves if you didn't want to..." my mother said slowly, and I shook my head.

"Sorry mom, but I could tell we were making you a little uncomfortable." I said understandingly, and she nodded gratefully. As we passed around the various dishes filled with everything from home-cooked meatloaf to fruit salad, I started to explain everything that had occurred in the past two and a half years; how I had met Latias, how I had come to love her, how she had been kidnapped, and how Latios had given me his soul so that I could save her, which also had the effect of turning me into a Pokémon. After that, my narrative slowed down as I recounted how Lucas had come to Altomare to compete in the Tour de Altomare, how I had almost died, how Latias had healed me and brought Latios back as well, and finally how Lucas had committed suicide and I had decided to finish his journey for him. By the time I finished telling them everything, we had all finished eating. "I'm going to go see Lucas' parents tomorrow, visit with them, and grieve with them... I miss him a lot..." I finished with, and my parents nodded understanding.

"Actually, they told everyone that they're in mourning, and they don't want any visitors until after the funeral... However, they guessed you would come home for his funeral, and they asked your mom and I to tell you that they want you to write Lucas' eulogy... Since you were his closest friend... The funeral is next Saturday..." my father said sadly, and I nodded slowly as I felt my own sorrow welling up in my soul once more. My mother must have noticed some change in my expression, and she pointed at the stairs.

"Why don't you go get some sleep, Ian? You look like you could really use it." she said, and I nodded once more in gratitude. Latias looked at me questioningly for a moment.

Is... Is it alright if I come with you, Ian? she asked tentatively, and I smiled slightly.

Of course love. I said, and she jumped up and hugged me tightly. I laughed and held her to me; she could always banish my sorrow with almost no effort. You coming Gardevoir? I asked, and she shook her head.

I'll stay down here with your parents for a little while, in case they want to talk to me. she said with a barely perceptible wink, and I blushed lightly, causing my parents to exchange covert, sly glances.

"We kept your room exactly the way it was before you left, Ian. Except you now have sliding glass doors leading out onto the balcony." my father said with a knowing smile, and I nodded, blushing even more as I led Latias up the stairs and into the second floor hallway.

"My room is the door in the middle of the left side of the hall." I told her as I led her to it and opened it, ushering her inside and closing the door behind us. As we walked slowly into my room, her eyes went wide in astonishment and I let out a small chuckle. Every wall in my room was completely covered in lit up, humming computer monitors. Even the ceiling was covered in them, each one bolted tightly to keep them from falling and breaking. The only places that were monitor-free were the floor, the door into my room, and the sliding glass doors that my father had mentioned, which were closed, the blinds open to let in a little light. Latias turned to me and just stared at me for a moment.

Why... Why is your room filled with computers? she asked in astonishment, and I blushed a little.

"Before I became a Trainer, I was a computer programmer. A quite good one, in fact... I actually developed both a hologram projector and the program needed to run it... I brought a laptop with me on my journey so that I could work on some of the other pet projects I had going, actually. I was working on two major things: a device that would translate what Pokémon say to English so that humans could understand Pokémon better, and I was also... Working on a way to turn myself into a Pokémon through technology... Of course, I don't need a way to turn myself into a Pokémon now, do I?" I asked with a wink, and we both laughed lightly. "Of course, there is one other thing my room can do, if you want to see it," I said, and she nodded enthusiastically, "Ever wondered what the stars look like up close? Ever wondered how many of them there really are?" I asked, seemingly going off-topic, and she nodded more slowly in confusion. "Then behold, the heavens as never before seen!" I said dramatically as I clicked a switch on the wall. The floor lit up brightly, and quickly performed the purpose it was designed for: to act as a giant hologram projector. My room was suddenly filled with every star known, from the sun all the way past the galaxy. Latias stared around in wonder, rotating slowly so as to take it all in.

Ian... this... this is amazing! How did you ever manage this? she asked in wonder as she stared, and I came up behind her, putting my arms around her waist and hugging her close. She leaned back into me, still looking around with an expression of profound wonder and excitement.

"I spent almost every spare moment I had up here in my room, writing, testing, and re-writing the code for this. Checking and re-checking tons of star charts. My parents let me tear the original floor up so that I could set up the hologram projector. I had a lot of time to work on this." I said with a little laugh, letting her go as I walked to the glass doors and opened them, walking out onto the balcony and letting the night's breeze ruffle my hair, looking up at the real stars in the night sky and getting lost in memories as I so often did these days. The hologram of space had been a project that both Lucas and I had worked on together. I sighed to myself, sadness seeping into my thoughts and weariness seeping into my bones. Lucas had always wanted to go explore space; he had been convinced that there were other planets with life on them.

So lost was I in my memories, that I didn't hear Latias until she was right behind me and she wrapped her arms around me. I jumped, slightly startled, then relaxed and leaned back against her.

"I'm sorry, my love... I didn't mean to walk away from you, it's just that..." I said slowly, trailing off.

That was something that both you and Lucas worked on? she guessed, and I nodded.

"He was so convinced that there were other planets with life... he wanted to explore space, find those planets...," I let out a sigh of both frustration and sadness, "and now... now he'll n-never get to..." I started to cry, hot tears of pain and loss stinging my eyes as they ran down my face. I closed my eyes, and still the tears came without pause. Latias hugged me tighter, her grip a comforting anchor in the torrent of grief, and slowly, oh so slowly, I stopped crying, the last few tears trickling down my cheeks to drip off of my chin and strike the balcony as I finally regained control.

Love, why do you insist on blaming yourself for Lucas' death? Latias asked tenderly, and I turned in her embrace and just stared at her for a moment. Up until she said that, I hadn't even realized that I did blame myself for his death.

"I... I don't know... But if only I had done something, anything! He didn't deserve to die!" I exclaimed in distress, tears starting to form in my eyes once more. Latias kissed me softly, taking me completely by surprise, her arms tightening a little around me as I kissed her back and wrapped my arms around her.

Ian, listen to me. There was nothing you could do. He was gone before you even got to him, and you know it. You can't go on blaming yourself for something you couldn't influence or control. You can't save everyone. she said forcefully as she looked me in the eyes and held me tightly. I sighed, holding her close as I swiped the tears out of my eyes.

"I know..." I replied, and she smiled at me happily, nodding once.

Now, why don't I take your mind off of these things for now? Latias said, a hint of teasing entering her tone, and I looked at her, giving a naughty half-smile as I caught on to what she was saying.

"And just how are you planning on 'taking my mind off of these things'?" I said playfully, and she smiled as she turned and walked back into my room, swaying her hips seductively.

I don't know... Why don't you come and see for yourself? she teased as she looked over her shoulder, and I smiled as I followed her into my room, shutting the sliding glass doors behind me and closing the blinds over them. When I turned back, Latias was already in her true form, laying on her stomach on my bed with her rear pointing right at me, which afforded me a grand view of her already moist slit. She looked back at me and blushed lightly as she winked. I thought we might try a new position... Like what you see? she teased, and I smiled as I changed into my true form.

Oh yes, I definitely like what I see. I replied, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

Then what are you waiting for? An invitation? she asked, and I smiled wickedly, unable to resist the temptation to tease her.

Maybe. I replied as I floated over and slowly ran the tip of one of my claws gently on the sensitive flesh around her slit, still grinning wickedly as she blushed and let out a small moan.

Well then, come on in if you want. she moaned as she waggled her hips temptingly, and I grinned even wider as I continued to rub around her slit, letting my claw run over her sensitive clit.

Hmm, that's a very tempting offer..., I murmured as I kept up my attentions, drawing more moans from her as I smiled, but I think I need to get you 'ready' first... she looked back at me and blushed heavily as she saw my smile, and let out a breathless moan as I let the tip of my claw dip into her moist folds.

I-Ian... Why do you enjoy teasing me so much? she asked in between moans as I slowly inserted more of my claw, making sure to touch and tease every sensitive inch inside of her as I moved up to whisper in her ear.

"Hmmm... Maybe because you always blush so adorably when I do?" I whispered, and she blushed even deeper than before as a shiver ran down her spine.

"Y-you're so m-mean!" she gasped out as my claw continued to work it's magic inside of her, making her moan and blush deeply as I concentrated on not letting my sharp claw cut her sensitive insides. I smiled as I slowly pulled my claw out, drawing a long, low moan from her as I did, bringing the now-soaked claw up to my mouth and slowly licking it clean, loving the taste of my mate as she blushed and watched me intently. I smiled teasingly at her as I made a show of cleaning my claw.

"Mmm, delicious... Mind if I take a taste right from the source?" I teased once I was sure I had gotten every last bit of her fluids off of my claw, and she blushed more. She gave me a slight, shy nod and I kissed her softly before moving back down and positioning my face right in front of her slit. As I did so, I caught a whiff of her arousal, an intoxicating scent that I absolutely loved; the only thing that could surpass her scent was her taste. I smiled happily and took a deeper sniff, softly putting my paws on either side of her slit and gently spreading her outer lips as I began to lick lightly, drawing pants and moans of pleasure from her.

"I-Ian..! Please s-stop teasing me!" she whined as I continued to lick, going a little deeper with each slow, sensual lick, drawing it out and teasing her as mercilessly as I could. I smiled to myself as my tongue went deeper inside of her, making sure to pleasure every last inch of her hot, wet walls. As she began to moan louder and pant faster, I took pity on her and stopped teasing her, keeping a steady rhythm as I moved a paw to gently rub her clit, and she screamed in pleasure, arching her back and neck as her inner walls convulsed, clamping down on my tongue and inundating me in a veritable flood of her cum as she climaxed powerfully. I drank as much of it as I could, loving the taste as I swallowed most of it though there was still more than enough to completely cover my face and leave a puddle of fluids on my bed. As her muscles relaxed a little and she looked back at me with a little blush evident on her features, I smiled as I cleaned her cum off of my muzzle before moving up to kiss her softly.

"Absolutely delicious," I said as I winked, letting a sly smile creep across my features as Latias smiled, "though I do hope you're ready for more." I teased her once again as she winked at me.

"Are you still waiting for that invitation? I thought I gave you one...," she said, blushing as I shook my head, knowing full well she had. "Well then, come on in love." she blushed deeply as she said it, and I kissed her again, letting my tongue play into the kiss a little before breaking the kiss and moving up to whisper in her ear again.

"I don't know... I'm not convinced you really want it..." I teased, and she shook her head as she moved her mouth to be right against my left ear, her breath sending shivers down my spine.

"That's because I don't want it... I need it." she whispered seductively, giving a tiny nip to the tip of my furry ear teasingly, causing me to shiver again and blush a little as I smiled at her.

"Now that was convincing..." I murmured as I floated up and positioned myself over her form, my cock already almost painfully hard from having eaten her out. I settled onto her back and started to rub just the tip of my erection against her folds, once again teasing her, making her moan and pant heavily. I smiled wickedly as I kept teasing her, enjoying it immensely. Finally, I couldn't hold myself back any longer and slowly sank my member deep inside of her hot, wet sex, letting out a moan of pure pleasure at the same time as Latias.

"Oh, Ian!" she moaned breathlessly as I started to thrust slowly, keeping the pace slow yet pleasurable. I murred happily as I leaned forward to nuzzle at her neck just below and behind her ear, drawing a soft murmur of approval from her that was closely followed by a louder cry of pleasure as I started to speed the pace up a little. "F-faster, Ian... Please..." she said in between moans, and I was more than happy to oblige; picking up the pace even more as I started to pant heavily as we mated among the holographic stars my room was still projecting. As I sped up, the headboard of my bed started to slam against the wall repeatedly, making a great deal of noise that mingled with the sounds of our panting and moaning.

"L-Latias... I'm getting c-close..." I moaned as I felt the familiar build of pleasure coming to a peak, starting to overwhelm my mind completely.

"M-me too..." she panted, right before she arched her neck and let out a loud, if brief scream as she came, her walls clamping down tightly and giving rippling squeezes along my erection as she climaxed, sending me over the edge and into my own climax. I let out a loud moan as my cock twitched and pulsed, sending hot, thick jets of my cum deep inside of Latias' still quivering sex, quickly filling her to the brim as we both panted heavily.

"Latias... that... was amazing... I think I like this new position." I teased Latias as we collapsed next to each other in exhaustion and I pulled her close to me, cuddling with her, and she blushed deeply.

"So do I... though next time, I think I would like it if you were a bit more, ah... dominating." she said suggestively, and I smiled and kissed her softly.

"Your wish is my command...My love..." I replied as my eyes slowly closed and I started to drift asleep. She curled up against my side, her body warm and comforting as we slowly fell asleep together. Later that night, my dreams changed, acquiring a sharpness and clarity that told me that they were more than mere dreams.

I floated in the middle of seeming nothingness in my true form, darkness so complete that it made no difference whether my eyes were open or closed. Slowly, small pinpoints of light grew in the darkness, becoming brighter and larger, turning into stars, and eventually I stood in the middle of space, full of swirling galaxies and nebulae, just like my projection except real. Looking around, I jumped in surprise as I noticed Latias floating some way off to my left.

_ "Latias?! What are you doing in my dream?" I asked as I flew over to her, causing her to jump as she looked over and noticed me seemingly for the first time._

_ __ "Ian, is this real? Are we sharing a dream?" she asked, just as bewildered and confused as I was. I opened my mouth to reply, but I was interrupted by a powerful voice coming from behind us._

_ __ "Technically, you could say that. In truth, I have brought the two of you to my realm." the strong, feminine voice said, and Latias and I turned as one and gasped. Floating before us was Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon, Goddess of All._

_ __ "Lady Arceus!" We exclaimed at the same moment, bowing our heads in deference to her. Arceus laughed a little in response to this._

_ __ "You can relax, I haven't called you here because I am angry with the two of you." she said, and we slowly raised our heads to regard her reverently._

_ __ "If I may ask, Lady Arceus, if you haven't called us here because you are angry, then... Why_ have you called us?" I asked nervously; I had never expected to see Arceus, let alone talk with her or be called by her to her own realm. I was feeling understandably overwhelmed, and one glance at Latias told me she was feeling just as nervous as I was. Arceus looked at me speculatively for a moment before she replied.

_ __ "I have called you both because I have need of you. An ancient threat is awakening, one that even I, as powerful as I am, cannot stop. Only the two of you can stop this vile obscenity." she said gravely, spitting out the last two words as if they were poison, and Latias and I just stared._

_ __ "Lady Arceus, if you cannot stop it, then... how can we possibly hope to? We don't have anywhere near the power you have..." Latias said slowly, and Arceus smiled a little at us._

_ __ "That is not entirely true, and you know it. The two of you are soulmates, bonded forever through your love for one another, and that gives you power that I could never match." she replied, and still we looked at her in confusion._

_ __ "We do love each other very much, but... What does that have to do with this 'ancient, vile threat'?" I asked, becoming steadily more confused as the conversation progressed. Again, Arceus studied us for a moment before replying, seeming to weigh whatever it was she was going to say._

_ "There is an ancient prophecy, dating back to the first time this abomination was driven from your world. The first time, it was driven away by me. Yet I could not kill it nor destroy it, no matter how hard I tried. I could not even harm it permanently in any way. I could only imprison it, and hope it would never awaken again. Shortly after I sealed it away, a blind human somehow appeared in my realm without either my invitation or my consent. He was polite and excused himself for intruding upon my domain, saying he would not have if he had been given a choice. When I asked him what he meant, he said that he had been sent with a prophecy pertaining to the abomination." Arceus told us, and Latias and I stared in shock. Something even the Alpha Pokémon couldn't harm, and it was returning? I still couldn't see how we came into the picture, but I held my tongue since I was sure Arceus was going to tell us._

"What was the prophecy?" Latias asked, and Arceus smiled humorlessly as she gestured to her left, causing an ornate, monolithic stone tablet to form, words chiseled upon its surface.

_ _

When the ancient threat awakes

Evil stirring in its wake

Chilling Darkness seeks to hold

The world it was driven from once before.

_ _

The chosen one

Born of one, remade to another

Beloved of the Ages

Will arise to save the world Forever.

_ _

Through Love the Light shall shine

A bond of Souls

Forged through Love unconditional

Without which the battle shall not be won.

_ _

Should the Light be lost

The world shall cease to breathe

Life erased

For all of Eternity.

_ _

_ _

_ Latias and I stared at the words for what seemed an eternity, absorbing them._

_ __ "And... you think this means us?" Latias asked, and Arceus nodded slightly._

_ __ "Well, more specifically it means Ian." she amended, and I looked at her sharply._

_ "And how does this mean me_ specifically_?" I asked sharply, and Arceus stared at me._

_ __ "Read the second verse. 'Born of one, remade to another, beloved of the ages'. You were born a human, but became a Pokémon. And you are the beloved of the ages." she replied as if it were obvious, and I stared at her for a moment._

_ __ "How am I 'Beloved of the ages'?" I asked, feeling slightly as if I should have known what that meant. Arceus gave me a look that told me I should have_ definitely known what that meant.

_ __ "You love Latias, yes?" she said briskly, and I nodded. "And she is the Eon Pokémon, is she not?" I nodded again, right before it hit me. I should've know all along what that line meant! I was mated to Latias, the Eon Pokémon, the Pokémon of the ages! "Took you long enough." Arceus muttered, and I looked at Latias in embarrassment, only to see she was laughing at how long it had taken me to get it. I blushed as I tried to shift the subject._

_ __ "So... does this ancient threat have a name or something?" I asked, and Arceus and Latias immediately sobered up._

_ __ "Yes, it does. It is called the Arvel Revenant. Its origin is unknown, even to me. It is a being of pure darkness, far worse than anything you can imagine. It feeds on every dark emotion in the human and Pokémon psyche. So far as I know, it can infiltrate dreams to a certain extent, usually transforming them into nightmares, which it also feeds upon. It usually does not bother with a physical form, but when it does it appears most often as a tall, black robbed figure with a raised hood that hides its face in shadows. Much like what humans think Death looks like." Arceus said somberly, and I nodded in understanding. Latias, however, was looking relatively confused._

_ __ "Lady Arceus, how can you_ not know the origin of this... this Arvel Revenant? The universe did not exist until you hatched, or so the legends say..." Latias said slowly, and Arceus grimaced.

_ _ _ "I have asked myself that selfsame question many times, and the only conclusion I have come to is that it was born at the same time as I was. That it was originally part of me." Arceus replied in a pained voice, and Latias bowed her head, which Arceus noticed quickly. "Do not feel bad for asking, Latias. It was a perfectly reasonable question." she said, and Latias looked back up gratefully. Arceus looked up suddenly as well, her countenance taking on a more hurried appearance. "Our time grows short; I cannot keep you here in my realm for much longer. Ian, you must continue the journey you had planned to honor your friend with, but you must recruit all of the strongest Trainers you meet along the way to help you fight the Revenant. Even if the prophecy says you are destined to destroy it, you will need help to do so. That much I can say for certain. You may also want to seek out the other Legendary Pokémon, though I have a feeling you will end up meeting them without having to search very hard for them. As it is, I pledge to do everything I possibly can to help you destroy this evil being once and for all. And just as you would train your Pokémon, so you must now train yourself or you will not have the strength or knowledge of your own abilities that will be necessary to defeat this opponent." Arceus said quickly, and Latias and I bowed our heads in acknowledgment as Arceus gestured and opened a swirling portal in front of us. "Till next we meet, Latias and Ian. Goodbye," she said, and as Latias and I stepped through the portal, I heard her whisper, "and good luck..."_

I woke rather slowly, my mind fuzzy and hazy. Suddenly, I sat bolt upright as I remembered everything that had occurred while I was asleep; Arceus telling Latias and me about the Arvel Revenant, and how I was supposed to destroy it. I put my head in my paws as I realized that now I was responsible for saving an entire world.

"Why me... Why did it have to be me?" I said to myself despairingly, feeling as if I was sick to my stomach. After a moment or two, the feeling had passed and I raised my head from my paws, looking over and seeing Latias still sleeping relatively peacefully, a small, adorable smile on her face. I smiled as I looked at her, and felt a sense of grim determination replace my despair as I watched my mate sleeping peacefully next to me. "No matter what, I will not fail... I must destroy the Revenant... If I don't, the world will end, and that means everyone I have ever known is in danger right now. If I fail, they will all die... I won't let that happen!" I whispered to myself a little louder than I had intended, and Latias stirred sleepily beside me. I sighed, annoyed with myself; I was always waking her up when she needed sleep the most. She blinked sleepily a few times, looking up at me and smiling happily for a moment.

"Good morning, love." she smiled as I hugged her tightly, and her smile stayed for a moment after, until suddenly it slipped away to be replaced by horror. "Oh no, Ian..." she started to say, but I silenced her by placing a claw gently across her lips.

"Let's not talk about it just yet, please? I want to think about it for a while... and I still have to write a eulogy for Lucas' funeral, so... can we talk about it later?" I pleaded, and she nodded as she hugged me tightly.

"Of course, love. I understand." she said compassionately as she kissed me softly, and I smiled as I returned her kiss.

"Let's not tell my parents either, at least not yet... I don't want to cause them any worry, and this is definitely something they would worry about greatly." I said softly, and she nodded and smiled again. "Thanks love. Now, why don't we go downstairs and see what's for breakfast?" I said cheerfully, and she laughed at me as we changed back to our human forms and went downstairs to find my parents and Gardevoir already sitting at the kitchen table.

"Good morning you two! Did you have a good time last night? It sure sounded like you did." my mother asked cheerfully with a knowing wink, and Latias and I blushed a deep crimson color as my father and Gardevoir laughed.

"Mom!" I exclaimed as Latias hugged my arm and hid behind me, still blushing quite deeply.

"What? We don't have a problem with it. But if you don't want me to tease you, maybe you two should be a little... quieter next time, if you get my meaning." she replied with another wink, and I blushed deeper. It would've been one thing for my father to say something, but it was just plain embarrassing for my mom to tease us for it!

"W-well, to answer your question, as a matter of fact we did have a good night." I stammered as Latias and I sat down at the table, and they laughed again. "A-anyway, what's for breakfast?" I stammered in an attempt to shift the conversation from the subject of our nighttime activities. My mom smiled and shook her head as she placed a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and sausage in front of me and Latias.

_ __ _ "So, when can I expect grandchildren?" my mom asked as Latias and I dug into our food, causing me to almost choke on the large bite of sausage I had just taken.

"Mom! Please stop!" I coughed as Latias and I blushed deeply again. My father laughed and smiled at us.

"Alright Carolin, stop teasing them. I'm afraid if you do it again Ian will literally die of embarrassment." he chuckled, and my mom laughed and nodded. "Now Ian, there's someone here who would like to say hi." he said before turning to the kitchen door and letting out a piercing whistle. I had just enough time to register a red, fluffy flash as it darted through the kitchen door, across the floor, and leaped over the table towards me. The fluffy streak resolved itself into a familiar four-legged red form as it shot over the table and landed on my chest with a loud cry.

"Oh Master, you're home!" the Flareon yelled out joyously as it landed on my chest, its cream colored mane flying in all directions and tail wagging happily as it hugged my chest. I just stared in shock; I had released her long before I had gone to Altomare and met Latias. Latias looked at me with a strange expression, seemingly part confused, part curious, and part some other emotion I couldn't identify.

Is this... The Flareon your mother mentioned yesterday? The one your parents caught you... with? she asked me slowly, and I blushed and grimaced at the same time as I answered her.

Yes... It's her... I said, fully expecting her to be quite angry with me, but to my surprise she just smiled and kissed me.

Don't worry, I'm not mad. I was only wondering. Besides, I actually think it's kind of... hot. Really hot. she said as she blushed, and I just stared at her in astonishment. Out of all the reactions I would've expected, that was the last one I would have ever guessed.

"I'm going to take that kiss to mean she's not mad at you?" I jumped as my mother spoke, and blushed deeply.

"No, Latias isn't angry," I said, then muttered under my breath, "Quite the opposite, actually..." as my mother nodded and my father smiled.

"Master, Master! Are we going to have some fun later?" Flareon asked, and I blushed and stared at her in shock for a moment.

"You know, I'm actually relieved that I couldn't understand you before. The amount of naughty things you must have said to me..." I said, and only realized I had said it out loud when everyone, including Latias, started to laugh uproariously and causing me to blush deeper. I picked her up and placed her on the floor as I stood up, Latias standing up next to me. Flareons expression fell as she saw the way Latias hugged my arm.

"Oh... You have a human mate now..." she said dejectedly as she started to turn and walk away.

"Not exactly, Flareon. Latias isn't a human, as you should know from her name." I said, and Flareon turned back around quicker than I thought possible, opening her mouth to ask a question and stopping with it open in shock as she saw Latias and I shimmering and changing into our true forms.

_ __ _ "You're a Pokémon now?! HOW?!" she squealed once she got over her shock, and I chuckled as I gave her the short version of my story. Once I was done, she looked dejected once more. "Still, you don't want me anymore either way... You have a proper mate, and a Legendary one at that... You don't want me..." she sniffed as tears started to form in her eyes, and I opened my mouth to say something, but Latias cut me off.

"Do you love him?" she asked, surprising both Flareon and myself. I just stared at Latias; was she really suggesting what I thought she was?

"Y... Yes, of course I do!" Flareon said forcefully, and Latias smiled at her.

"Then I don't see any reason why he can't love us both. He has a heart more than big enough to love the two of us the same, don't you Ian?" she said, and I just stared; she had been suggesting what I thought she was.

"Are you really okay with this, Latias?" I asked her softly, and she smiled and nuzzled the side of my face gently.

"Would I have suggested it if I wasn't, Ian?" she said, and I smiled; no, she most definitely would not have.

"Then yes, of course I can love you both." I said, and Flareon let out a loud "Flare!" of joy as she jumped up and hugged me tightly, making me laugh. "Okay, okay, calm down Flareon!" I laughed, and she let me go, dropping to the floor and looking only slightly embarrassed.

"Having a good chat you three?" my mom asked, startling the three of us, having forgotten where we were. We blushed as one, Latias and I swiftly changing back to our human forms and sitting back down at the table, where Flareon jumped up onto my lap and curled up, seemingly ready to doze off.

"Yep. Just a couple of introductions." I said, and my mom shook her head knowingly.

"Yeah, that must have been one hell of an introduction." my father snorted, and I blushed again. "Oh, by the way I have a gift for you." he said, and I cocked my head curiously as he reached down and took three small red and white Pokéballs out of his pocket. "These were my Pokémon when I went on my Journey; Blaziken, Milotic, and Dragonair. I would give you the others, but you already have three Pokémon with you." he said as he handed the Pokéballs to me, and I smiled as I put them on my own belt alongside Latias' Pokéball.

"I guess that means I'll have to put you inside of a Pokéball again, little one..." I told Flareon, and she just looked up at me and smiled.

"Go ahead. I don't mind." she said, and I smiled at her as I got up and she jumped off of my lap, following me as I went to my pack in the corner and retrieved an unused Pokéball. Clicking the button and touching it to Flareon, I watched as she was absorbed by it. After a moment of the Pokéball rocking in my palm, I smiled as it stopped and I placed it on my belt next to the others. I walked back to the table and finished off my breakfast, my mood slowly deteriorating as I thought about what to write for Lucas' eulogy. As soon as I was finished eating, I excused myself from the table.

"I'm going to go for a walk... Please don't follow me." I said sadly, and everyone must have picked up on my mood because they all nodded. For the rest of the week, I followed the same pattern; eating breakfast in the morning, going out and wandering for the rest of the day, thinking about Lucas, and about the task Arceus had charged me with, and only returning to eat supper. I stayed up late each night, working on Lucas' eulogy until I collapsed from exhaustion. The week seemed to pass both tortuously slow and blindingly fast, until I found myself sitting next to Latias in the early-morning light, at the funeral of my oldest and most dear friend.

When the time came for me to speak the eulogy I had worked so hard to write, I walked slowly up onto the raised platform and took my place in front of the podium. I looked out over the small gathering of close friends and family that were attending the funeral, striving desperately to keep the tears, the grief, and the pain firmly in check. I looked down for a moment as I tried to speak through the constriction in my throat.

"Lucas...," I paused, having to force the words past the pain clogging my throat and clouding my mind, "Lucas... was my friend from... from the day we were born... As you all know, we were both born here in Littleroot... We were raised together, we played together... We even started our journeys as Trainers together..." I began again, still fighting with all my willpower to keep the pain from overwhelming me as I looked back up into the tear-streaked faces of the others attending the funeral. "He was my first, and best friend... He was kind, considerate, and caring...," I continued my eulogy as my voice broke, the pain and grief finally overpowering my senses as the tears came coursing down my face, "He was... an e-example for a-all of us... I... a-am honored t-to have... been able t-to call him my f-friend... F-for now and f-forever, his memory l-lives on... In those of u-us who knew him best... Let us never forget him... May Arceus... watch over your spirit, old friend..." I choked out the final words of the eulogy with difficulty and stepped away from the podium, bowing my head and walking down off of the platform and back to my seat as my tears continued unabated.

I sat back down slowly next to Latias, my mind in a grief-stricken haze of pain as she hugged my arm tightly. The rest of the funeral passed in a blur, my grief so powerful I noticed nothing except the constant, comforting pressure of Latias hugging my arm and Gardevoir standing behind me. Through the haze of grief and pain, memories of happier times played in my mind. Lucas and me as kids, playing, having fun, and being kids. Then, stronger than the rest, a memory of the day we first began our journeys as Pokémon Trainers.

"Are you two absolutely sure that you really want to be Trainers?" _ Professor Birch asked, looking at Lucas and me seriously, with none of his usual joviality. We were in his Pokémon Lab, and we had just told him that we wanted to become Pokémon Trainers._

_ __ "Of course we're sure, Professor! We wouldn't be here if we didn't really want to be Trainers!" Lucas, always the impatient one, replied, earning a small chuckle from Professor Birch. "We came so you could help us get started!"_

_ "Have the two of you talked to your parents about this? You know you have to have their permission before I can give either of you a Pokémon to start your journey with." Professor Birch said, and the two of us nodded._

_ __ "I talked to my parents last night. It took me a while to convince them that I really wanted to become a Trainer, just like my dad." I replied, and Professor Birch smiled._

_ __ "I don't doubt it. Well then, I have three Pokémon here for you to choose from; the Fire-type Torchic, the Water-type Mudkip, and the Grass-type Treecko. Who will choose first?" He asked, and Lucas nodded at me, surprising both Professor Birch and myself as we had both expected him to want to pick first. I shrugged and nodded._

_ "I'll take Torchic." I said without a moments hesitation, and Professor Birch nodded as he handed me a red-and-white Pokéball._

_ "Take good care of her, Ian." He said, and turned to Lucas. "Which one will you choose?" he asked, and Lucas smiled._

_ "I already have a Pokémon. For now, I'll stick with Gardevoir." he said, and we both smiled; we had_ definitely expected that.

_ "Very well. I hope the next time I see the two of you, you will be successful Pokémon Trainers. Good luck." he said somberly, and Lucas and I nodded as we both turned and walked out of the Professor's Pokémon Lab. As the two of us stood outside of the Professors Lab in the bright noonday sunshine, Lucas turned to me and smiled._

"I'm going to tackle the Pokémon League here in Hoenn first. Bet you I could do it faster than you can!" he laughed, and I laughed as well.

_ "I bet you can't! Doesn't matter to me in any case though, I plan on beating the Pokémon League of Johto first, then the Pokémon League of Kanto, and then beating the Pokémon League of Hoenn. I want to be the best Trainer ever!" I replied, and his eyes got wide._

_ "You're planning on doing all of that? Wow. Good luck." he whistled, and I smiled._

_ "Thanks Lucas. Good luck to you too, my friend. I hope I'll see you sometime on the road or in a town somewhere." I said, and he nodded. We parted to go our separate ways, Lucas off to his first Gym battle in Hoenn, myself off to start my travels in Johto._

I was shaken out of my memories by a gentle nudge from Latias.

Love, it's over. There are some people here who want to talk to you. she said softly, and I got the feeling she had somehow seen exactly what I was remembering. I sat up straight and dried my eyes as best I could before I faced the small group of people that had gathered in front of me. I barely kept the pain at bay this time, making sure that I wouldn't break down and start crying like an infant in front of everyone again. First were Lucas' parents of course, thanking me through their tears for the wonderful eulogy I had written on such short notice. Next came all of Lucas' extended family, thanking me for the eulogy as well. Then my parents came up and hugged me, knowing and having seen just how hard it had been for me to say goodbye to such a good friend.

"Thanks mom, dad... I'll be leaving to start my journey this afternoon... I'm going home to change out of these clothes, and I'll be gone after that.." I said distractedly, wondering if I should tell them about the task Arceus had charged me with. The battle in my mind between telling them and not telling them waged fiercely as we walked home from the funeral, until my mind was made up. I waited until we were standing in the living room of the house before speaking. "Mom, dad... There's something we need to talk about." I said, and they looked over in concern.

"Of course, what is it?" my mother asked quietly, and I sighed.

"You might want to sit down, this will take a while..." I said slowly, and once they had settled themselves I told them how Arceus had pulled Latias and myself into her realm while we were asleep, and what she had told us while we were there. Once I had finished, my mother got up and hugged me tightly as my father just sat back with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Oh Ian, why didn't you tell us sooner?" my mother said, and I sighed.

"Because I was sure it would make you worry, and I didn't want to cause you any more worry." I said sadly, and my mother looked at me sadly.

"You should have told us, no matter what." she said rather reproachfully, and I sighed again.

"Yeah, I know." I replied as she sat back down. My father looked up and frowned a little, however.

"And you're absolutely sure this... prophecy means you? I didn't hear anything that told me it was you." he said, his voice full of concern.

"Yes, I'm certain. The second verse states quite clearly, 'Born of one, remade to another, Beloved of the Ages.' I was born a human, unless I am very much mistaken. I was transformed into a Pokémon by Latios, which fulfilled the 'Born of one, remade to another'. And I am mated to Latias, the Eon Pokémon, the Pokémon of the Ages." I sighed, and he nodded, surprising me.

"That does make sense," he conceded grudgingly, "though I wish with all my heart that it was someone else's kid that has to destroy this... Arvel Revenant... thing." he sighed, and I nodded.

"You and me both, dad. But, I will say this: I did not choose this. Even so, I will do everything I can to keep this horror from destroying the world, because this world is not just some abstract concept. It is a living, breathing world, full of innocent people and Pokémon that don't deserve to die. Not only that, but the people I care about most are threatened by this Revenant, my family and friends. I will do everything I have to, even sacrificing myself, if it comes to that." I said with utter certainty, and Latias looked at me in horror.

Ian! Don't say that, please! she cried out as she jumped up and hugged me tightly.

"I mean it Latias. If I have to sacrifice myself to save the world, I will do it. But I promise I will only do it if I have absolutely no other choice. The only other reason I would willingly sacrifice my own life is to save you, and you know it." I said quietly, and she looked up at me with tears forming in her eyes. I kissed her softly, reassuringly as I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to me, feeling her return my kiss. After a moment, I broke the kiss and smiled at her tenderly. "Now, let's go get ready to leave; from the way Arceus made it sound, we don't have much time." I said, and Latias nodded slowly.

I suppose that means I have to go into the Pokéball? she asked, resignation apparent in her tone, and I smiled.

"Not yet. I won't ask you to go back into it until we're getting close to Rustboro, okay?" I said, and she smiled happily as she hugged me tightly. I laughed and went upstairs; thirty minutes later I was standing at the trail leading to Oldale town, Route 101, wearing my black jeans, open long-sleeved shirt, and my old fingerless gloves. Sighing to myself, I started walking down the well-worn path, Latias to my right and Gardevoir to my left, exactly as we had been a week ago. And so the journey begins... I thought to myself, a grim and determined half-smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

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Closing Note: And so, the journey begins! ^w^ Anyway, please review, tell me what you liked and what you didn't like, etc. etc. As per usual, I will gladly accept any constructive comment that is not trolling or flaming. Again, as usual:

Trolls will be shot on sight.

Flames will be used to make s'mores, and then will be deleted.

Thank you

~Zeraxen Sar'athin