FSE

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Fox: And so we continue! I'm actually interested in what people end up thinking about this. Also, I'm half afraid I shot myself in the foot. Hopefully I didn't. It took more than three days of going through previous chapters to make this one a reality.

Brimcon: I did warn you about something completely different, you didn't believe me.

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

Chapter 21: Icy Hot

My body felt sore, like I've been working for way too long in one day. My shoulder felt like if I landed on a rock. Then I remembered what happened, and the rock comment suddenly became extremely ironic in my mind. At least the bed was comfortable. I turned to my left, seeing Deoxys sitting next to me. Did she even go to sleep? Her eyes were wide open, taking every bit of information from her surroundings.

"Deoxys?"

Her eyes snapped towards my face, her body relaxing instantly. What had her so tense?

"Are you alright, Master?" she asked.

"Since when did you start calling me that?"

"Does it matter?"

I opened my mouth, but I didn't have an argument. She shook her head, placing one of her green tentacle hands on my left shoulder. I shrugged as best I could, feeling the minor pangs of a migraine coming in.

"Did you ever tell me how you became female?" I asked.

She shook her. "No, you did not ask."

"Entertain me, as long as it's nothing overly complicated or mystical."

"As you may know, I am not from this world, not like any other Pokémon. I believe your device classifies me as the DNA Pokémon, and that I was created due to genetic material that came from an asteroid. As such, while I've chosen this form as a whole, I can change it to suit my needs. I have four different bodies that I can adjust to, three that favor a different aspect, with the fourth being neutral. This is currently my Attack form, or so other humans have come to call it.

"I am also not the only one of my kind. While we share almost a single mind, we experience things differently. We form our own opinions due to our individual stimuli. This allows us to form a more accurate analysis to our current mission, so to speak."

"So, you picked me out of everyone else in the world?" I asked, feeling a little overwhelmed. "For what?"

"Again, I wish to understand the human emotion. We've had different encounters with your kind, but we've never found anyone that reacts quite like you. Also, your interactions with your Pokémon have us questioning the previous beliefs we have of most humans."

I stared at her. "To put it simply, you're here because I've had more physical interactions with my Pokémon than most."

"That is putting it quite eloquently, Master." she said, nodding.

"You're getting into the habit of calling me Master now." I said, sighing.

"You never stopped anyone else from calling you that." Deoxys pointed out.

Struck down before I could pick up any speed. "I've tried." I offered lamely.

"It means you don't mean it, or you like being called that." she said, nodding to herself. "I would think that you would be more strict if it displeased you so much."

She's right. It's not the most endearing word, but if it makes everyone happy, why should I stop them? I sighed, shaking my head in defeat.

"Just know that you don't have to, alright?" I asked. "If you don't want to, please don't force yourself to do so."

She nodded. "I will remember that, Master." she said, both tentacles on her left side coming up to give me a salute.

I sighed, shaking my head again. Despite her acting like this, I grinned, finding it amusing at some level. Nurse Joy came in, followed by one of her loyal Chansey. Nurse Joy looked happy to see me awake, smiling at me.

"It's good to see you up." she said gently, standing next to Deoxys.

"He slept peacefully." Deoxys reported to Nurse Joy. "My Master should be fully restored soon."

"Well, that's good." Nurse Joy responded, giggling. "Let's make sure, though."

I closed my eyes, relaxing while Nurse Joy did whatever she had to do to make sure that my body healed properly. I just hoped that she didn't end up messing something up. It's happened before.

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

"So, you're better now?" Jonathan asked after he swallowed the bite out of his sandwich.

"For all intents and purposes, yep." I said, nodding. "I still need to keep this sling on for a few days. Make sure I don't mess myself up some more."

"You getting all fucked up is slowing us down." Jon said, pointing at me with his sandwich. "You need to be more careful."

I nodded, biting my tongue to stop myself from saying something inappropriate. It wasn't like I wanted my shoulder dislocated. "I'll be more careful next time." I answered.

We were sitting outside the Pokémon Center, enjoying the morning sunshine. Jonathan was eating his sandwich, chewing loudly. Baast sat quietly next to him, eating out of a bowl what looked like some kind of poffin. Joy was eating some kind of soup, Variel quietly laying next to her. Leaves were beginning to fall from the Sawsbuck's horns. Many of the crimson leaves still remained though, so it wasn't quite winter. The air around us wanted to argue that point. I was using my left hand to eat a salad, while trying not to aggravate my injured shoulder.

"Give the kid a break, Jonathan. Deoxys helped us out, and I'm pretty sure that getting out of Mount Mortar would have been a lot harder without the help."

"We wouldn't have had to fight those two Steelix if Deoxys didn't set back Aaron's shoulder or whatever the fuck it was."

What was funny about this situation, is that Deoxys was standing right behind him. She was carrying my team in a tray in front of her, as her eyes narrowed dangerously towards Jonathan. If it wasn't that she would actually act, I would laugh at the scene. Instead, I pointed behind him with my fork. Jonathan turned behind him, and reacted by flinching so bad he almost fell off his chair. Baast quickly grabbed the chair, preventing her trainer from hitting pavement.

"Next time, I won't stop you from falling." Baast said acidly. "You deserved to eat dirt for what you just said."

Jonathan didn't respond, putting his attention to eating his sandwich in silence. Deoxys came around and took a nearby chair, sitting next to me. Neither Joy nor Jonathan said anything about Deoxys' new growth spurt, or whatever it would be called. I did notice Joy give me a questioning look though, but she didn't ask anything.

"So, what's on the schedule? Other than waiting for me to heal." I said before taking another bite of salad.

"The Ice Path." Jonathan said, glaring at me.

I sighed in relief. "At least it's not another cave."

Jonathan shook his head. "It's a cave."

I threw my good hand up in the air. "Are you kidding me? We're going down ANOTHER cave?!"

Joy sighed. "Yeah. It's the only way to get to Blackthorn from here. Unless you want to cut in four more days of travel if we take the supply route."

"Supply route?" I asked.

"Out of the question." Jonathan said with finality. "We have to cut through the Ice Path and reach Ranger HQ as soon as possible. We can't afford any more screw-ups."

"You mean YOU can't afford any more screw-ups." Joy said, looking at Jonathan. "This has been mostly for you. What's the point of going to Blackthorn if not to report to YOUR boss?"

"Because I need the help." I answered softly. "I want to know why I've been targeted by Darkrai not once, but twice."

"Did he even guarantee that they would help you?!" she demanded, hitting the table with her fists. "Did he even give you any kind of confirmation that he would even TRY?!"

I looked over at Jonathan, my thoughts sinking back to when we first met. I honestly don't remember if he did promise to help. He suggested that the Rangers could help. Maybe he did? I shook my head, though, not being able to accurately remember.

Joy looked over to Jonathan. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"I'll talk to my boss, see if I can convince him to part with some support." Jonathan said. "I can't guarantee it, though."

"So, this has been a complete waste of time." I said, staring at him. "Wonderful."

Jonathan looked away from us. Either ashamed or indifferent, I couldn't really tell. All I knew was that my shoulder ached, and it wasn't the best feeling in the world. Deoxys placed all my Pokéballs into place. How she put them in order is beyond me. I stood up, grabbing the plastic box that once housed my food.

"I'll see you later. Come talk to me when you've gotten proof that someone's going to help."

Deoxys followed me as we made it inside the center. Nurse Joy was behind the desk, typing away at something. I kept the plastic container in the vain hope that there was a recycling bin somewhere close by. The typing sounds stopped, and I saw Nurse Joy give me an expecting look. She looked at the empty box in my hand and pointed to the side of her desk. Looking over, I noticed the recycling bin.

"Sorry." I apologized, putting the plastic in the bin. "Is there any reports on Code Lightning being reinstated?"

"I was just looking into that, actually." she said, turning the monitor in my direction. "The Rangers say it's being reinstated again near the Mount Silver area."

I sighed, shaking my head. "That means no flying, huh."

"I wouldn't recommend it, that's for sure." she said, frowning. "Do you need to get to Blackthorn?"

"Yeah, as fast as possible. Well, as soon as I'm fully recovered, of course. I'm not going anywhere with a busted shoulder."

The nodded. "That's good to hear. The Ice Path would be your quickest way, unless Zapdos moves out of the nearby area. While it wouldn't take very long to go over it by air, she keeps a very vigilant eye over Blackthorn. It's why the Rangers are able to keep accurate tabs on her."

I frowned, wondering why was that. Deciding that it wasn't worth the risk, I nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"Don't mention it." she said, smiling. "Will you be returning to your room now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's probably for the best. I'm still tired."

Nurse Joy took me to my room again, closing the door behind me for privacy. Deoxys insisted in helping me sit on the bed so I wouldn't aggravate my injury by accident. It was only when she was satisfied that Deoxys allowed herself to relax. She sat next to me on the chair again, staring at me intently. My left hand went to my belt, feeling each individual Pokéball on my belt. I could almost tell each individual one. What felt odd is that the first slot was missing.

"It is for when Song returns." Deoxys explained. I looked at her. "You did say that she was returning, yes?"

I sighed. "When we go back to Sinnoh. If we make it back to Sinnoh."

"Why would we not return?" she asked curiously.

I closed my eyes in thought. Deoxys placed two of her tentacles gently against my chest. "I don't know." I offered lamely. "It just feels like it. All this feels like a gigantic waste of time. I honestly thought Jonathan was going to help. Maybe he is, in his own way, but he's willing to use me to get what he needs to do before he helps me."

"If the Rangers are able to keep you safe, wouldn't that be a step in the right direction?"

I shrugged, wincing as my right shoulder ached. "Maybe." I offered. "We still don't know what's really going on."

"I've never known what was going on in this strange world." Deoxys offered. "Even with all the knowledge I've gathered throughout all these years, I only know a fraction of something, and not much of anything."

"That doesn't help me right now." I pointed out.

"Perhaps I phrased that incorrectly." she said, tilting her head to the side. "I am this powerful being, able to control minds and bend elemental energies to my will, yet I am not all knowing to the workings of this world."

That made things slightly worse, in my opinion. Maybe it was the pessimist in me talking. I smiled in an effort to ease Deoxys, but she shook her head.

"I am not helping, am I?" she asked. I sighed, my smile fading.

"No, not really. I'm just getting confused right now."

"We all have flaws." she said calmly.

"Yeah, but at least I'm the guy that's getting chased by a Darkrai or two. Maybe more, if I'm extremely unlucky. Fighting one was bad enough."

Deoxys didn't respond, leading to an awkward silence. "I'm sorry." I said, sighing.

"You feel betrayed. It is only natural for you to lash out. I am sorry for not realizing this sooner."

Did I feel betrayed? It annoyed the daylights out of me that Jonathan was just stringing me along so he can have something to report. Was that what was bugging me? It's frustrating, sure, but is there more than he isn't telling us? That's an obvious question, with this whole Zapdos business or whatever crawled where the sun didn't shine.

"We're here, so we might as well go ahead and follow any lead we can." I said, frowning. "If the Rangers don't want to help, maybe something will work out. As much as it sucks to admit, this injury isn't helping my overall mood."

Deoxys nodded. "I need to give you a name." I pointed out.

"A name?" she asked. "Is Deoxys not enough?"

I almost shook my head, but thought better of it. "That's not what I meant." I said, sighing. "Different names are just a way to tell apart one person from another."

"Did you name all of them?"

I shook my head. "I adopted them. They already had their names when I first met everyone."

"So your mother and father named you to be a individual." she observed. I nodded.

"Unlike Pokémon, humans don't have other ways to distinguish each other from a crowd. Our major senses aren't tuned to differentiate small details like tone of voice and scent. Names make things easier to individualize."

Deoxys nodded, her eyes focused on me. "What is your intention, then?"

"Well, I'd like to agree on a name for you. Not sure what, but I'm pretty sure Nurse Joy intends to find me asleep some time soon."

"I agree." she said, nodding. "You should sleep, Master."

"Already ahead of you."

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

A warm body lay on top of me. My chest rumbled slightly, a rough tongue licking my cheek. I slowly woke up, stifling a yawn with moderate success. My shoulder felt halfway decent for once. My eyes opened slowly, to see Nurse Joy wrapping something along my shoulder.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked softly.

I shook my head. "No. I felt something on my cheek." Oh, Arceus, please don't tell me that this Nurse Joy has the hots for me, too?!

"That would be your Luxray." she said, smiling. "She was rather insistent to stay outside of her Pokéball."

Relief washed over me as soon as she said that. "Where's Deoxys?" I asked.

Nurse Joy pointed over me. I looked over to see Deoxys sitting on the chair once again. Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and peaceful. I noticed Zin also sleeping, curled up next to the chair. Nurse Joy giggled above me.

"They were having quite the animated conversation." she said, smiling down at me. "I was surprised they talked for so long."

I shrugged, doing my best not to disturb Akalia. She stirred slightly, her tongue brushing against my cheek again before nuzzling me. Crackles of electricity flowed along my fingers, the current flowing through me softly. Nurse Joy giggled again.

"You take really good care of them." she whispered. "Anyway, you'll be able to move in the morning, but I highly suggest you keep as much weight off that side of your body as possible. It's completely possible to make it through the Ice Path without much trouble. Not too many Pokémon inhabit it, unlike Mount Mortar."

I nodded. "Thanks, Nurse Joy."

"Don't mention it." she said, patting my head. "It's still about three in the morning, so you should go back to sleep and keep resting. I'll let your friends know that you'll be ready in the morning."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"Like I said, don't worry about it." she said, smiling at me. She turned away, walking towards the door. Before closing it, she turned and giggled before closing the door.

All the people in Johto are crazy.

My fingers scratched behind Akalia's ears, the rumbling of the large Pokémon vibrating through me. Her tongue washed my cheek a few times as more electricity ran through her fur. I wanted to laugh, but tried to keep from doing so. The Luxray woke up regardless, her eyes glowing yellow in the darkness of the room. I felt her face rub against mine, her luxurious fur keeping me at ease.

"I bet you talked to Deoxys, huh?" I whispered, scratching her neck.

She purred in response to my question, closing her eyes as I scratched away. A relaxing feeling overcame me. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. It was obvious that they were civil, by the fact that the room wasn't completely trashed and I was still alive. Somehow, I would think that Zin wouldn't take kindly to anyone if they were didn't show respect to her self appointed position.

It felt weird to think of a Pokémon as a mate or wife. I mean, I didn't even ask for it. It was put on my lap, so to speak, so it's always been a choice. It never bothered me, though. Though I have to say that doing it with Zin was a real experience. I think the most important part is that they care, not just because I'm their trainer. At least, that's my hope.

It should be obvious. Capturing a Pokémon doesn't instill immediate loyalty to a trainer. Feelings are always true, or they should be. I stroked down Akalia's back, feeling her stretch out on top of me. I hugged her as best I could, snuggling close to her.

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

With what little hope I had, we stood outside the entrance of the Ice Path. Joy and Jonathan were with me still. Accompanying us were Baast and Gem from Jonathan's team, Skadi and Ajax from Joy's, while Deoxys and Akalia were representing of my own. It seemed that there was some kind of unspoken agreement to not let anything slow us down this time. Not just from us, but from our Pokémon, too.

"The Ice Path will put us just outside Blackthorn city limits." Jonathan said. "This place isn't so heavily populated, but some trainers like to pick fights in here."

"Who would fight in such a dangerous area?" I asked out loud. "I mean, it's not like there's... you know... ICE everywhere?"

"Beats me." Jonathan said with a shrug.

"Not everyone is considerate of others." Joy said, laughing. "And other's like to gloat because they can win. Other people are just straight assholes."

Of that I didn't doubt. Still, it wasn't really good that I was still injured. I just hoped that we didn't have to climb anything.

We walked into the wide entrance of the Ice Path, a cold gust of air blasting right through my shirt and into my bones. I guess when something is called the Ice Path, it might be quite literal. Crystal formations adorned the walls like decorations around the path. I touched one as we passed by one, wincing back quickly as the tips of my fingers felt like they were freezer burned.

Joy laughed as I wrapped my fingers up in my shirt, warming them up gently. "And that's why you don't touch strange things." she said, wagging her finger at me.

"Yes, mom." I said sarcastically.

A gust of cold wind hammered us again, bringing with it flakes of snow or ice. I covered my face as we continued forward. While the wind didn't stop, it wasn't as consistent as I feared. It only gusted every now and then, but when it did the chill cut right through my clothing. I'll admit, I wasn't wearing anything more durable than a short sleeved shirt and jeans. At least a jacket would help. Too bad I don't have one. Solaceon never got this cold!

Thankfully, the general layout of the Ice Path was even. While we did have to climb up a few general steps, we didn't have to do some dirty climbing like I was afraid of. Baast and Deoxys were always close at hand, if I seemed to slow down a bit too much for the groups taste. Nobody said anything, the only sounds being the blasts of occasional wind and our breathing. I quietly admired the area, though I stopped as soon as Akalia began shocking me with electricity.

A tunnel led downwards, and I let out the groan everyone was expecting. Jon grabbed my shirt and all but yelled at me. "Just shut up about it already. We know you hate caves. Deal with it."

I rolled my eyes, but kept quiet as he let me go. This tunnel was probably large enough for Skadi to walk on her hind legs, but didn't test the theory. Crystals clung to the walls tightly, unlike the previous chamber where they grew like flowers. Our reflections mirrored our actions, distorted only by the imperfect facets. The only things that disturbed me is that none of us carried any sort of light. The cave itself seemed to radiate light. The walls themselves gave off a soft illumination, that was probably magnified by the crystals.

The silence was broken by the all encompassing voice of the Goldenrod radio DJ. "Good morning, everybody! How's the weather treating you all today? I gotta tell you, coffee in the morning is great! Caffeine has to be the most important thing ever invented! Well, only after the microphone and the radio waves, of course. I'm getting the evil eye from my management again, and you know what that means. News time!"

Papers were shuffled, the sound loud in our current environment. "Aha! Here's something mildly not interesting at all. Some kids at the National Park bug catching competition won the grand prize of five thousand Zenny a few days ago. Congrats! I bet their parents are mighty proud of them. I would be, if my kid caught a Pinsir.

"Code Lightning hasn't had any updates since yesterday. Not a big surprise, I think. You know, I feel really bad for Blackthorn. That gym has to have the worst traffic of trainers to compete in the league. I'm betting more than half of Johto trainers just end up going to Kanto so they can compete. Not even Mount Moon is as dangerous as Mount Mortar! It's a little ridiculous.

"Anyway, Olivine City isn't reporting any injuries, thank Arceus. Surprisingly, not too much property damage was caused. Other than the entire electrical system getting the nastiest shock of its life. Oh hey, I made a pun! Someone, gimme a pay raise!

"OK, that wasn't all that funny. I'm not much of a comedian, with that kind of material. I'll stick to my job and let you all listen to music. How about something a bit more classical than the norm? Here's the Kanto Symphonic Band from Veridian City with a famous oldie of theirs, called 'Nidoking Crossroads'. I'm sure you old folks remember this one. Enjoy!"

The solid beats of a drum began, followed by strings and a soulful note of brass. It was quickly stopped when Joy closed her Pokédex. I wanted to hear that song. It's one of mom's favorites, actually, so I heard it quite a lot growing up. Also while working in the digs. Quite a lot, actually, if I remember correctly.

The floor was unsurprisingly slippery at this point of the cave. I turned to Jonathan, who looked ready to skate over the ice.

"And what exactly is the plan right now?" I asked.

"We need to cross over this ice. Don't break something now."

Awesome. "Thanks for the advice." I said, sighing.

He shrugged, Gem jumping on his shoulders before he slid toward a wall and turning a corner. Baast looked at me, before following him down the ice. Skadi walked up to me, Joy riding the white giant's shoulders. She reached down to me, a grin on her face.

"Want a ride?" she asked.

"Is she going to react like your Hydreigon?" I asked. Having a repeat of Zefyra was not high on my priority list.

"No, she's fine with it. Skadi is a bit more even tempered than Zefyra."

Before I could say anything, I felt strong limbs wrap around me. My feet lifted from the air and slowly let me down behind Joy. Deoxys gave me a nod, as Joy laughed.

"You don't even have the choice, huh?" she asked, her hair whipping into my face as she turned.

"I think I like the idea of not being hurt anymore." I said, shrugging. I looked over to Deoxys. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Master." she said, nodding. I couldn't help but notice that Joy was grinning at me.

"Ready?" she asked me.

"Wait a second." I said, turning to face Deoxys and Akalia. "Do you two want to go back inside your Pokéballs?"

Deoxys shook her head, Akalia standing by her. "We will walk alongside you." she declared.

Joy's laugh brought my attention to her again. "I think we'll be fine. If anything, we'll have to pull Jonathan out of trouble."

I grinned. "Alright then. Whenever your ready."

"Alright! Skadi, no running, alright? My friend has an injured shoulder that's still healing."

The giant Pokémon growled, and I couldn't tell if it was a confirmation or not. She walked slowly, the Beartic's claws purchasing her a strong grip that didn't allow her to slip on the ice. Ajax the Medicham looked almost too peaceful as he skated next to us. I almost had to look twice to make sure that he wasn't floating above the ice. Akalia had a surprisingly easy time adjusting to the ice underneath her paws. Maybe she's had previous experience handling this kind of environment. Deoxys seemed not to notice the ice under her feet, walking without any hesitation.

We rounded around corners, occasionally seeing patches of rock breaking the sheet of ice under us. More crystals hung around the walls, almost distracting me with the light they spread.

"Hey, Aaron." Joy whispered, her elbow hitting my stomach to get my attention. "Look at Akalia. She's a natural!"

I noticed Akalia rounding the next turn quickly, gliding backwards on her four paws. Joy gave me a perplexed look, which was returned. Skadi quickly followed Akalia around the bend, managing to see her spinning in circles around Baast, Jonathan, and Gem. Jonathan saw us coming along and he pointed to the skating Luxray.

"Mind explaining this?" he asked aloud. I shrugged.

"Beats me. We don't get snow in Solaceon." I said.

Akalia finally noticed the audience she gathered, stopping her display and lowering her head. I imagined that she was embarrased as she pawed at the ice. Deoxys slid next to her, nodding towards the Luxray. Like an unspoken agreement, Akalia stood up with head held high. I could swear that she gave me a knowing look, before pushing ahead. Deoxys looked at me, giving me a nod before following Akalia.

Oh Arceus, I'm in trouble. I did something and I'm in trouble.

Joy turned to face me. "Oh, you're in for it now." she said with a grin.

"Arceus!" I swore, feeling my cheeks burn. Joy giggled, shaking her head.

"Someone's gonna get it!" she sang, laughing as she finished. Turning away from me, she tapped Skadi's side. "Let's follow them, girl. Don't want lover boy here to be waiting."

Arceus! If there was such a thing as being too embarrassed, I haven't reached that point yet. It wasn't from lack of trying, though, that's for sure. I held on to Joy's shoulder with my left hand, my right cradled between our bodies to make sure I didn't slam it against something. It didn't take long for us to find the next tunnel that led downwards. Akalia and Deoxys were both waiting for us to reach them. Jonathan slid out of control, only to be stopped by a pair of Deoxys' tentacles grabbing his waist before he tumbled down the tunnel.

"Thanks." he said as Deoxys put him down. Baast gave me a look that was between thankful and indifferent. Gem was a bit more obvious of her feelings, jumping up and down on Jon's head and grinning widely.

Deoxys aided me and Joy from getting off from Skadi's back. The tunnel was almost identical to the first one we went through. If anything, the crystals seemed to be of different colors. The light that radiated around the tunnel was similar to a subdued blue or green than just reflecting the stone walls. When we tunnel leveled out, we were standing in a flat area. It felt like a clearing, but it was inside a cave. Not to mention the crystals.

Said crystals reached the ground in the shape of pillars, glowing with an eerie inner light. Some pillars were huge, wider than I could reach around, while some looked frail enough to break if touched. The clearing was enormous, and I was barely able to see the far side. I stood there in awe, amazed that such a thing could occur inside of this cave. Was this a natural occurring phenomenon in here? Maybe they were made? But by who, then? An ancient civilization from history, dating previous entries into the books? Possible questions and plausible answers filled my head until two fingers snapped in front of me. I backed away from the offending digits, taking a deep breath of the cold air.

"You alright there?" Joy asked, backing away from me. "You zoned way the fuck out."

I shook my head. "Sorry." I said, frowning. "I think my mind went off the deep end there in the possibilities of this place. There's no place like this in Sinnoh, I don't think."

"It's good that you're enjoying yourself." Jonathan said, slapping me on the WRONG SIDE! I cried out in pain, dropping to my knees. Deoxys rushed over, shielding me while Joy pushed Jonathan away.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she yelled. "Are you stupid?"

Jonathan opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He looked away, considering that Deoxys looked like she was about to murder him. Somehow, I felt that I needed to talk to Deoxys. After getting out of this place intact.

"Master." Deoxys intoned softly. "Are you alright?"

"No, not really, but I'll live." I said through gritted teeth. "As soon as this calms down, I'll be ready."

Silence fell among our group as I recovered from my pain. I looked around, taking care not to zone out again. "Jon, where to next?"

"I'm trying to see the next exit. The walls are full of smaller exits that lead to different caverns."

"I'm just glad that no trainers are down here." I said, feeling relief at the thought. "This would be a nightmare if we were being challenged"

"Yeah, this wouldn't be so easy." Jon said with a shrug.

"Yeah. If you had your shoulder displaced, I'm sure this would be too 'easy'." I shot back.

He looked surprised at that, and quickly shut his mouth. Baast gave me a Muk eating grin from behind him. Gem cast the Lucario a glare, but Baast didn't pay much mind to the Sableye. I stood up again, Deoxys standing next to me. Two of her four tentacles were wrapped around my waist. One was gently laying on top of my injured shoulder, but it thankfully didn't put any more pressure. It felt more like it was making sure nothing put weight on it.

"Are you alright?" Joy asked.

I nodded. "As good as I'll get for now. What's the plan?"

"There's multiple tunnels that lead us to the final stretch of the Ice Path." Jon said after a moment. "They all lead to the same spot, so even if we get separated we'll find each other again. Unless you run into one of the pillars, it'll be hard to change direction."

"Don't the tunnels have stairs like the last few we've used?" I asked.

Jon shook his head. "That's the interesting part of this section. All the paths slide down instead of being stairs. So expect a rough ride down."

I looked straight into his eyes. "You hate me, don't you." I said, frowning.

"What would make you say that?" he asked. Before I could respond, Baast took the liberty of grabbing him and pushing him across the ice. Gem was hot on his heels, as Jon slid toward one of the openings.

"I apologize." she said, bowing to me. "I will make sure he gets properly reprimanded."

Before I could vocalize anything, she slid in the direction she pushed her trainer. Joy looked over at me, before laughing.

"And now you're stealing!" she said, before laughing uncontrollably. Ajax almost looked insulted at what she said, glaring at me. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Please don't say those things." I said. "It's not like I'm doing this on purpose."

She patted Ajax on the shoulder, which helped the Medicham feel more at ease. Joy looked over to me again, her wide grin telling me this wasn't going to end any time soon.

"I know. Something tells me that Lucario is interested, though." she said with a shrug. "Just an observation."

"An observation?!" I yelled, my voice echoing.

"You're not angry about that, are you?" she asked sweetly.

I sighed. "No, not really. I'm just confused. Finding out that this has been all a 'hunch' kinda sucks."

"We'll see how much of a hunch it really is when we get to Blackthorn." Joy said. "Until then, we carry on. You ready?"

I sighed, but nodded all the same. Before I could ask which way she was going, she took off in the opposite direction Jon was pushed. Skadi and Ajax weren't far behind her, sliding across the ice in chase of their trainer. Akalia and Deoxys stood next to me, the three of us standing alone in the cavern. My Luxray rubbed against my legs, purring loudly. I smiled down, scratching under her chin as Deoxys held me tightly still within her grasp. Not tight enough to be painful, but enough to get the point across that I wasn't going anywhere.

I looked around, trying to find a tunnel that suited my tastes. The need to follow either Jonathan or Joy wasn't there, seeing as both of them took to opposite directions. Although Jon's was against his will, I still didn't want to follow him. A cave that was barely visible by the mountain of crystals led me pick my direction.

"Deoxys, you see that tunnel?" I said, pointing idly in the general direction.

"The one that's hidden? Yes, I do."

"Let's go that way. I have a good feeling about it."

She nodded, pushing me slightly so we slid together across the ice. Akalia was sliding close by, her eyes noticeably glowing even in our current environment. We reached our tunnel, a gust of wind blowing us back slightly. Deoxys helped us by making sure we didn't slide backwards. Akalia was the first to jump in, sliding into the tunnel. Deoxys held me tight against her body, sliding forward to follow our four legged leader.

I was thankful that Akalia wasn't screaming in pain. The thought was quickly replaced by the mental image of her falling down a pit. I shook my head, shivering in Deoxys' embrace as we slid picked up speed. Momentum was kind to us, and I was extremely grateful that the tunnel didn't twist and turn like some maniac road. My shoulder can't take that kind of abuse right now. Our speed increased slowly but steadily as the tunnel seemed to widen. Deoxys began to glow again, and our speed began to decrease at a rapid pace. I could see Akalia sitting at the end of the ramp... slide... whatever this was. Deoxys timed it all so we would stop by gently tapping her. She jumped, turning toward us with surprise in her eyes. They weren't glowing anymore, but it was easy to see that something spooked her. I looked up, and it was easy to see why.

Suicune. Suicune is here, right in front of us.

I hesitated though. Suicune was sleeping, or at least had his or her eyes closed. The thought of finding the same one sent a shiver down my spine. I really didn't want to be on her bad side. But who was to say that this was the same Suicune? If there are more than one Darkrai chasing after me, wouldn't it be true for other legendary Pokémon? The possibility of having more than just numerous Darkrai chasing after me was not a pleasant thought.

Deoxys helped me stand up as quietly as she could. The snow beneath our feet crunched loudly in the stillness of the cavern. My eyes were focused in Suicune. The Pokémon didn't stir, but I didn't want to press my luck any further than needed. Akalia's tail twitched nervously, sticking close to my legs. Even Deoxys didn't seem totally confident in front of Suicune. I honestly didn't blame either of them for feeling this way.

I looked around, spotting a tunnel that seemed wide enough to go through. What lay on the other side was a mystery, but it was better than waking up some powerful being from their beauty sleep. Quickly getting both of my Pokémon's attention, we moved as quietly as we could. My guess of making it out before Suicune woke up were near nill when we landed in the cave.

When the sound of crushed ice echoed from underneath my foot, I knew I was dead.

The howl that followed was like the wind given voice. I wanted to cover my ears, but my right hand didn't like to move at the moment. Akalia shuddered underneath me as I kneeled down. Deoxys stood over us, her four tentacle arms flailing around in a intimidating fashion. I looked up, only to see Suicune's signature headpiece shine like a beacon, before the Pokémon opened its mouth to shoot an Ice Beam towards us. Deoxys reacted quickly, firing her own Ice Beam at the incoming projectile. Both beams met halfway through their trajectories, the energies mixing and exploding outwards in a shower of snow and ice. The random thought of Suicune recognizing me was somewhat nice. If I ever managed to yell at this pace. Suicune's forehead glowed brightly once more, launching more Ice Beams in quick succession. My left hand covered my face as I put my body over Akalia. Deoxys made my effort pointless as a prismatic shield appeared around us, absorbing the impacts of Suicune's attacks.

I stood up, pushing past Deoxys. "Suicune!" I yelled, hoping that the Pokémon would remember me. If it was the same one to begin with.

For a moment, Suicune stopped altogether. The large Pokémon stared at us, unflinching, before shaking its head.

"I remember you, human." Suicune spoke, in a soft female voice. "Why are you here in my home?"

Home? Arceus! Oh nonononononono. This is really bad. "I apologize, Suicune. We're only trying to get to Blackthorn, but this Zapdos isn't allowing us to fly over due to the chance of getting shocked and-"

"I understand, child." Suicune said, shaking her head. "I still remember the time we met."

I was startled by the revelation. "Wait a second! You're the same Suicune that helped Xola?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

I sighed in relief. "Oh, Arceus, I'm so glad to meet at least a friendly face." I said, smiling at Suicune. "After getting attacked by two different Darkrai and going through Mount Mortar-"

"Wait!" she exclaimed, a gust of wind blowing around us with her shout. "Did you just say that you were attacked? By Darkrai?"

"I don't know if it makes a difference by one or two, and I apologize if I'm ignorant." I said, frowning. "But yeah, I've been attacked by two. Song, my Gardevoir, lost her psychic powers due to the first ones attack."

"Child, you must leave here, now." she said, stepping towards us. Did I have any doubt that most Pokémon are taller than I am? Maybe this train of thinking wasn't the right one to have at the moment. Suicune was giving me a piercing gaze.

"I do not jest." she whispered. "I am afraid that I am the one that alerted Darkrai to your presence. I am truly sorry."

"Don't joke like that." I said, shaking my head. "If you hadn't shown up when you did, I don't think Xola would have survived. Sure, Song was injured... or whatever Darkrai did... but she's safe now. She's getting better. I know it."

Suicune looked at me, and I did my best not to turn away. Her gaze was all encompassing, feeling like I was being weighed in front of someone of authority. What was going through her mind, it was beyond my thought process. She didn't blink, and it didn't look like she was even breathing. Her mane looked like it flowed in the still chamber, her features stoic in their vigilance.

"You must go." she said suddenly. "I can feel someone calling for you."

"Jon and Joy!" I said, shaking myself. "Suicune, can you tell us how to get to the other side of the Ice Path? We're on the way to Blackthorn City."

She nodded. "I will take you there personally."

Before I could raise protest, snow began to cloud my vision. Akalia pressed against my legs, while Deoxys grabbed hold of me tightly. The snow didn't touch us, but it seemed to blur together to blot out all sight outside. The rush of wind blew around us, its chill cutting to the bone as it howled alongside us. Time and place seemed to disappear as we stood still. I felt the soft ground under my shoes, unlike the hard stone of the Ice Path. The snow began to dissipate, being replaced by trees and fresh air.

Suicune stood next to us, smiling widely as she pressed her nose against my cheek. I didn't move, paralyzed that she would be so physical with me. She backed away swiftly, her mane and tails once again moving to a non existent breeze.

"I hope we can meet again in more pleasant terms." she whispered, before diving towards the trees. Before I could react, she disappeared from sight. Akalia purred from under me, while Deoxys was busy making sure my shoulder was still intact.

"Let's go see where we are." I said. Akalia seemed to take the message, gliding out from in between my legs and headed away from us. Deoxys looked slightly concerned, but we followed right behind her. We weaved through trees, barely managing to keep Akalia's star tipped tail in our sights. As Akalia ran around a tree, Joy yelled in surprise as she tumbled into our view. We stopped short of running over the two.

"Aaron!" Joy yelled, struggling against the Luxray. "Call off your overgrown kitten! She's tickling me!"

"Akalia." I called, smiling at the Luxray. She stopped when she heard my voice, but not before nuzzling Joy one last time. Joy stood up with my help, thankfully using my good side.

"Where's Jon?" I asked.

"He's at the Ranger HQ." she said, rolling her eyes. "He's trying to organize a search party. I was pretty convinced that you'd come out sooner or later."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Though, I have to wonder how the fuck did you get out here."

I blinked, feeling utterly confused as to how to explain this. I wasn't very good at lying. "I... ran into Suicune?" I offered.

"You WHAT?!" she exclaimed. "How the fu-"

"Hey! You got out!" Jonathan said, appearing behind Joy. Behind him were another three, each with a different Pokémon by their side. I didn't recognize any of them. One was a small green crawling Pokémon that was sitting on a girls shoulder, while another looked like Jonathan's Caracosta, except smaller and with a different colored shell. The third one had a small and slender looking Pokémon with charcoal fur and puffs of smoke coming from its back.

"You're get us all worked up for nothing, Jonathan?" the girl with the small green worm asked. She spoke in a wispy, bored voice. "Seriously, how in the world did you ever get promoted. I'm done here."

She turned and left instantly, the other two following her. I looked back to Jonathan, who was looking at the leaving Rangers with a frown.

"You alright?" I asked, slightly concerned.

"No, not really." he said with a shrug. "We'll get better."

"Let's get a move on." Joy said, coming around behind me. "Jon's boss is ready to meet us."

"Already?" I asked. "How long have you been outside?"

Joy encouraged me to keep walking. She obliged to answer my question. "About... ten minutes? We came out and we thought that you got stuck or something. Jon over there wigged out something fierce and practically flew up to get Rangers to help him search the Ice Path." She shrugged, giving me a grin. "I just knew you'd be safe. You ain't some baby that needs constant supervision."

"I think Spirit would argue otherwise." I said with a chuckle.

"Hey, that's something else entirely." she said, laughing. She looked over to Jonathan. "Well, you've been quiet all of a sudden."

"I'm just glad that everyone's safe." he whispered.

I wanted to say something rather inappropriate. Maybe he meant it, or maybe he didn't. It was really hard to tell by just his tone of voice. He spoke too softly to tell. I looked down to see Akalia staring up at me. Was there something on my face?

"She's worried about you." Deoxys said quietly. I turned to her, seeing her eyes looking sad.

"Do not be so hard on him." she said soothingly. "There's usually a reason why humans act strangely."

"I hope so." I said, frowning.

Jonathan took the liberty of taking the lead as we walked into Blackthorn. It looked like it was early afternoon, the sun shining brightly in the clear sky. There weren't many people walking the streets, with few homes and buildings lining the path. We passed by the Blackthorn Gym, the lake behind the building on our left with the mountain to our right. The path seemed recent, the lake water lapping on the sand.

Nobody stood outside the gym, unlike the Oreburgh gym. Maybe what the radio guy said is true? I honestly hoped that everyone was safe, and that there were no injuries. Ahead of us stood another building, larger than the size of the gym. The building has three floors, with large windows on the second and third floors. The sun reflected from the windows, making it impossible to see through to the other side. Not to mention our current angle.

Reaching the building, we entered the Ranger headquarters lobby. A receptionist received us with a smile, until she saw Jonathan. Her smile disappeared as we reached her desk.

"Jonathan." she said neutrally. "The boss wants to talk to you about that false alarm you rang."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'll make sure to clear that out quickly."

She nodded at us. "You're free to go. Do you two need any help?" she asked, addressing us.

I shook my head. "We're actually with Jonathan."

The receptionist looked mildly surprised at that. "Well, you can wait here until Jonathan gets back from the boss. It shouldn't take long."

Jonathan turned to us. "Why don't you go to the Pokémon Center?" he offered.

Joy shrugged, frowning at him. "Don't you need him for your job?" she asked in a harsh tone. "Because that's all we're here for."

Jon didn't bother responding her, turning to me instead. "I promise that I'll figure something out." he said to me. "Just... give me time."

I frowned at him. "I'm tired of you pulling my chain." I said stoically. "You need me for your report, and I'm here. I just hope you can pull something. Because sadly, that's all I have."

He looked at me with, but shook his head. He turned around without another word, leaving us both alone in the lobby. There was a flight of stairs visible from our location, and Jon climbed them to wherever he needed to be. The lady at the desk coughed politely, getting our attention.

"Will you wait for him here?" she asked. "We can call you from the Pokémon Center if you wish."

I sighed. "I guess that would be fine." I said with a shrug. I took my Pokédex from my pocket, passing it over to the receptionist. "Here's my ID."

She nodded, opening it and checking its contents. She looked surprised at my name. "Wait! You're Aaron Elazar?!"

I raised an eyebrow, becoming cold. I didn't like many people that knew what my last name implied. We've had way too many people want 'interviews', which translates more often to, 'we want your money'. "Yes?" I asked.

Her eyes shined brightly, even after my cold tone of voice. "Your family is famous! Oh, Arceus, my mom would be so happy to meet you! She's read all the books on Pokémon research your parents have released. Is it true that they're researching the Unown language? What have they found? Have you worked with them before?"

She kept asking questions, and didn't look like she was going to stop any time soon. Only until Deoxys stood in between me and the woman did she abruptly stop.

"My Master wishes to rest, before he meets with your commanding officer." she said. Her tone didn't allow any argument. "You will inform us when Jonathan is ready for our audience. We will be in the Pokémon Center in the meantime."

Before the receptionist responded, on of Deoxys' tentacles whipped forward. Deoxys spun around, nodding as she pressed my Pokédex in my arms gently. I smiled, nodding. Joy followed me as Deoxys and Akalia acted like guards as we walked out of the building.

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

"And our two guests arrive!" a balding man said as we entered the meeting room.

We were in the third floor, the meeting room only major center piece was the table. Jonathan and the balding man, who I imagined was the boss, were sitting next to each other at one side. Joy stood next to me, looking at me curiously. The wall was a window that let us look outside to see a city blanketed by the early afternoon. All the walls were made of glass, allowing us to see outside. Looking behind me, I could still see the giant room full of different sized computers and monitors clicking away. People were talking among themselves, some on telephones coordinating their jobs together.

Spirit, Mist, and Deoxys accompanied me. They refused outright to leave me unsupervised. Spirit and Deoxys flanked me, while Mist rested within me at the moment. Victini was sitting idly on top of Joy's head. I wasn't given a reason why Victini decided to come along. Joy just shrugged when I asked her along the way.

Jonathan's boss stood up, and noticed idly that he was younger than I first believed. He still looked old, though. His head was balding, his round face only being matched by his girth. The man was wearing a form fitting uniform, the buttons, the buttons straining to hold back his belly. I didn't want to match shoe size.

Jonathan looked at us with a frown. I already had a bad feeling about this. Spirit hissed behind me, her claws grabbing my shoulders and holding me closely. I already wanted to leave the building.

"It looks like your loosing your touch with Pokémon, boss." Jonathan said, chuckling.

"Nonsense!" he blurted out, walking towards me with his arm outstretched. I didn't want to shake his hand, but did so out of being polite. Out of anything, at least I won't be called rude.

Mist decided to appear at this moment, popping out of my chest suddenly. The man stumbled backwards in surprise. Joy laughed behind me as the man looked fearful of me. I couldn't help but grin at his reaction.

"You let Ghost Pokémon enter your body?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "I trust her more than you right now." I intoned.

"And why is that?" he asked, frowning.

"Jonathan is a member of the Blackthorn Rangers." I stated simply. "His actions and words reflect not only on him, but this organization and on you. Right now, I was dragged from Sinnoh in my blind belief that the Lightning Unit, or members of the Rangers, would be able to help me. Apparently, I was incorrect in thinking like this."

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked.

I looked over at Jon when I responded. "Because he needs proof that Darkrai is on the loose. And, coincidentally, I'm that proof."

Jonathan's boss had the guts to look surprised at my words. It made me feel extremely irritated at the man. It looked like he was almost in disbelief that I was saying such things. Or worse, that Jonathan was incapable of doing such things.

"So yeah, now comes negotiations." I said, crossing my arms. "If you want me to tell you what I've personally went through, and have all my current Pokémon as witnesses, your going to have to fucking swear to Arceus that you'll help me in any way you can."

"Help you with what?"

"Staying alive would be nice." I said. "Considering how there are trainers going 'missing' and never heard from again in any way or form. Also, I seem to be the only source of information behind Darkrai, seeing as I've survived two of them."

"Two of them? What do you mean?" the round man said, frowning.

"That's all your getting from me until you promise me aid and information." I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "The deal is that you promise me aid in whatever I ask in relating to my safety. In return, I will answer all the questions I'm able to truthfully."

"We'll want to verify your information in very thorough ways." he said, eyes narrowing.

"As long as we are all agreeable in the method." I said dangerously. "I'll tell you right now that I don't accept mind reading or delving."

He narrowed his eyes at me before turning over to Jonathan. I saw Jonathan shrug, before the fat man turned over to me.

"A tentative agreement?" he said, extending his hand.

"For now, a tentative agreement it is." I said, nodding as we shook hands.