FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

After a few days of traveling south Galen and Valor arrived in Veilstone City. Though he knew they were there to look for a lead to Tamash?, being in the old stone city caused Valor to feel a new wave of sadness. The reason for his sadness was simple: it had been in Veilstone that he had purchased Tamash?'s Soothe Bell. The memory of that day only served to remind him of how bad a turn their lives had taken, and it only made him feel worse to think of what his mate must be going through while he searched for her.

Galen was leading the way through the city, Valor following behind. Though he knew the older man clearly knew where he was going, Valor felt compelled to ask, "So, where is it you hope to find this friend of yours?"

Galen looked back over his shoulder, flashing a victorious smile. "Not hoping to find, found. I've already found his Aura right where I thought it would be: at the Veilstone Game Corner."

Valor gulped in concern. "Wait, this guy isn't some compulsive gambler, is he? Or, some kind of mob boss or something?"

Galen chuckled at the question. "What kind of people do you think I associate with? Don't worry, he's not a criminal. However, he is a little...odd. Also, I would make very sure that you don't even accidentally hint at your relationship with Tamash?. A mistake like that in front of him could be very costly."

Valor was still concerned about meeting with Galen's friend, but now for a different reason. "How costly?"

"He's a member of the International Police. That's how costly."

"Is it's that risky, then maybe we should try something else."

Galen shook his head at the suggestion. "This is our best option. But, if you have a better idea I'll gladly hear it."

When Valor remained silent Galen said, "Don't worry. Just be careful and watch what you say. It'll be fine."

Still not convinced, Valor begrudgingly agreed, silently hoping that Galen was right about this course of action. Having come in from the north side of town it took them another few minutes of walking to reach their destination. The Veilstone Game Corner was a small building, the outside decorated with flashing lights and bright colours. Galen led the way, stepping through the door and into a world dominated by flashing displays and a multitude of sounds proclaiming both victory and defeat. Valor had never been inside a place like it, mainly because he had discovered when he was young that he was terrible at games of chance.

"Come on kid. He's sitting at a slot machine in the back row."

Galen set off through the sea of electronic gaming machines, headed straight for the back of the building. There were relatively few people present at the machines, which Valor thought made sense, considering that it was still pretty early in the day. They reached the last row of slot machines, and Valor was surprised to see only one other person there, a man with black hair who was wearing a brown coat, his eyes intently fixed on the screen in front of him.

Without a word to Valor, Galen walked up behind the man, tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Think you could give a moment of your busy schedule to an old friend?"

"My streak, it is broken! Why did you interrupt-" The man's expression changed as he looked at who had disturbed him, becoming a smile of recognition. "You are lucky it is you, or I might not be forgiving for this."

Galen chuckled slightly. "Hey Looker, how've ya been?"

Looker stood up from his machine, his game forgotten by the sudden meeting. "I have been well. And you, old friend?"

"I can't really complain, although I will admit my life has gotten a little dull in the last few years. But, I've got a kid on the way, so that's a new adventure in and of itself."

"Really? Well, I give you my congratulations." Noticing Valor for the first time, Looker asked, "Who is this you have brought with you?"

Galen's own smile vanished as he was reminded why they were there. "This is my friend Valor. He has encountered a problem I was hoping you might be able to help with."

Looker nodded. "For you, I will always offer help if it is possible. However, let us leave here. It is rather noisy, and not good for a conversation of importance."

Galen nodded in agreement. "Let's head to the Pokémon Center. We should be able to find some peace and quiet there."

The three of them left, making their way back through the maze of lights and sounds. After a short walk through the city they arrived at the Center, and quickly sought out a quiet place to continue with their conversation. They wound up sitting at a smallish table, Valor and Galen on one side of it, and Looker sitting opposite them on the other. "So my friend, this problem you said your friend was having, what is it?"

"It's Valor's problem. I'll let him explain."

Slightly apprehensive, Valor began explaining, keeping in mind what Galen had told about being careful of what he said. As he explained Looker sat there in silence, listening intently. Valor let out a slow breath when he finished, trying to remain calm, and not break down from emotion. Even though it had been a few days, the emotional wounds still felt fresh.

Looker sat back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest. "This is indeed an unfortunate situation, and surely it has been hard on you, but what is it you expect of me?"

Recognizing that Valor was struggling to maintain his composure, Galen retook control of the conversation, saying, "We were hoping you might be able to help us find the Pokémon Hunters in question. We don't really know where to start looking. I thought that, being a member of the International Police, you could provide so assistance with that."

Looker sadly shook his head. "I apologise, my friend, and to you too Valor, but I do not think I can help with this. If we of the International Police aren't already aware of them, then we wouldn't know where to find them."

"So there's nothing you can do?"

"Well, if their names were known to me, I could put out a warrant for their arrest. But that is all I'm afraid I can do."

Valor spoke again, his voice coming out a bit shaky. "I think...their names were...Vince...and Daniel."

As soon as the words left Valor's mouth Looker's eye went wide in surprise, causing Galen to look at his suspiciously. "Looker, do you know something?"

Looker gulped, clearly and suddenly uneasy. "These two Hunters, was one tall and thickly built? And the other, he was shorter, and slimmer, yes?"

Valor nodded, wondering where he was going with this. Looker shook his head and, after moment of silence he said, "I must apologise once more to you both. I had not made the connection. A couple days ago, two bodies were recovered from an area just north of Mount Coronet. Their identities, they were two wanted Pokémon Hunters, and their names, they were Vince and Daniel. They had been killed by gun shots to their heads. There was also evidence that recently they had some form of prisoner, your Lucario, most likely."

Valor sat there in silent shock, not believing what he had just heard. Now there was no way of even knowing who Tamash? was with, or where she was. They had lost their only possible source of information.

Galen's shock was not quite so silent. "Dammit. This just makes things even worse. Well, thanks anyway Looker, but it looks like you really can't help us. Unless of course you have any clue as to who the killer was?"

"No. I'm sorry, I don't. I wish to help, but, I know nothing else. However, I can put out an alert, tell people to be on the lookout for a Lucario matching the description of yours, Valor."

Valor nodded silently, wishing he could be anyone else at that moment. Looker gave a final apology, then bid them farewell, leaving them to ponder their next move.

Galen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Now we're back to square one. Valor, do you know anything-anything-else that could provide us with a hint, or an idea. Maybe, a clue as to the identity of who would want Tamash?. I think it's rather clear that those Hunters were double crossed by the person who wanted to buy her. Have you met anyone who showed excessive interest in her?"

Valor was silent for a moment, then the memory came to him. "Well, when we were in Lilycove, Tamash? and I competed in a Pokémon Contest. We lost in the final round-or rather had to forfeit-and while we were back stage afterward, we were approached by a man...who said he was a collector of rare and beautiful pokémon. He offered to buy Tamash?, and naturally I turned him down. After all, how could I sell her? I thought that was the end of it, but maybe I was wrong."

Galen nodded. "Did you happen to get his name? That could be helpful. We could track him down and find out if he's involved."

"Uh...I think he said his name was Lawrence."

"Fuck!"

Valor blinked in surprise at the outburst. "What? Do you know the guy or something?"

"This Lawrence, did he have long blond hair and green eyes? Maybe two inches taller than me, probably wearing a white suit?"

Valor nodded. "You just described him exactly."

Galen sat back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well kid, the good news is I know where we can find her. The bad news is, it would be far too dangerous to retrieve her as we are now."

"Hold on, are you sure you know where to find her? I mean, you're sure he's the one behind it?"

Galen nodded in confirmation. "I'm positive. I've dealt with the bastard before, and I warned him last time that if I found out he was involved in illegal dealings again, then I would be coming after him. He has a large estate in the Kanto Region. That's where we'll find Tamash?."

Valor stood up, smiling. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Didn't you hear me? It's too dangerous to go as we are now. Or rather, it's too dangerous for you to go."

"How so?"

Galen took a deep breath. "Look, this guy won't bother challenging you to a pokémon battle. He will pull out a gun and kill you, just like he must have done to those Hunters. I should know. I have a scar on my left shoulder to prove how trigger happy the bastard is."

"I still don't get what the problem is. Can't we just protect ourselves with Aura shields?"

Galen shook his head. "No. A normal Aura shield would just shatter under that kind of force in such a focused area. Bullets are one of the few things that a normal Aura shield simply can't stop. With how much money Lawrence has-and believe me, it's a lot-he can afford to have a small army of armed guards, each one with a fire arm of their own. If it was just me, I could handle it. But since it's both of us, and I can't realistically protect both of us completely, I'm going to have to teach you how to create an Aura shield that can block bullets."

A crestfallen look on his face, Valor asked, "How long will that take?"

Galen shook his head in response. "I don't really know. When I developed the technique it took me about two months to get it right. I've never taught it to someone else, but since I know how it works, it all depends on how fast you can learn it. It could take three days, it could take three weeks. I just don't know."

Shaking with frustration, Valor asked, "So, you expect me to go into training for an unknown amount of time, while my mate is being held prisoner by some psychopath who could kill her any moment? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?"

"Valor, calm down. We know where to find her, but that's useless if you get yourself killed in the process of saving her. It wouldn't do you or her any good. And, Lawrence isn't the type who would just get rid of something he sees as valuable. As long as he thinks she's worth something, she'll be safe. So, just give me the time, and I can drastically increase your odds of surviving when we go to get her."

Valor nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I'll go along with this." Then, staring unblinkingly into Galen's eyes he said, "But I'll warn you right now, if you are wrong, and she is hurt-or worse-when we get her back, then I'm going to make sure Lawrence suffers, and then I'm coming after you."

Knowing that Valor wasn't in any way kidding, Galen nodded in response. "If that's what you feel you need to do kid. But for now, we should get moving. We have a lot of work to do before we make any kind of rescue attempt."

Galen stood up and led the way out of the Pokémon Center, Valor following behind him. Despite the threat he had just made, Valor found himself desperately hoping that Galen was right.

***

Another day of traveling found Galen and Valor walking down a path in one of Sinnoh's forests, the sun shining through the leaves, creating a cascade of emerald light. They reached their destination, coming out from under the verdant canopy to step into a clearing that was all too familiar to them both. Their travels had returned them to the very place where, almost two years ago, Galen had first instructed Valor as a Guardian of Aura.

The clearing was large, and there was a river flowing nearby. There was no evidence anywhere of human presence. Here, there was a sense of tranquillity that only nature could create. Valor couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia at being in this place once more. It seemed like the time spent here had been a life time ago. So much had happened since then, and so much had changed. "So Galen, why did we come here?"

Galen set his back pack down against one of the trees at the edge of the clearing, then turned to face Valor. "Tradition I guess. This is where I was trained. This is where I trained you the first time. I thought it made sense to come here again."

Valor nodded. "It does. So, when do we get started?"

"We have a few hours left until sunset, so, we start right now." Galen pointed to an area over by the river and said, "Your first lesson starts with this. You are to sit there by the river and meditate."

"What purpose does that serve?" Valor asked, not understanding.

"The purpose is for you to learn to focus. You are to sit there and concentrate on your meditation. When you have that down, we start with teaching you some new stuff."

"I still don't understand." Valor said with a shake of his head.

"You don't have to understand. Not yet. Just do it."

Hoping that this whole thing wasn't just a waste of time, Valor went and sat down where Galen had indicated. He closed his eyes, opening his senses to see the Aura of his surroundings. All of the life in the area thrummed with latent energy. Everything seemed to glow with light.

Valor had always found it fascinating that only people and pokémon glowed in different colours, whereas plants and the earth itself simply glowed with a soft white light. Then of course there were things made by humans, which always appeared black or dark grey.

But right at that moment, white was most prevalent to Valor. Mixed in with it where the Auras of the various pokémon living in the forest, a rainbow of hues and shades against the stark whiteness of the forest's own Aura. Perhaps the brightest thing Valor could see though was Galen's Aura, the bright, fiery red colour clearly standing out against everything else.

Based on what he could see, it appeared to Valor as though Galen was observing him. Valor gulped nervously, trying not to focus on Galen. After a minute the other man turned away, walking out into the middle of the clearing.

Valor continued watching Galen's Aura with curiosity, trying to discern what he was doing. After a few seconds another strip of red Aura appeared in Valor's field of vision. For some reason, Galen had created an Aura shield at the far end of the clearing. Galen then took a firing stance, and from what Valor could tell, he started charging an Aura Sphere, clearly intent on firing it toward the shield.

The last thing that Valor saw was as ball of energy fly toward the shield at an incredibly high speed. It smashed into the shield, shattering it with an explosive smashing sound, sending out a small gust of wind in every direction.

Shocked by the effect of the impact Valor's eyes snapped open. "Galen, what the hell are you doing?"

Galen shrugged. "It's been a while since I've actually fought using my Aura, so I'm a bit out of practice. I figured while you're doing that, I would get in some training of my own."

Valor looked at him in disbelief. "And, you expect me to concentrate on meditation while you are setting off small explosions?"

"That's exactly what I expect you to do. Now get to it."

With a defeated sigh Valor closed his eyes again, stretching out his senses once more. Over the course of the next few hours Valor found his focus consistently broken by Galen, something that only served to frustrate him, making it all the more difficult to focus.

That night as they sat around the small fire that Galen had lit in-between the two tents that he had also put up near the edge of the clearing, Valor made no attempts to hide his frustration. "So really, what was the point of today just to waste time?"

Galen gave a disappointed sigh. "No, it wasn't. And you are going to keep doing what you did today until you can maintain your focus, no matter what I-or anyone else-may be doing."

Valor was tempted to argue against that, but he decided that it wouldn't be worth the effort. Whenever Galen decided on something it was impossible to argue with him.

They were up at dawn the next morning, and after a quick breakfast, they picked up where they had left off the previous day. Galen had shifted his pattern of training when he started his practicing, and now instead of just firing an Aura sphere at the shields he created he would first fire three quick blasts of Aura to weaken the shields, then he would fire an Aura sphere to shatter them.

By midday Valor had become rather familiar with the pattern of attacks, but still found it impossible to focus on anything else. Then, a thought came to him, a little idea that brought a small smile to his lips. Instead of fighting against the distractions, Valor took a deep breath, and allowed himself to focus on the rhythm of the attacks.

Suddenly focus came easily, and he was able to broaden his senses to encompass not only the clearing, but he found himself able to see everything within a half mile radius of where he was. A few minutes later Valor found his focus broken again, but this time not because of Galen's practicing, but instead because the other man suddenly stopped, standing perfectly still. "Well kid, you honestly got that faster than I expected."

Valor opened his eyes, his expression one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

With a smile Galen said, "The purpose of that training was to teach you to look for patterns in things. When you're in a fight, focus and understanding can save your life. If you can focus your mind on a consistent pattern-even something as simple as the pattern of your own breathing-then you can maintain your focus and composure, which will increase your chances of survival. This is especially important when creating an Aura shield that can block projectiles like bullets."

Valor's expression turned a bit sheepish as Galen gave his explanation. "Well, I kind of feel like an idiot for getting so frustrated with all that. I feel like that was kind of obvious."

Galen shrugged. "Hindsight is twenty-twenty. And like I said, you got that faster than I thought you would. Now, before I start teaching you any new stuff, I feel we should do a little review of the basics first."

Galen walked over and sat down in front of Valor in a cross legged position. "So, question one: what is Aura?"

Valor blinked in surprise at being asked such a basic question. "Uh...it's the energy of the universe that exists in all natural things and is produced by living things."

Galen nodded approvingly. "Essentially correct. Now, what are the seven different colours of Aura that can be seen in people and pokémon?"

Valor thought for a moment, then said, "Red, blue, yellow, green, pink, purple and orange."

"Very good. Now, what does each colour represent?"

"Uh...well...red is uh, anger...and uh...yellow is uh...I...don't remember any of the rest. Sorry."

Galen shook his head. "Don't apologise. You're here to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. Each colour of Aura draws its power from a different emotion or state of mind. A red Aura, like mine, can draw its power from either deep, passionate love, or from righteous fury. Blue Aura's power can come from serenity or depression. Yellow's power is fuelled by either happiness or fear. Green Aura, like yours, can draw its strength from one of three sources: courage, envy, or a deep bond of unwavering love. Pink's powers come from either love in its simplest form, or from obsession, and there is an unfortunately fine line between the two. Then purple and orange are the least complicated of the seven. Purple is powered by pride, and orange's strength comes from compassion."

Valor nodded. "Alright, I think I've got it. It seems like a lot of them get their power from love."

Galen nodded. "That's because love is very powerful, and is a great source of inspiration for many people."

Valor gave an understanding nod in response. "Now I have a question. When I fought Faerin in Lilycove City, his Aura had changed from yellow to black. So, what is black Aura then?"

Galen was quiet for a moment, then said, "Tell you what, let's focus on you training for now, and I'll explain that to you later after we've finished today's lessons. That is a subject that will wind up turning into a history lesson."

Valor nodded reluctantly, then said, "So where do we start?"

"First, one final question: what is an Aura shield? And don't say 'a shield made of Aura'."

"Well...it's a Guardians first line of defence in a fight, and it's basically a solid wall of Aura designed to absorb impacts."

"You're exactly right, and that's the problem."

Valor tilted his head to one side, not understanding Galen's response. "Wait, it's a problem that I'm right?"

Galen shook his head with a laugh. "No. The problem is that a normal Aura shield is rigid, inflexible. When a bullet, which packs an enormous amount of force into a very concentrated space, hits that rigid wall, it's like it's hitting glass. The shield simply shatters. Now, any force that's strong enough can shatter an Aura shield, but as long as you pour more power into the shield it can withstand the impact. However, that's not the case when it comes to blocking bullets. When doing that, there is a totally different set of rules. In that case, funnelling more power into the shields you create will only serve to tire you out. Instead what you have to do, is vary the amount of energy you put into the shield."

Valor shook his head, not understanding. "What does that mean?"

"It means that every second you have to be able to unconsciously alter how much energy is flowing into your shield. Sometimes more energy, sometimes less energy, but never the same amount for more than a second or two. That creates ripples in the shield's energy flow that gives it flexibility. And when you can do that, then bullets are no longer a problem. So, first, I want you to create a normal Aura shield."

They both stood up and Valor did as Galen instructed, creating an emerald wall of energy a few meters away. Galen then brought up his left hand, his palm facing toward Valor's newly created barrier. An incredibly small Aura sphere, no larger than a small marble, appeared just above the surface of Galen's palm. "This is a highly focused Aura sphere. This is how we will test the shields you create as your training progresses. Now, I want you to pour as much power as you can into that shield for the next few seconds."

Valor nodded, and after a few seconds the small Aura sphere left Galen's hand at a high speed with a sound that was not dissimilar to that of a gunshot. Almost as soon as it was fired it collided with Valor's shield, shattering it completely.

Valor stared for a moment, awestruck. "Damn."

"That was to show what a bullet would do to an ordinary shield. Now, this time, continue to feed energy into the shield, even after I fire, but this time, try to change how much energy you are putting into it from moment to moment-second to second if you can."

And just like that, Valor's true training had begun.

***

In the failing light Valor sat beside their camp fire, exhausted by his first day of actual training. Galen sat on the opposite side of the fire, looking a bit tired out himself. "Well kid, if you keep progressing at your current pace, we should only be here for maybe another week or two."

"You still think it will take that long?"

Galen nodded. "This isn't going to be an over night thing, but we can certainly make it go by at a relatively quick pace."

Valor let out a defeated sigh, wishing that it would go faster, if only for Tamash?'s sake. "Alright. I guess I don't really have much choice, do I?"

"That's not true. You could get up and walk away right now. But you and I both know that abandoning this training would be tantamount to abandoning Tamash?, and we also both know that you wouldn't do that under any circumstance."

"That's why I say I don't have a choice. I couldn't abandon her. It would break my heart, and more importantly it would break hers." They then both fell silent by unspoken consent, neither wishing to take the topic any further.

After a few minutes, a thought occurred to Valor. "Oh yeah, I just remembered. You said earlier that when we were done with training for the day that you would explain how black Aura fits in with the other colours."

Galen ran a hand through his hair, a small smile appearing on his face. "I guess I did, didn't I? So then, a lesson in history and genealogy."

Valor blinked in confusion. "Genealogy?"

"Yep. This explanation relates to our ancestors."

"Our ancestors?"

"Correct again. You and I are very distantly related Valor. But, let me explain and everything will become clear in time."

Valor nodded, now even more interested in hearing what Galen was going to tell him. The older man took a deep breath, then began speaking. "Aura has naturally been around since there has been a universe. However, people haven't always been able to see and control it. In fact, the only two species we know of that naturally have that ability without any training are the Riolus and the Lucarios. Several millennia ago, there was a war in the Unova Region fought between those who sought truth and those who wanted to create an ideal world. History isn't clear as to who won that war, but many who were on the losing side left the Unova Region. Now, there were two people who lived in Unova during this time-two brothers. One of them had a pure white Aura, and the other had a pitch black Aura. Like many others in Unova they were separated by their beliefs, and wound up fighting against each other on opposite sides."

Valor interrupted, asking, "So, the one with white was good and the one with black was evil?"

Galen shook his head. "Not at all. You see, a white Aura represents life and nature, while originally black was said to represent death-which, despite what many think is not actually evil, but merely the logical conclusion to life-and progress toward one's ideals. They were not good and evil or light and dark, they were merely the two forces that define the world. Now the elder brother, who had the white Aura, wound up on the losing side, and left Unova, eventually settling in Sinnoh."

"So hold on, how did black Aura become what it is now? I mean, when I fought Faerin he seemed to have been consumed by darkness and well, evil."

"I'm getting there. Just be patient. So, when he arrived in the Sinnoh Region, the elder brother encountered Lucarios for the first time, and it was from them that he learned to control Aura, and that man is known today as the First Guardian. Now his younger brother, through some unknown means, also learned to control Aura. However, as that knowledge was passed on to new generations by the younger brother its purpose and meaning became corrupted, and it became what you saw when you fought Faerin. Black Aura is really no more or less than a force that has lost its way through the perversion of its power."

Valor nodded. "Alright, I guess that all makes sense. So now, how does us being related fit into this?"

"Well, though the elder brother was the First Guardian, he did not actually create the Order of Guardians. Instead it was his seven children-all of whom he taught to control Aura-who formed the order."

"He had seven children?" Valor asked, not really believing that number was accurate.

Galen gave an amused laugh, then continued. "That wasn't so uncommon in those days. Not only that, but each child of his had a different colour of Aura, all of them possessing the purest form of their colours. His eldest son-and eldest child-had a fiery red Aura. The next child, also a son, possessed a shining yellow Aura. The third son had a deep blue Aura, like the colour of the open ocean. The fourth child was the first daughter, and she had an Aura as pink as the petals of a Gracedia Flower. The next one after her was another son with a royal purple Aura. The sixth child, who was the First Guardian's fifth son, had an Aura that was the same orange as leaves in autumn. His final child was also his second daughter, and she had an Aura of emerald green. For the most part, there are no descendants of these children. However, there are four exceptions. I am the only living descendant of the eldest son. There are also three descendants of the younger daughter. There is, of course, you, and there is also your mother and her older sister."

"Wait, hold on. I have an aunt?"

Galen nodded. "Yeah. I'm not surprised you don't know that. She and you mother haven't spoken in years. They had some kind of falling out before you were even born."

"Okay then, how is it that you know about this?" Valor asked, trying to make sense of everything he was hearing.

"It's really quite simple. Your aunt, whose name is Sarina, is one of the six members of the Guardian Council of Elders. I know about their lack of contact because I've spoken with her about it."

"Oh. Well...I...did not know that." Valor said weakly, not quite sure what to make of that. "But, I'm wondering, why did you do all the research that lead to you finding this stuff out?"

Galen shrugged. "Well, I've had a lot of free time for the last five years or so. That, and I've always have had an interest in history and ruins and the like, so I passed the time by looking into my own family history. In the process I inadvertently wound up finding out about yours."

"Oh, okay then. That makes sense. Well, it does for you anyway." Valor surprised himself at that moment with a yawn, and it was then that it occurred to him how late it had become.

"Well, it sounds like you're as tired as I am, if not more so. I think we should call it a night. After all, it won't help your training if you can't stay awake tomorrow."

Valor nodded in agreement, and they both retired to their respective tents a few minutes later. As Valor fell asleep, he found himself even more determined to get Tamash? back so that he could share everything he had just learned with her. But even with that in mind, more than anything else, he just wanted to see her again.

***

The next two weeks passed at a pace that Valor found painfully slow. Even putting in his best effort he had found it difficult to make progress. But after all that effort, he had finally reached a point where Galen believed they were ready to go after Tamash?. Galen's opinions aside, Valor himself felt that he had definitely become stronger in what time they had spent training. Now the primary thought in his mind was rescuing Tamash?.

After leaving their training grounds the two of them spent a day traveling south to Pastoria city, where they boarded a ship bound for the Kanto Region. As they travelled Galen continued to have Valor practice to keep up his newly acquired skills. To Valor though it was just a way to kill time until they could get to where Galen believed Tamash? would be.

On the second day after leaving Sinnoh their ship docked in Vermillion City. From there Galen and Valor went north to Saffron City, then west to Celadon City. According to Galen they were headed for an estate owned by Lawrence that could be found west of Celadon. Each day that passed Valor felt more anxious, hoping not only that Galen was right about where they would find Tamash?, but also hoping that she was alright, or at least as alright as the victim of a kidnapping could be.

Valor had also noticed that Galen seemed tense as well, his usual personality seeming to have been replaced by that of someone more serious than the Galen that Valor was familiar with. When he asked Galen about it, the older man had brushed off the question, leaving Valor concerned about what was going on in his friend's head.

When they were about half a mile from where Galen said Lawrence's estate was, he stopped, and began setting up camp, much to Valor's dismay. "We're so close. Why are you stopping now?!"

"Because it is late in the day. We should take the time to rest now so that we are fully prepared to go in and get Tamash?. Being tired out won't help us."

Valor stared in disbelief. "You can't be serious! She has been in his hands for almost a month, and you want me to wait around even longer?!"

Galen turned to face Valor, a very dark expression colouring his features. "That's exactly what I want. I refuse to take any unnecessary risks. So, we wait. And you will wait whether you like it or not."

Valor's eyes narrowed. "Galen, what are you-you of all people-afraid of?"

"What am I afraid of? You really want to know?" Galen walked over to Valor stopping only a foot away. He then pushed up his left sleeve, exposing a scar on his upper arm. "This is what scares me. The last time I ran into Lawrence he shot for my heart, and it was sheer luck that I turned and took the shot to my shoulder instead. Then, mere moments later he shot for my head, and the only reason I am here today is because a very powerful friend of mine stopped the bullet one inch-one fucking inch-from my head. You try going through that, and not wanting to make sure you are as ready as possible to face the man who once nearly killed you."

Valor was quiet for a moment, feeling as though he had horribly hurt his friend. "Listen, Galen, I haven't been through that exact circumstance, but I can understand not wanting to face someone who caused you pain. But right now, Tamash? is in the hands of that man that you don't want to face. I can't just leave her with him." Starting to tear up slightly, he continued, saying, "She could be hurt. For all I know she could be dead. But I'm willing to risk myself for even the possibility of getting her back. For even the slightest chance of holding her in my arms, and looking into her eyes again. But I can't do it without you, and I don't think I would survive if I tried. So, I can understand being scared, but I'm certain that Tamash? is feeling even worse, and I...I can't stand that thought. I need to go on, because what scares me is the thought of never seeing her again. But I need your help."

Galen shook his head, then a small smile crept onto his lips. "You know, I've taught you a lot, but I think there are things that you simply can't teach, and being as convincing as you are is one of them. After everything I've been through, you would think I wouldn't be so scared of, well, anything. There was a time when I wouldn't have been afraid. I would have gone in half-cocked and ready to fight my way through hell and back. But my fear now isn't really for me. I fear for my family. I don't want to die and leave my wife and unborn child like that. I'm afraid of the thought that my child will grow up without me. I will be there to help you Valor. But, I still want to stay here for the night, to give us a better chance of survival."

On the one hand Valor was glad his friend was still going to help, but at the same time, he wasn't happy about the delay. "But, Galen, what if she..." He couldn't finish the sentence, not wanting to follow that line of thought.

"Valor, do you have an aversion to using the things I've taught you?"

"Uh...no."

Galen raised a hand and pointed to the west. "Then close your eyes, and stretch your senses out in that direction about half a mile."

Valor did as Galen suggested, and after a few moments he found what Galen must have wanted him to find. There was a rather sizeable property, the whole thing surrounded by a stone wall. On the property was a large manor, and connected to the manor was what appeared from here to be some sort of green house. Inside that particular structure there was much foliage, as well as an artificial river and waterfall. Valor took in a sharp breath, as he realised that mixed in with the Auras of the plants were the Auras of several pokémon, and among them was a green Aura he would have recognized anywhere. He opened his eyes, and found that he was crying in happiness. Wiping the tears from his face he said, "She's alive. And from what I can tell, she's a bit stressed out, and somewhat depressed, but otherwise alright."

Galen nodded. "Exactly. That's why I think it will be alright if we wait here for the night. She should be fine until tomorrow."

Valor reluctantly agreed. He knew Galen was right, and that she was okay, but he still didn't like the idea of leaving her there for any longer. As he fell asleep that night, he found he was anxious, worried about what the dawn would bring. If they were lucky, he would be re-united with Tamash?. If they were not so lucky, then his greatest worry was the possibility of his dream about Tamash?'s death coming true. As the realm of dreams took him, his last conscious thought was I am almost there Tamash?. Just hold on a little longer.