FSE

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Chapter 34: Methods and Motives

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

Song pressed her advantage, her lips pressing against mine dominantly. Our tongues pushed against one another as our hands roamed each other's bodies. Her hands settled behind my head and grabbing my hair. She held me down tightly, as if to stop me from pulling away. It wasn't that I had that in mind, but avoiding suffocation was a worthy endeavor.

She willingly allowed me some movement in which I whispered my gratitude to her. The Gardevoir's cheeks flushed red as she shook her head.

"You're too kind, Master." she whispered.

"Maybe I should be rougher." I said playfully.

One of her hands brushed against my cheek softly. "Whatever my Master wishes." she said.

Her words sent a chill down my spine. The thought excited me a little bit. This time I kissed her, exploring her mouth with my tongue. Her own tongue didn't fight against me. Instead it gently guided me to where she wanted me to go. I tried pushing it away and it didn't give me any resistance. Continuing to follow my own pace, she squirmed over me as my explorations continued. She moaned against my mouth as the kiss continued.

My hands roamed her body, gently teasing her sides and back. Her body tensed under my touch, especially as my fingers approached the crystal on her back. Feeling the 'blade' against my fingers made her arch her back. Our lips parted from one another, a moan escaping her lips. The red 'blade' on her chest pressed against me as she shivered above me. Her eyes were wide as she looked down into my eyes.

"Could you do it again?" she asked breathlessly.

I was more than willing to comply. If anything, it was good to know where she liked to be touched. My fingers traced back the way they came, gently touching different spots on her back. Soft whimpers came from above as I touched here and there. My reach went further south, my left arm resting against her butt while my right kept touching around the red 'blade' on her back. Song squirmed against me, small whimpers and moans letting me know that I was on the right track. Her hands shook as they held her up. I wrapped my arms around Song and brought her down so she could rest on the bed. My left arm was pinned underneath her, but it wasn't that big of a deal.

She looked at me curiously, but I smiled in response. Leaning forward I pressed my lips against hers. Song moaned softly as my fingers touched the point where the skin meets her red crystal. Curious to her reaction, I focused my attention on that spot. Her moans increased in volume and pitch. Sometimes she would whimper while her body squirmed next to mine as my fingers constantly touched this little miracle spot. I pulled my lips away from her, watching her squirm under my soft touch.

"I hope you're not regretting this." I teased.

She took a deep breath before shaking her head. "I'm not, but your pants look uncomfortable with how aroused you are."

I kissed her cheek. "You're more than welcome to help." I said. "That is, if you're not too busy moaning."

Her hands went straight for my waist, fingers opening my pants and pushing them out of the way a bit. The cool air of the cabin was making me shiver. Song's warm hands enveloped my exposed member, cooing softly into my ear. The gentle strokes and touches sent goose bumps up and down my spine. The warm breath that blew past my ear as she nestled against my body made me whimper in pleasure. Her hands squeezed gently, taking precaution on what they were handling. It didn't take much to have my back tingling and my thoughts devoted to the Pokémon in front of me.

I focused on breathing and enjoying the affection that Song was giving me. My hands didn't stay still, holding the Gardevoir closer to me and my hands roaming along her back. She suddenly pushed me on my back and sitting on my stomach. Her hands pulled on my shirt, a thin trail of moisture staining them from where they touched her wetness between her thighs. Joy is going to kill me later. Song smiled at me, leaning down to press her lips against mine. That thought was quickly put away, in favor of what was going on right now.

Song looked down at me but I shook my head. "I won't tell if you don't."

A grin spread across her face. "Do you think we can get away with it?" she asked.

I nodded. "Pretty sure. I'll just change clothing before we leave the plane."

Her grin widened as she lifted herself up above my waist. With her fingers she brushed against my stiff penis, taking hold of it and brushing it against her wet nether lips. A pleasant shiver goes up and down my body as she teases me with her soft entrance. The grin never wavered from her lips, though sometimes she would let out a soft whimper or gasp as my tip rubbed against her sensitive bulb at the top of her labia.

I took charge of the situation, grabbing hold of her waist and forcing Song's body downwards. Her body opened up to me slowly, letting me slide inside her inviting depths. A gasp escaped my lips as her body glided downwards. The feeling of Song's warmth made me shiver and moan softly underneath her. As our hips met, our voices joined as we enjoyed the each other.

"Didn't you say you wanted to be in control?" she asked with a sigh.

I moaned, feeling her walls contract possessively around my cock. "Someone doesn't want to let me." I pointed out.

She giggled. "Do you really want to?"

I shifted my grip from her hips to her sides as her eyes widened a moment later. Pushing her sideways onto the bed, we rolled for a moment until I was above her. She continued to smile, her hands wrapping around my neck as her legs wrapped around my waist and locked behind my back. For a moment hesitation filled my mind, but I pushed it aside. It wasn't like neither of us wanted this.

Pulling my hips as much as possible, Song made me work for every inch I pulled away from her. The lusty moans she made didn't help me much either. Pressing my lips against hers, I pushed my hips recklessly forward to enter her body once again. Song closed her eyes, a moan echoing inside our mouths as we kissed. Her fingers grasped my hair and held me down against her. It wasn't like we were going anywhere anytime soon. My hips moved at a pace that Song didn't quite appreciate. Her hips lifted up to meet my thrusts whenever I pushed forward and her body refused to let me go when I left her depths.

I pushed away, taking a gasp of fresh air as our lips parted. "Now who's excited?" I asked, holding myself still.

"Master..." she whimpered out softly.

My ears twitched at her voice, trying to focus on it over the sound of my heart pounding in my head and my loud breathing. "What is it?"

I could see her mouth open and move, but the words were inaudible. A grin to match hers from earlier spread across my face. It was interesting to see her like this. Song's fingers grasped at my arms tightly while her legs tried to pull me back inside her. I complied with her, but only after much reluctance and teasing.

"So, what did you say?" I asked, still grinning.

"Take charge." she whispered.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "That's a bit vague if you ask me."

She looked at me, her eyes wide. When she saw the look on my face, she became a bit subdued.

"Well?" I asked, slowly pulling away from her warmth.

"I want you to take charge." she said, raising her hips to mine.

"And do what?" I asked, thrusting downwards with her motion. Her moan made it worth it.

"Take me... make me yours again."

I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her lips. She moaned again as my hips gyrated against hers. Pulling away from our kiss, Song twisted in the bead when my movements weren't as active as she would like.

"You forgot the magic words." I said, smiling down at her.

Her eyes widened for a moment, groaning a bit louder. "Are you kidding me?" she asked.

"You have to ask nicely for what you want." I chided her, grabbing hold of her left breast and fondling it gently.

She moaned softly, grinding and rubbing against my crotch. I held still, enjoying the sensations. While it was a little cruel to hold this over her head, she did insist that I take a more dominant role. To be honest, I didn't think she would say anything and didn't put much thought to it. My hands grabbed her waist, brushing past her white robes and rubbing the soft skin underneath. Her thin legs quivered as my fingers touched her thighs.

"Alright!" she said loudly, stopping me in my tracks.

"Not so loud, remember!" I hissed.

She blinked, looking around as if remembering where she was. "I hope that you remember that you're the only one that can understand me."

I blinked, understanding dawning on me. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean that our neighbors don't have Pokémon out with them while we're flying."

"The odds are small that the human would be able to understand them like we understand each other."

"Possibly." I said with a sigh. "Just try to keep your voice down just in case though. Please?"

She giggled. "Since you asked so nicely. And while we are on the subject, perhaps you can return the favor?"

Hmm? "What do you mean?"

She raised her hands in front of her face, her fingers interlocking together. Her face relaxed as she took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. The look that she gave me made the hair on my head stand on end. It was like a fragile woman was before me. "Could you.... take me? Please? I want to feel good, too."

I smiled, deciding on teasing her just a little further. Leaning forward, my lips pressed against her cheek and kissing her. She squirmed at my touch, her body moving under my touches and caresses. I thrust my hips back, pulling myself out of her body. Song moaned as her hands moved around to grab my shoulders. Her efforts were thwarted when she couldn't meet my own hips. My lips stifled her moaning as my fingers entwined with hers. Bringing her under control, it was only then when I thrust my hips forward again and burying myself inside of her.

Her stifled moan mixed along with my own as her body laid claim to me. This time I didn't slow down, keeping an even tempo with my thrusting. Song didn't fight or writhe against me as my continued thrusts gave her exactly what we both wanted. Being in the lead wasn't so bad, and perhaps I was thinking about it the wrong way. Regardless, at the moment there were was someone more important to focus on.

Song leaned back, our lips pulling apart as she moved. The sounds that came from her were small whimpers of pleasure as my movements kept up their pace. Her fingers lost their grip on mine as I continued to thrust into her wanting body. She shook her head, moaning softly as she did so. I slowed down my thrusting, but she moaned louder as a response. A smile crossed my lips as I went back to my original pace. Her body relaxes slightly, if only for the satisfaction of knowing that my pace wasn't slowing down.

"Don't slow down." she whimpers, biting her lower lip. "Please."

The look she gave me flipped a switch in my mind. I smiled, resting my head against hers as I picked up speed. Her moans only motivated me to hear her reach her peak. My hands grabbed hold of her hips, helping me drive her down when I thrust back inside of her. A muffled growl came from my throat as my body peaked inside of her. Song joined me, her body clinging onto mine as she shivered under me. Her moans rang in my ears as her body refused to let go of mine. The moaning slowly tapered off as her arms roamed my back. Letting go of her hips, I pushed myself up to see her smiling up at me. My entire body felt weird, not to mention slightly dazed.

"We never turned off the lights." she said, blinking.

"I don't remember turning them on in the first place." I admitted.

Song laughed gently, her hands touching my waist and roaming upwards. I could feel my heart pound in my chest and her touched only excited me. She giggled softly as she pulled her hand away from me. I was a bit confused, but she shook her head.

"We shouldn't be too rowdy." she warned me, waving a finger.

"But who was the one that wanted this in the first place?" I accused.

"Don't act as if you didn't want it!" she said, poking my chest.

"Fair enough."

She giggled again at that response. "Don't pull away, though." she said, sighing. "It feels... nice."

I couldn't agree more. To be honest, it was getting a little cold now that we weren't moving. Hopefully we won't be asleep when we land. I still have to put away my clothes that got dirty and pick out something to wear.

====================/////////////////////////////========================

Jon and Joy didn't give me odd looks when we met up at the exit gate of the plane. Thankfully, no one else was acting suspicious towards us either. Looks like Song had a valid point. Still, it didn't help to be careful, right? We held our things, and I was slightly grateful that we didn't have much luggage. It seemed that a lot of people were in the same plane we were in. We spoke as we walked.

"Is something wrong?" Jon asked.

I shook my head. "No, not really. Though is Lance supposed to be here to find us?"

Joy pouted slightly. "That's a good question. Cynthia wasn't really specific about that."

"We're supposed to meet him in Slateport City. It's where Cynthia told me where he was last known to be."

"That doesn't sound very reassuring." Joy said.

"I'm sure that Cynthia got in contact with him to let him know what was going on." Jon said with confidence. "She wouldn't just send us off like that, right?"

"I'm not so sure." I said, frowning. "Remember that they're not operating under the League, or any official body. Who knows for sure?"

"I still feel that she wouldn't just send us to get hurt intentionally." he said, frowning.

Joy opened her mouth to say something, but I shook my head. "Let's hope so. We honestly need all the information we can get. If any of the champions are willing to let us in on what's really going on, the better armed we can be."

I blinked for a moment, taking notice of the large map a few steps away from us. A rugged figure stood in front of it. His head was covered in red hair, with a long cape dragging behind him. He wore a formal looking suit, blue with gold trim. After a moment he walked towards us with purpose. When he stood in front of me, his features were gruff and gave me the impression of someone hostile. My hands gripped Song's staff tightly as I returned the strangers look.

"So you're the ones Cynthia sent."

I backed away. "Lance?" I asked.

"Go ahead and shout it, why don't you?" he growled out. "Because all we need now is people clamoring for autographs and pictures."

I wasn't sure if he was sarcastic, but I managed to control myself. Joy and Jon didn't say anything. He nodded towards us. "Come along, you're a complication already and I'm not willing to accept failure on my mission because of some brats."

This was definitely not the Lance that the news portrayed at all. He was a little quiet during interviews, whenever he was in one. Usually Lance answered with as little words as possible, but at least he was respectful of the reporters or trainers time. This was a bit of a shock. Maybe he hates the spotlight?

"I'm not going to waste my time if you're not going to keep up." he growled out.

Joy grabbed my hand and pulled me along. This wasn't starting well. We're going to somehow prove to him that we're not useless. Though how was a good question. At least until we can get whatever information he has and we can continue on with... whatever plan we make afterwards.

After managing to walk for myself, we reached outside. I wasn't sure where we were in Hoenn. I just rode the plane here. Lance groaned. When I looked at him, he was shaking his head.

"Have you ever been to Lilycove?" he asked.

"I've never left Sinnoh until I started my adventure." I responded.

He rolled his eyes, and I did my best to hide how he was affecting me. "Kids these days." he muttered. "Let's just go. I moved my base of operations here, so you didn't have to hurt your baby Pokémon flying to reach me."

"We're all capable of flying to any location." I pointed out.

"I'm sure you are, in a region you know nothing about except from your Pokédex or whatever the Pokémon Center will tell you, right? Please leave your illusions of grandeur at the door because you won't find them here."

"What makes you think that we're here for that?" Jon asked.

"Please spare me until we get to my base of operations. So I can debunk your story properly."

I think now was the proper time to show them that this wasn't something to be proud of. Joy's hand was on my shoulder, keeping me in check from doing something that would be pretty dumb. She shook her head, and I sighed. Her fingers pulled at Song's staff gently. It was with a lot of reluctance that I let go. My hand felt a little stiff.

We didn't have to walk far to get to a nondescript building. They all looked the same for the most part. Stone roads lead to and from the airport. The odd cry of strange flying Pokémon came from above. In the distance, boats and water covered where land and buildings disappeared and the sea began. The sun made the ocean stand out among the white sand. A cough made me turn towards the sound. Lance was standing still with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Done gawking?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer and opened the door. "Inside, if you would. Let's get this over with."

We marched inside, though both of my hands were reaching for my belt. As I passed by Lance, he closed the door behind me. He passed by me without a word, flipping a switch to turn on the lights. They illuminated a small living room and kitchen, with a few doors visible down a hallway. He walked over to some curtains and pulled them open. He gestured to the chairs around the table, and we sat down. The wooden table was simple in design, matching the non-furnished room we were in.

"I hope that natural sunlight doesn't bother you." he said. "I keep hearing that most Sinnoh trainers start in the classroom."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to worry too much about me, but thank you ever so much for your sarcastic concern."

He shrugged. "Good to know. Let's get this out of the way as quickly as possible if you three would cooperate with me. The more small talk we have the more we have to tolerate each other."

I looked over to Jon and Joy, both nodding to me. A sigh escaped me before I started retelling all that's happened so far. He raised an eyebrow on occasion, but didn't interrupt while I spoke. When he did, I did my best to elaborate, explaining with better detail. Taking a deep breath, he silently stood up to go to the kitchen. He returned quickly with a tray and cups filled with water.

"Thanks." I said.

"Don't thank me just yet." he said, frowning. "Continue."

And here I thought that he was going to be nice for a change. Sighing, I continued from where I left off. It didn't take long to get to what happened in the Bell Tower and the feather that the monks gave me.

"Show me." he demanded.

I did as he asked, pulling the feather from my pocket. I was glad to remember about putting it in this pair of pants instead of hiding it in my backpack. He stood up abruptly, almost tripping on himself as he tried to back away from the feather.

"Hide it, you idiot!" he yelled.

"You asked to see it." I pointed out.

"I thought you were just weaving some intricate story." he said, frowning.

"Oh yes, I TOTALLY love to just lie to the champions of the regions about my make-believe stories and make myself look like a total badass." I said sarcastically. "It's my favorite thing to do! Especially being told by other people that I'm full of shit in the nicest way possible! Because nothing gets people's attention than just lying."

Lance sighed. "I apologize. You're right; it wasn't fair how I was treating you. In my defense, let me tell you what I've learned and perhaps you'll understand how it's come to this."

Joy sighed. "You better have the best defense to explain how you acted just now."

"To be honest, this wasn't what I was expecting from a champion." Jon said.

Lance took a drink from his cup of water, almost emptying the entire glass in one gulp. He stood up and refilled it before coming back. When he sat down he shed the cloak from his back and let it slide down.

"I'm not entirely sure where this starts. Wallace was the first one to contact me, asking me if there was any 'funny business' happening in Kanto. I asked him what he meant with that and if he could elaborate. He mentioned something about a rise in water temperature in some place and that the sea level was rising. I mentioned that there were reports with the Seafoam Islands flooding, but nothing concrete. He hung up on me right after I mentioned that bit of information. That's honestly the last time I've heard of Wallace until much later.

"A few days later Cynthia calls me, asking if Wallace spoke to me. I confirmed that we did, and she said that she would like for my help investigating the cave network. I agreed, and Cynthia mentioned that she would be there shortly. Shortly for that woman is in the next ten minutes. We had to cancel a match because she was adamant about leaving at that very moment. Before we flew, she asked if I've spoken again with Wallace and I said no.

"When we arrived to the islands, the ocean surrounding them was frozen. Yes, I made sure by stepping where it was clearly water. When we made our way inside, Wallace was trapped in some shard of ice. Cynthia called out her Lucario and broke him free. He was still alive by some miracle of Arceus, though in no condition to speak. Cynthia took him to Cinnabar Island to get him medical attention as quickly as possible. I stayed behind to see if there was any evidence, but I didn't find anything."

Lance stayed silent for a moment. "Did you find out what caused Wallace to be trapped."

"Yes, we did. After a few days, Wallace made some recovery. He swore that an entire flock of Articuno was there. He doesn't remember much afterwards, and we agree that's where he got caught and frozen. Why he wasn't killed is anyones guess."

"Perhaps they didn't want that kind of attention?" I offered.

"Maybe. But then again, you mentioned that Cresselia and it's odd that they didn't kill Wallace but that one tried to kill you."

"I have no idea. Maybe they have different intentions?" I offered.

"Could be. It seems like a large part of our problem is that we don't have a lot of evidence to support our thinking. Anything is valid at this point."

We all nodded at that. He frowned and shook his head. "Trying to remember exactly what happened afterwards."

To be honest, I think that his reasons for acting the way he did were pathetic. To each their own I guess. "When did you receive the call from Wallace?" I asked. "It's been two months since I started my adventure. When did you start investigating?"

"Two years ago." Lance answered.

That floored me. Two years? "Do you know how long Wallace was investigating? That's assuming that he's been investigating this before you."

"He was, and he's been at it for a few years as well. He's never said anything specific, but he likes to leave people guessing about unimportant things."

"That seems odd, doesn't it?" Jon asked, looking worried.

"Perhaps. Wallace has been like that for as long as I've known him become champion of Hoenn." Lance said with a shrug. "I don't let it bother me, or else it would be too much to worry about."

"Alright. What's been your experience with all this? What do you make of it?" I asked.

Lance didn't answer immediately, closing his eyes. He sighed, rubbing his forehead and shaking his head. "I hope that this doesn't leave this room." he said.

"I don't go about telling everyone that I survived a Cresselia attack by happy coincidence."

"There's something going on, that much is obvious. Pokémon and trainers up and being reported as missing or worse. Some have come up with odd symptoms bordering on hysteria and delusions. Normal people go to sleep and wake up babbling idiots rambling about how the end is coming or other nonsense. There's been 'official' talk about it being the Sinnoh legendary Pokémon that have been having an adverse effect on the human population. While that may be true, it's never happened on this kind of scale before.

"Darkrai and Cresselia have been part of our world for however long we've been around." Lance continued. "Sure people fell in comas and stuff, but they usually get healed up again sooner rather than later. If healed by modern medicine now or by Cresselia in the old days, it's just that now the scales are much higher. Not only that, the other legendary Pokémon have been more active. Kyogre and Groudon both have resurfaced after that whole team Magma and Aqua fiasco and it's been hell to get any communications out of Hoenn. You're lucky that you got through when you did."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If we don't get another earthquake in the next few days we're lucky." Lance said darkly. "It's been hard enough to get anything done, much less keep everyone calm while the ground is shaking like the island is about to break apart. It's been like this ever since I've arrived, and the locals tell me it's been like this for three years."

"Looks like something is about to happen." Joy said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

The table in front of us started shaking. I reached out to stabilize it, but it wasn't that simple. The sound of the windows shattering stopped our conversation easily. Joy grabbed me and pulled me down under the table, kicking our chairs away. Jon and Lance quickly followed, their backs pressing against me as Joy held me against her chest. The shaking didn't stop immediately and what seemed like a low roar echoed in the distance. Glass shattered nearby, showering the ground in front of us. Slowly the vibrations stopped. There wasn't any screaming, which seemed odd to me.

"It happens too often." Lance said, as if knowing that I had a question. "We had another one earlier today. This is pretty normal in the grand scheme of things."

"How long have you been in Hoenn?" Joy asked.

"A little over a year." he said, shrugging.

"So what about any challengers? Aren't you supposed to be with the Pokémon League?" I asked.

He shrugged again. "The League hasn't been doing anything since these attacks started being more pronounced. They're not acting, so we're doing it on our own terms."

At least we know we can count on them, right? At least, that's how it seemed anyway. "Is everyone alright?" Lance asked.

We all crawled out from under the table, taking stock of the situation. Only the window to the outside suffered damage. Lance did have the advantage of not having anything that could break in a place where it could fall, or if he even had many belongings here in the first place.

Lance is the first one to stand up. He grabs hold of his cloak and easily attaches it back in place. He sighs, shaking his head and offering Jon a hand up. We all get to see the outside through the broken window now. Thankfully it didn't look like there was any damage to the nearby buildings. There was a bit of debris on the ground. From what I wasn't entirely sure. Lance opened the door, turning to us.

"Would you help these people too?"

Well, it's not like we got a lot. "Sure."

=======================////////////////////============================

"The only thing I can think of is that feather." Lance said, now that we were back inside his house.

It was late in the afternoon now, after helping the neighbors repair any damage and getting a replacement for the window that shattered. It was a bit of a pain to put it back properly, but we managed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Ho-Oh's feather." he stated again. "That's what that is. For whatever reason you've been given one."

"Would you know why?" I asked.

Lance rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. Don't be stupid. No one knows quite well how the monks of the Brass Tower work. Worst case scenario is that they want you to resurrect Ho-Oh."

"That's implying that Ho-Oh is dead." Jon said.

"Well, maybe it's to resurrect another Ho-Oh." Lance said with a shrug. "I'm not entirely sure."

"It sounds like a very wild guess, even from you." Joy said.

Lance nodded. "It is. I'm just going off from what seems to make sense."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"There are a few theories that suggest that when a Ho-Oh dies, they don't really die and go into a sort of stasis. Most of the disagreement is if they turn into statues, ashes or whatever. Regardless, that feather came from a Ho-Oh. Why, I'm not entirely sure, but a Ho-Oh feather is known to be able to bring the bearer back to life."

"So... that's a bad thing." I said, frowning.

"Not necessarily." Lance said, once again shrugging. "Could be, but I doubt it. It's not like the damn Lugia that shows up and sinks three ships for no apparent reason."

I blinked. "Is everyone alright?"

"No. All fifteen that were aboard died. They were fishermen from this city." Lance snarled.

"Where do you suggest we go next?" Jon said.

"I'll get you to Sootopolis tomorrow." Lance said, frowning. "What most I have here isn't much that you didn't already know. From the looks of it, you've been through a lot more than we've researched."

"Well, so much in finding out more of this situation." I said.

"Any little bit is a step forward. Don't get so easily discouraged. Remember that things can be a lot worse right now." Joy said with a frown.

"What could be worse right now?" I asked.

"Groudon knocking on our door right now, with Kyogre right behind." Lance said, frowning. "Don't get your panties all tied up in a knot when you're lost."

I bristled at the comment, but realized that he was right in his observation. "Right, sorry." I mumbled.

"I understand why you're nervous, but you've handled yourselves out there. You'll be safe tonight so don't worry too much about it. In the meantime, how about we get some dinner? I'm pretty confident that none of you have had seafood like Hoenn."

"Maybe YOU haven't, but I'm pretty sure I can spot a good place here." Joy said.

"That sounds like a challenge." Jon said, grinning.

Joy grabbed Lance by the arm. "We'll figure something out. You two stay out of trouble!"

"I didn't agree to this!" Lance shouted. It didn't seem to matter much, as Joy dragged him out of the house without much of a struggle.

Jon grabbed my shoulder as soon as the house was quiet. "You alright?" he asked.

"No, not really. This didn't really help us out in any way other than finding out that the feather may be some other master plan to revive some long dead bird."

"That bird might be on our side." Jon said. "Did that ever come to mind?"

"No, not really. I don't particularly think that age-old Pokémon would be keen on helping us." I said, frowning. "Suicune has been the only one that's openly helping us, if that can be said. I'm not entirely sure about Giratina anymore."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What's really stopping him from coming in here right now and killing me?" I asked. "Is it really the inability to do it or something else? Why is it that Suicune keeps protecting me and my Pokémon? There's something stopping them or binding them to some rule that we don't know about, and I'm pretty sure it's about this stupid thing inside of me."

"Inside of you?" Jon asked, confused.

I groaned. "Long story short is that there's something inside of me that even Mist is afraid of."

He looked at me strangely. "That's the weirdest thing I've heard of so far in all my life." he said.

"Try seeing it from my perspective. A ghost is telling me this." I pointed out.

"Well, did she find something about this... thing... in you?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, other than the fact that she's afraid of handling it."

"That's not very reassuring." he said. "Do you think that might have something to do with the feather?"

"Maybe." I offered. "I'm not entirely sure. It reacted once, but it might have been to external forces than internal."

Speaking of external forces, I have to talk to my Pokémon about that. It might not be the best time, but whenever there's a chance I have to take it. If there's any resentment I have to take care of it. It won't do us any good if no one wants to be here.

"You alright?" Jon asked.

I shook my head. "Maybe. Have to discuss some things with my Pokémon."

"Trouble?"

"You could say that again."

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"And here I thought you didn't care." I said with a forced grin, but shook my head again. "Not unless you can figure out why my Flygon wants to leave. Though I have a pretty good idea why. That whole part where everyone died is a pretty strong indicator."

"Not going to lie, I'm surprised ANYONE is willing to stay after that." he mentioned.

"You and me both." I said, frowning.

"Who wants to leave?" he asked.

"Spirit, Io, Akalia, and Xola." I rattled off. At his confused expression, I clarified. "My Flygon, Deoxys, Luxray and Milotic."

"Well, damn." he said. "What's your plan?"

"I don't have one." I stated. "Mostly if it comes down to it, I'll send them over to Solaceon and release them electronically. It's better than being here in some region they have no idea how to navigate."

"You're just going to let them walk away?" he asked.

"It's not like I want them to, but it's not like I should force them to stay with me if they don't want to be." I said. "I don't think that's right."

"So you're going to screw yourself over hard, because your Pokémon are having a temper."

"I think it's more than just a temper problem." I offered. "I've never known Akalia to be a quitter in anything I've seen her do, and Xola plays hardball if you even suggest it. Io doesn't give me the impression that she would tolerate shit thrown at her. Spirit has proven before that if push comes to shove, she can stand with everyone else and then some."

"Remind them that you need them still." he offered.

"It might be the best shot I have." I said. "I don't think I would capture any Pokémon to replace them if they left."

"What?!"

"Would you really put another life at risk?" I asked. "Knowingly and willingly? I didn't choose this to be my life, but neither would be any Pokémon coming to replace the ones I might lose."

The door opened at this time, Lance and Joy walking in with bags in both hands. It seemed like they were getting along fine, as both spoke loudly about this or that. It was good that at least we managed to get in better terms with the champion of Kanto past our rough first meeting. Maybe he's been having a rather hard time. It's been some time that anything official has come from the champions. Perhaps he's glad that no one is going to outright judge him. I'm pretty sure that it's because we won't challenge him to because we want his title or whatever it is that challengers do. Honestly, I've never seen the point. It's not like they get much out of beating the champions other than getting their name into the hall of fame, a paycheck, and a pat on the back.

But who knows. Maybe people really do like that kind of stuff. It makes for bestselling plush toys at the very least. They're all the rage in Sinnoh when a prominent challenger shows up to fight the Elite Four and Cynthia. Maybe it's a big thing in other regions as well.

"I hope you guys don't mind a more vegetarian centered dinner." Lance said, dropping his bags on the kitchen counter. "I've gotten a bit tired of seafood."

I shrugged. "Not at all. Would you like any help?"

"Aaron should make some of his noodles." Joy said with a smirk. "You promised to make them again!"

"I did?" I asked. "I don't remember, but it's not a problem if you have the ingredients."

"I had to improvise." Joy admitted.

I shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that there's some stuff in my bag that can help if you missed anything. Let's see what we can cook up."

======================////////////////////////////=======================

After cooking, eating, and helping with the dishes we disbanded to our own respective corners. Joy and Jon both wanted to get some rest. I wanted to get some fresh air. Lance gave me a concerned look, but I assured him that I wasn't going alone. Baast was currently accompanying me, the Lucario's paws possessively holding onto my hand. Mist was also hiding somewhere inside of me, but that's due to my companion's insistence.

We weren't far away from Lance's base of operations, and it wasn't my intention to be away for too long. I kind of figured that it would be good for Baast to get out of her Pokéball, as Jon was kind enough to remind me of the Lucario's dislike of being cramped inside of on for a long time. It wasn't that late, if the sun was any indication of the time. There were people still outside, enjoying the daylight while it lasted. No one seemed to be disturbed that an earthquake happened a few hours ago. Though we weren't all that bothered either. Lance being present there might have been a contributing factor that didn't cross my mind until now.

Come to think of it, that was the first time I've experienced an earthquake. Why was I so calm?

"I am quite sure that the presence of our friends had a hand in that, Master." Mist whispered.

Maybe. But I didn't react like a ninny with his head cut off. That seemed odd by itself, looking at it in retrospective. Baast interrupted my internal thoughts.

"Is everything alright, Master?" the Lucario asked. "You seem conflicted."

"Just trying to figure out why the earthquake earlier didn't bother me as much as it should have." I answered. "I've never experienced one before until today."

The Lucario didn't answer immediately but shrugged after a moment. "Perhaps you're braver than you give yourself credit for."

I grinned at that. "I highly doubt that." I said. "I'm not that brave. Not as brave as any of you are."

"There's something else there, isn't there." Baast said.

"Yeah, there is. I'm not quite sure what to do with the ones that want to leave." I continued. "I can't really make them stay against their will. I mean... I could, but that would make me look like a huge asshole. And to be truthful, I don't blame them for wanting to leave. Being threatened with your life isn't something that anyone really signed up for."

"What about the rest? The ones that want to stay?" Baast asked.

"You all know the dangers." I said with a shrug. "You're either crazy enough to stay, or have enough crazy reasons to stay. I don't blame anyone's sense of self-preservation in this situation."

"And what about you?" she asked.

"I don't think that running away from this situation would make it better." I said, once again shrugging. "These Pokémon have proven that they're tenacious in searching for me. I don't want to put my parents, or anyone innocent, in between me and them. They've proven enough that they'll do anything to get what they want, and there are the crazy ones that will do what they won't do to get what they want. Example being that blue Mew."

At her nod, I continued. "This has to stop. Whatever it is that needs to happen needs to happen. I've come to the conclusion a while ago that Giratina and Suicune aren't going to stop chasing after me. Either it be to kill me or protect me is another story, but it would mean that there's some that want me dead or others with interest to see me alive. This isn't normal legendary behavior, that's obvious enough. I want to know why me, out of all the hundreds of thousands of people, why is it that I'm so important to their plans.

"Is it because of the.... thing inside of me? Who's really telling the truth? There seems to be a lot of confusion about what really happened when Arceus died or whatever happened to him. I don't know who's lying and who's just plain crazy, but I don't want to hear about anyone being hurt anymore. If there's any chance that we can do something about it, we have to."

Baast looked at me, her eyes shining brightly against the bright sunlight. She grinned at me, her hand squeezing mine possessively.

"And we will." she said. "While I will ask if I and perhaps Song can speak with the ones that want to leave. Perhaps we can show them how you feel."

"Knock yourselves out." I said. "Do you want to go do it now?"

"No time like the present." the Lucario stated.

I nodded, handing Baast the Pokéballs containing Akalia, Xola, Spirit, and Io. Mist stuck her head out of my chest, and I couldn't help but think that anyone seeing me at the moment would be shocked.

"Do you wish me to come along, Baast?" the ghost asked as she left my body.

"Yes, please." she answered. "I think it would be good for them to understand how Master feels."

"I'm pretty sure that Iolanthe knows how I feel." I said, frowning.

"Does she?" Mist asked, her grin making the ghost looks menacing. "We will find out soon enough."

I pulled another Pokéball from my waist and opened it, Song grabbing me in a tight hug as soon as she materialized. It took the help of Baast to pull the affectionate Gardevoir off me before I was impaled on her chest.

"Could you help Baast and Mist?" I asked. "They want to talk to the ones that want to leave."

She nodded. "We'll convince them, don't worry."

"When you say that, it makes me worry." I said with a sigh. "Let's find a place secluded."

"Maybe by the shore?" Song suggested. "We might find somewhere out of sight."

"I want to stay close by." I mentioned. "I haven't told anyone that I would be leaving and everybody didn't want me going by myself."

"But you are not alone, Master." Mist pointed out.

"They wanted to be along, the number of Pokémon notwithstanding."

"They don't trust us?" Baast asked with a growl.

"I'm pretty sure that it's more about that we're in a region I have never been, and it's happened once where we were attacked when we were alone."

She calmed down after that, nodding her head. We walked back towards Lance's house, and I asked if I could borrow a chair or something. Lance gave me a curious look, but provided a portable chair at Joy's look. Jon raised an eyebrow, as if asking something. I shrugged, not entirely sure how to put it without possibly raising some concern from Lance. It wasn't like there wouldn't be any, though I doubt he would be left in the dark for long.

I wasn't excited to do this, but it needed to be resolved quickly. This could backfire on us if it wasn't taken care of quickly. Baast seemed to be in agreement with this line of thought, as she quickly opened the Pokéballs I handed to her and took lead of the situation when everyone was willing to listen. Not that it was difficult for the Lucario to have everyone's attention when she pointed at me.

While my attention was to keep an eye on things so they didn't get out of hand, it was obvious that this wasn't going to come to blows. Baast may be a bit forceful, but at least she chooses her words carefully. Zin, on the other hand, spoke her mind with no regard of anyone in the near vicinity. Add to the insults she was throwing about, it might have been a miracle that someone as patient as Io held herself back. To be honest, that scene yesterday could have been a lot worse. It didn't surprise me too much that it was Spirit that picked up the fight, though I was expecting Akalia or Xola to shut the Houndoom up.

Song speaking brought me back to reality. She wasn't talking to me, so I quickly assessed the situation in front of me. I wasn't entirely sure what they aimed to do, to be honest. Every Pokémon had a valid reason to leave. I didn't blame them to call it quits after dying and being brought back. Akalia was the first to move past the speaking Gardevior and jumping into my arms. The act wasn't expected, but not unwelcome. My arms held her securely as her purring rumbled loudly in my ears. Her glowing yellow eyes made me feel like she was looking for something she hasn't seen before. It was hard for me to tell what it was that she was looking for. Mist floated by, touching my chest gently with a thin tendril. Akalia placed a paw on the same spot, her eyes looking into mine as if waiting for something to happen. Mist whispered something softly into the Luxray's ear, causing Akalia to pull her paw away from me.

It looked like Akalia was incredibly saddened for a moment. She buried her face against my neck, electricity tingling my fingers as it sparked across her fur. I was surprised at first but decided not to open my mouth at the moment. It felt like it would ruin the moment. Song continued to speak as if nothing had happened, Akalia's movements not interrupting whatever point she wanted to make. It was hard to see how everyone was reacting to Song's speech through the affectionate Luxray. Her star tipped tail sparked with electricity as it wagged with a life of its own.

Akalia demanded all of my attention, so it wasn't all bad. It was amusing to see her like this, though it might have been due to whatever Song just said to everyone. Baast growling punctuated Song's speech on occasion, but it didn't seem to interrupt her. The other three Pokémon didn't seem too bothered by whatever Song was talking about. Mist took over, interrupting Song after a moment. She didn't speak anywhere near close to how long that Song spoke, but it seemed to make a bigger impact. The ghost motioned to me a few times, though I wasn't sure if it was to show Akalia and me snuggling or whatever was inside of me. It was probably the latter seeing as Xola was giving me weird looks. She looked uncomfortable when Mist stopped speaking.

"Well?" Mist asked.

"I think you may be right." Iolanthe said, nodding. "That may be why it is so difficult to stay away from him."

"Spirit?" Song asked.

The Flygon shrugged but didn't give any other indication to answering the question. Baast didn't feel the same about her reaction, but Song held her in check. Mist shook her head and floated over to the Lucario to whisper something. Whatever was said kept Baast under control. Someone said something, because after a moment Spirit looked livid. Her wings flapped fast enough to allow her to hover over Song as she pressed her face close to hers. As much as I felt the need to defend someone here, I wasn't sure what was being said. Akalia stayed with me, keeping me from rising. She shook her head, her large paws stopping me from standing.

Song didn't flinch as she stared at the angry Flygon in the eye. "Well?" she asked loudly.

They stared at each other for a long time. Xola moved wordlessly past the staring contest over towards me. Wordlessly she moved closer. Akalia moved to allow Xola to speak to me directly and not through a mass of fur. She rubbed her cheek against mine for a moment, mumbling an apology. Holding onto Akalia with one hand, I used the other to rub Xola's cheek back.

She opened her mouth but I placed a finger on her lips. Bringing my arm around her body, I brought her head to rest against mine. She sighed, snuggling against me without any struggle after that. I turned to Song and Spirit and was relieved that nothing else had happened. Spirit was on the ground again as Iolanthe rested two of her tentacles on the Flygons shoulders. They were still speaking in low voices, but it didn't look like anything else was going to happen.

"Can I get up now?" I asked the Luxray sitting on me. She shook her head no and purred louder in response. Xola giggled but didn't offer to move either.

Even after that, the remaining Pokémon approached where I sat. Spirit seemed disheartened for whatever reason. I was immediately concerned, but Song held a hand up to stop me. My Flygon bowed her head and muttered something that was unintelligible to me. I brought my hand up and let it rest against her cheek. She was shivering under my touch, but her eyes stared into mine with a resolve I haven't seen before.

Akalia and Xola quickly pulled away from me. Before I could wonder why, Spirit grabbed hold of me in a hug. I was about to shout something, but our surroundings blurred together as we flew up into the air. A wave of disorientation hit me alongside a wave of panic. This was certainly a new experience, and not one that I was keen on repeating. Looking up towards Spirit, her attention was skywards. We stopped climbing in altitude, her wings keeping us steady above the ground. Looking around us, we weren't all that high up but it still bothered me that if Spirit let go of me I would be just a big red stain in the pavement.

Not the best thought to have at all. Spirit's hold on me tightened considerably as we stayed still up in the air. I wasn't entirely sure why she flew us up. Maybe to get away from everyone else? And why did it feel like we were being watched by someone that wasn't invited? While I tried to shift in place, Spirit's grip didn't let me move much. Probably for the best considering where I currently was. We slowly moved downwards, though Spirit didn't look like she was paying much attention to her surroundings or how much her grip was beginning to hurt. My feet touched solid ground and Spirit all but threw me out of the way. I stumbled, but something stopped me from falling completely. Orange and blue tentacles wrapped around me.

"Io?"

"I have you, Master." she answered. "Though we have more important things to worry about."

I held back the sarcastic response that came to mind. Focusing on my surroundings it was easy to see why Spirit acted the way she did. Though why she was attacking Darkrai again was another question.

"Spirit, stop!"

"Is that really wise?" Io asked.

I didn't have a good answer for her at the moment. "Remember what happened in Mount Silver."

Spirit didn't seem pleased with my decision, but backed off nonetheless. Her wings were buzzing loudly and her tail was moving across the stone underneath us. Taking a brief glance at our surroundings suggested we were on top of a building. Large air-conditioning units were a strong indication of that.

"Thank you. I am here to relay information from Father." an unfamiliar male voice said. I looked towards the Darkrai as he floated closer to me and brushed his claws against his chest.

"You don't have to get that close to me." I said, taking a step back. "No offense, but when one of you grabbed hold of one of my Pokémon she lost all but her basic psychic abilities. Not to mention the rumors about people and Pokémon being put in commas or worse."

He stopped approaching and gave me a curt nod. "So be it." he said. If he was insulted he didn't show it.

"If you insist in continuing this 'journey' of yours, Father recommends that you investigate the Sky Pillar. Home of Rayquaza the Sky Guardian, he might have the answers you seek."

"That's vague." I said, rolling my eyes. "We'll see. We have our own plans, but we'll keep it in mind if we don't have any further leads. I also don't see the need to barge in Rayquaza's home. We already have enough Pokémon that want to stop us."

"More than just stop you." he said icily. "They want you dead."

"Suicune spoiled that bit, but thank you for clarifying." I said. "You can go now. We will take Giratina's words as a good suggestion. You know that Giratina is one of the ones that wants me dead, right?"

Darkrai didn't say anything after that. He shimmered for a moment before disappearing as quickly as he appeared. Why he would be here is a good question. He was different from the one that we encountered before. Was he against Giratina? Sending me to die would be pretty cute. That would throw all of the ones that want Arceus' soul in a panic, since they wouldn't know where it would be until they found the vessel again.

I've heard stories of Rayquaza. If anyone is willing to travel to the Sky Pillar and climb all fifty floors, he will supposedly answer your questions. I imagine that the questions have to be within reason. I don't think he would give the answer to the meaning of life if anyone asked. Though it would be hilarious if he answered forty-two.

"Master?" Iolanthe asked.

"What's up?"

"Does this change any of our plans?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. Giratina wants us to go to the Sky Pillar? He should have come over and said so himself. I would be more trusting of the two Darkrai that we've encountered before, but we've never encountered this one before. We'll go with what Lance wants to do first before we resort to that suggestion."

Iolanthe nodded. "And what about Spirit?"

"What do you mean?"

Looking over to where the Flygon was standing, I could see why Io pointed her out. She was visibly shaking, though why was a mystery to me. As I came closer to her, she spun around and grabbed hold of me again. Did Darkrai do something to her? I forced myself to pull away from her grip and grabbed her neck. She stiffened, but leaned down so we could see directly into each other's eyes. Her pupils were slightly dilated, and the red shields over her eyes looked like something punched a hole in them. I've never noticed this, and it hasn't been that long since we got her checked up at a Pokémon Center.

"Io, could you get us down? I'd like for everyone to get checked in at the Pokémon Center."

========================//////////////////////////======================

"You'll be glad to hear that all of your Pokémon are perfectly healthy." Nurse Joy said brightly.

"Could I ask you if you noticed anything strange about my Flygon?" I asked her. "Her lenses were pierced."

"That could be normal wear and tear." she said. "Have you been flying a lot?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we've flown a lot and for extended periods of time. But I've always come to a Pokémon Center to get them checked out as soon as possible."

"Still could be normal. I wouldn't worry too much about it, to be honest, but I'll keep an eye on her overnight just to be sure. She seems to behave normally."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"Aaron!"

Turning towards whoever called me, it wasn't a surprise to see that it was Joy. I didn't see Jon or Lance, but they're probably planning something. Joy looked relieved to see me.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Just getting my team checked up just in case. Spirit's goggles didn't look right so I figured this was a good place to stop before going back."

"We're all waiting for you, dammit!" she exclaimed. "You said you were going to cook!"

"We cooked already before I stepped out." I said, frowning. "You passed out and refused to wake up to anyone. The leftovers are in the fridge."

She stood there a little dumbfounded before frowning at me. "Take me out for dinner." she proclaimed.

Nurse Joy decided to politely interrupt by speaking. "At least say hello to me."

"Hi sis." Joy said before turning to me. "Well?"

"Do you know of a place that's open, Nurse Joy?"

"There's a few restaurants down by the beach." she said. "Nothing fancy, but they're always open late."

"Sounds good to me." Joy said, grabbing my hand. "Let's go."

"Don't I have a say in this?"

"No you don't."

Joy didn't say anything past that, pulling me along against my will. Was this going to be theme in my life? This happened too often, though sometimes with nice results. I highly doubted that would happen after this. It was still up in the air as to how serious she was about all this. She didn't strike me as that kind of woman though. Then again, assuming is bad for you. Making an ass of yourself and all that.

It wasn't that late, but the sun looked like it was beginning to lower into the horizon. We slowed down a few paces after leaving the Pokémon Center. Thank Arceus because it felt like my arm was going to be pulled from its socket. A few people looked at us oddly, but neither of us paid them any mind. Joy gave me a look as she walked side by side. Her grip on my arm didn't relent at any point but it was impossible for me to pick at her mind. Whenever I opened my mouth she would speed up her pace or pull me to I would lose my balance. It only took me five attempts to get the message.

After a while, Joy giggled when we reached a wooden path separating the beach proper and the city. "Truthfully, I already ate. I was teasing that you didn't really eat much." she said suddenly. "Why are you over here instead of back with everyone else?"

"I had to handle something important." I said.

"Something to do with your Pokémon?" she asked.

"Some of them wanted to leave." I said.

I could feel gaze trying to pierce through me. "You're joking, right?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not."

"Who left?"

"No one. Baast, Mist, and Song had a few choice words to tell them. I have no idea what they told them, but it seemed to have worked."

"OK, who wanted to leave?"

"Spirit, Akalia, Xola, and Io."

"Deoxys as well?" Joy asked.

"Yeah. Though to be honest with you I don't blame any of them for wanting to leave. I'm surprised that you and Jon are still here."

She didn't answer for a moment. "Would you believe that I care about you?"

I nodded. "I don't doubt your ability to care. It just feels like everyone should have ran away a long time ago just due to self-preservation instincts."

"Some of us learn slower than others." she pointed out, her finger poking my chest. "Besides, going through that dying experience kind of made me think of how I treat people and stuff."

"Oh?"

"I treated you like a piece of shit when we first met." she said with a shrug. "That didn't sit well with me. I feel like I need to make up for that."

"I hope that the feelings you have for me are attached to feelings of pity." I said, frowning.

She shook her head. "No. I worry about you, but I don't pity you. The idiot who thought putting some part of Arceus in you deserves pity, because I'm going to kick their head in when we find out who did it."

"You know that it was probably Arceus that did it." I pointed out. "Giratina wouldn't have had a hand in it, so it seems like it would be random chance."

"Random?" Joy asked. "Is that really the case?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, but you mentioning that I didn't eat a lot before leaving made me hungry again."

With that the seemingly somber atmosphere faded around us. Hearing her laugh made me feel good if for that small moment. While it wasn't clear exactly what was going on, maybe tomorrow we could find something that can point us in the right direction.

"You're paying, by the way." she said.

"Why am I not surprised." I said, shaking my head.

=========================/////////////////////////////===================

Nurse Joy was nice enough to give me and Joy a room in the Pokémon Center for the night. While they were full, we slept in the reception room. Joy didn't want to go back to Lance and Jon. I didn't argue with her. She poked me in the chest, as if daring me to say something.

"What?" I asked.

"You shift a lot when you sleep." she said.

"Sorry."

She smiled but shook her head. "It isn't as bad as it sounds."

"If you say so." I conceded. "Should we go back?"

"But we're warm right now." she said with a pout. "Besides, do you really want to go move?"

I felt resigned to whatever she wanted me to do. For the moment at least. We didn't spend a lot of time together, and I haven't really tried to get to know her at a deeper level. Though it seemed that Joy enjoyed the quiet moments more than anything. It was a good change, instead of having to wonder about a language barrier half of the time.

Nurse Joy came up to us with a grin on her face. "I wasn't sure if you two were serious or not."

"We are." Joy said with a smile. "He's warm."

"And I didn't need to know that!" Nurse Joy proclaimed. "Are you two staying in any longer?"

"We have to meet with our friends soon, so we'll be out of your hair." I said, struggling in vain against Joy's hug. "As soon as Joy lets me get up."

"Warm..."

"Alright, we get it!" I exclaimed.

Both ladies laughed. I felt like they both knew what was going to happen. Joy sat up, holding the blanket over herself as if suggesting that she wasn't proper underneath it. Nurse Joy shook her head and walked away without saying anything else after that.

"Why do you tease her so much?" I asked.

"Because it's fun." she said with a grin. "Don't you think so?"

"You're not naked, though." I pointed out.

"How do you know?"

I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "You're no fun."

========================////////////////////////========================

"Good for you to finally come back." Lance said.

"I had to handle something important." I said. "And yes, just as important as our current situation."

He looked at me, as if ready to challenge my words. Joy stepped up and shook my head. "You really don't want to piss off his Flygon." she said.

Lance huffed, but didn't offer any more resistance after that. "Fine. Are you ready to fly?"

I nodded. "Where are we going? Specifically I mean. You mentioned Sootopolis yesterday."

"We are headed to the Cave of Origin." he said. "Perhaps there will be clues that you will recognize that I didn't see as important."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I said. "Mind if I ride with you Joy?"

She didn't ask why, only releasing her Hydreigon. Zefyra didn't ask why either, only lowering her heads to allow me to climb onto her back once Joy climbed on her back. Both Jon and Lance released their Dragonites. Both giant Pokémon looked at each other, as if assessing the others strength before nodding respectfully to each other. Lance and his Dragonite took off first, followed by Jon and his dragon.

"Ready?" Joy asked.

"I'm ready."

"Let's go."

Zefyra roared loudly through all three of her heads. I'm pretty sure that anyone nearby would be startled, especially with how unique she looked. Whatever happened now was a little out of my hands now. Hopefully Sootopolis and this Cave of Origin held answers and fewer questions.