FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Fox: Sorry for making y'all wait a month. It felt extremely weird while typing this out, so it may or may not show. Hopefully not. Also, I think I said at one point that characters from the shows / games wouldn't make a showing. Well, that's obviously a lie. We'll see how close they are to their respective showings.

Brimcon: Not much to say this chapter, but do enjoy it, and prepare for a good show.

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 25 - Message

Flying was a little awkward with the staff in hand. Thankfully there wasn't anything slowing us down now. The sky was relatively clear, with only clouds obstructing the sun. The snow seemed to have stopped for the moment, though the sky was still matted in grey. The air was still freezing, and I think Spirit shared my feelings of this place. It seemed that both of us wanted to get out of this place as fast as possible. I was extremely thankful that Blackthorn wasn't far away from Mount Silver. It felt like the weather was affecting Spirit far more than she was letting on.

We reached the Pokémon Center without any problems, feeling extremely grateful to have solid ground under my feet. Solid in the sense that there wasn't any reason to believe it would open up and eat me. Spirit grabbed my shoulder, cooing softly. I nodded, grabbing her Pokéball and returning her back inside her sphere. Placing the device in its rightful place, my fingers grabbed Song's Pokéball. As soon as the metal was on my skin, the ball opened to reveal the Gardevoir. I was surprised to see her still in her clothes.

I passed the staff to her, her hand grasping my own. She giggled as we looked at each other. She leaned forward, her free hand grasping my shoulder to pull me towards her. Her lips met mine, the hands grasping my head to hold me still. While maintaining a hold of the staff, I wrapped my other hand around her body to pull her as close as possible. Her tongue explored my mouth with practiced ease, controlling the pace. My spine tingled as if electricity ran through me. Her lips left mine as my knees buckled slightly. Song held me, pressing my face against her chest as she giggled above me. We slid down, her arms around me as we rested on the ground.

"I'm telling Zin to make sure that you learn your lesson from going into mountains." she declared. "I don't want to know why I had to find you wherever I did."

"The mountains want to kill me." I said with a chuckle. "It's a conspiracy."

"Do you want me to add Mist to the list?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm afraid that she would make it worse. Screaming inside my skull doesn't tend to work very well."

"How about electricity through your legs?"

"More painful."

Song giggled again, stroking my hair. "Remind me as to why Baast is with you instead of with Jonathan?" she asked.

"Long story short is that we found a crazy Zapdos that is apparently in love with Jon. I caught her, but Jon claims her as his responsibility. Baast offered to trade herself in turn."

"So Jonathan can't have any more Pokémon." she said, nodding.

"Yeah. Apparently he's barred from having any more. And speaking of which, we have to go find them."

She nodded, standing up first before pulling me up. Her robes fluttered slightly as a soft breeze blew by. With her staff in hand, it felt extremely odd for a moment. It felt like our roles were changed suddenly, and that I've gone from protector to the one needing protection. A feeling of vulnerability made me shiver slightly. Song's warm body shook me out of my reverie. She smiled down at me, one of her arms wrapping me in a hug.

"You haven't changed." she said.

"That's a good thing, right?" I asked, looking up at her.

She nodded, giggling happily. "It's been far too long."

I nodded. "Let's go over to the Ranger headquarters and see what's going on."

She nodded, grabbing my hand and allowing me to lead. I'm pretty sure that she could get to where we needed to go. It felt weird not being able to feel her inside my head. Song giggled suddenly, her grip tightening on my hand.

"I've gotten better at that." she said out loud. I blinked at her words.

"I can still read your mind." Song explained. "I've had a bit of time to practice."

"But doesn't that use up your psychic power?" I asked.

"A bit, I'll admit." she said, smiling. "I would rather know that you're safe at all times, though. As long as I know that, it's worth it."

I smiled, giving Song a nod. "Do you have to go back to the monastery?" I asked. She shook her head.

"The monks understood well enough that you were in danger from my brief explanation." she said with a smile. "And other than my things, I didn't have any other possessions."

Nodding, it took me a moment to see that we were walking inside the Ranger headquarters. Jonathan and Joy rushed over towards both as soon as we entered the building. I found it amusing to see Song's staff swing in front of me, halting their progress instantly. Their eyes focused on the wooden staff in front of them, before looking at the one holding it. The grin on my face couldn't be suppressed for too long, a chuckle escaping me after a moment of staring at their faces.

"Song?" Jonathan asked, surprised.

The Gardevoir nodded, her staff being pointed towards Jonathan. His eyes were focused on the staff before Song raised it to his forehead and pushed him away. Joy grabbed him before he fell completely, though they both fell onto the tile floor. Song looked at me for a moment, winking at me before turning back to Jonathan and Isabella.

"Isabella?" Song asked. "That's her name?"

I shook my head. "Long story." I offered. Song giggled.

Joy helped Jonathan stand up, a few other Rangers beginning to gather around us. Jon rubbed his forehead as he stood still for a moment. Joy looked like she was ready to pound my face in. I was grateful when Jon's boss walked in.

"Glad to see you're still alive." he said, knocking me forward when he patted my back. "Got our stuff?"

I rolled my eyes, shedding off the backpack and jacket. I was very grateful that the relatively warm air didn't make me overheat. Jonathan's boss took the backpack and jacket, making sure that nothing seemed out of place or missing. Remembering about the flare, my mouth opened to say something but he cut me off.

"Whatever the girl said, don't worry about it." the fat man said, waving a hand towards me. "I'm not going to charge for materials used. That would be a bit messed up."

I turned to Jon, who chuckled for a moment. "What happened to the people we were sent to find? Did you two find them?" I asked.

He nodded. "Thankfully, we found them getting harassed by a few Geodudes and a Graveler. All three are actually in the Pokémon Center, the trainers and Pokémon being treated for injuries. Unfortunately one of them had a broken ankle, but other than that everyone made it out alright."

I nodded, relief washing over me for the strangers. It was good to hear that everyone made it out fine and we managed to fulfill our objective. It wasn't that easy though, Joy jabbing a finger into my face.

"How in the world did she get here." she said.

"And you think I know?" I asked. "I'm as confused as you are. Even Song doesn't really know."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Rapidash shit." she growled. "Give me a straight answer, dammit!"

I frowned, hearing Jon's boss mutter something along the lines of woman trouble. In my peripheral vision it was easy to see Jon shrug as his boss walked away. Joy's finger made me turn my focus on her quickly, her finger almost jabbing into my eyeball.

"Pay attention to me, asshat!" she yelled. "How did your Gardevoir get here!?"

"She teleported to me when I almost got myself killed finding a Lum berry for Spirit." I said, frowning. "It was a dumb move, and I'm not going to put up getting yelled by you all day. I already asked her about the barrier and Song said she didn't feel anything preventing her from teleporting in."

Joy frowned at the offered information. "And what about Deoxys?" she asked.

"Iolanthe? After we tried that one time that Jon asked, we didn't try again. At least, I didn't ask her."

She blinked, opening her mouth to say something but no sound came out. Her brow furrowed slightly, trying to figure out something to say. I shrugged, giving her a my best 'I don't know' look. It didn't look like she appreciated the gesture, but it was the only thing that came to mind. Either that or shrug happily as she struggled to find words. Though she didn't seem extremely thrilled at the prospect, she shook her head.

"When did you name Deoxys?" she asked.

"While on Mount Silver, before the Crobat decided to attack with its flock of friends, she pointed out that I haven't really thought of a name for her. After a bit of impromptu thinking, it came to me from a book I read a while ago."

Joy shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess." she said, shaking her head.

A few other Rangers were talking among themselves, making gestures to us. My eyes met Jonathan, who was shaking his head. Joy looked at me curiously, trying to figure out what I was thinking.

"Follow me." Jon said, motioning to us. Song aligned herself to my right as Joy took my left. It was amusing to see her look at me warily. None of the other Rangers followed us.

We went up the stairs quickly, going up the same way we went to go to the big meeting room. That same room ended up being our destination. Jon opened the door, Joy going in before any of us said anything. Song giggled as her hands pushed me gently forward. We entered the meeting room to see Joy sitting on the other side of the table. Song took the nearest chair, pulling another for me to sit on. Jon passed by me as he entered the room.

"OK, so what are your plans now?" Jon asked.

Joy didn't say anything as I let out a sigh. "I'm planning on talking to the League."

Nobody talked after that. "This situation has to be big." I continued. "Whatever is going on, Indigo Plateau has to have their hands in it. The champions just left to do whatever it is they're trying to do. League officials have to know something, or they wouldn't have allowed the champions to have free roam of the regions.

"At the very least, someone can point me in the right direction. If anything, a place to stay would be nice, too."

Joy and Jonathan looked at me as if my common sense left the window. Song was looking at me too, though with a smile on her face. Jonathan shook himself first, shaking his head.

"The League has cut off the champions from their communications and records." he said. "They're acting on their own, so the League says."

I shrugged. "Well, the Elite Four has to be there, right? They might know something."

"And what makes you think any member of the Elite Four is going to talk to you about what Lance might be doing?" Joy asked heatedly.

I shrugged. "I don't, but it beats sitting here twiddling my thumbs until the next clue lands on our laps."

"With our luck, it would blow up in our faces, too." Jon said, chuckling. Joy shot him a nasty look that made him stop. As soon as she was satisfied with Jon, she turned to me.

"There's also Darkrai." she pointed out. "You talked to him."

Jon's jaw dropped at the mention of Darkrai. "You WHAT?!"

"Long story."

"Hey! That's what you said to me!" Song said, giving me a light shove.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this one." Jon said, frowning at me. "What happened?"

I sighed. "My Pokédex began to ring, and I answered thinking it was you. Turns out that Darkrai can communicate using the same Pokédex application. I spoke with both of them, actually."

"Both!?"

I nodded, trying to keep everyone calm. "Yeah, both of them. The first one through the phone was the male that attacked us at the Celestic Ruins, the second was the crazy female one at the monastery."

I held up my hand to stop the wave of outcry I knew was about to be unleashed on my eardrums. "Before any of you start yelling at me, she didn't attack. I honestly don't think I'd be alive if she did. All she did was warn us that Cresselia is on the move."

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Jon said, looking relieved. "We don't have to worry about Darkrai anymore."

"What makes you think that?" I asked, Song nodding next to me.

"Cresselia is Darkrai's opposite." he said slowly. "Since that's the case, we don't have to worry about having people go missing or going into comas! Heck, they can probably help the ones that have fallen into comas!"

"I think you're getting ahead of yourself." I said, frowning. "They're both considered legendary Pokémon. We don't know if there's some overarching plan that they both have their claws in."

"What makes you think that there's a plan?" Joy asked suddenly.

I shrugged. "While it may be true that both have been at odds, all we have are stories to base that on. What if they both species have worked out their differences and are working together? The female Darkrai mentioned Mother this time instead of Father when she spoke to us. Is there another motivating both into this?

"And what about Suicune? Doesn't that even feel suspicious? Yes, she's helped me twice now without asking for any compensation. I just feel that there's something far more that we can see."

Jon shrugged. "I still think you're being paranoid." he said. "The champions are out there, and they'll take care of this before you know it. Five region champs against whatever they're looking for. I'm putting my money on them."

"Five trainers don't have much against legendary Pokémon." I pointed out. He laughed.

"How do you know?" he said after catching his breath.

"It took three of us to take down a Zapdos." I pointed out. "One that is, according to you, still young. What would it take to take down a legendary that's vastly more experienced?"

"Probably not that much more?" he offered, before laughing. "Really, I think you're freaking out over nothing. In all honesty, I think we can take them on and win."

"I wouldn't bet on those odds." Joy said, frowning. "That Zapdos fried Zefyra out of the sky without any hesitation."

Song looked at me worriedly. "The monks mentioned something about this while I was there. No trainer is safe as long as any legendary Pokémon is active in the world."

I turned to my Gardevoir. "Active? Like being around and messing with others?"

She shrugged. "That's what the bald monk said. Apparently the words came from The Wish Maker."

"Right, and this comes from another legendary." I said, rolling my eyes. "Contradicting themselves much."

I turned to see Jon and Joy giving each other looks. Pretty sure they think I've lost a few marbles by now. Jon shrugged.

"I don't think it changes anything." he said. "Regardless of whatever they're looking for, the champions will stop them."

"Well, that's great. I'm still going to Indigo Plateau." I said, standing up. Song stood with me, nodding. "I'm going to the Pokémon Center and getting my stuff and resting for the rest of the day. I'm leaving tomorrow. And don't worry about showing me the way out, since I'm pretty sure that we can follow the line of crazies outside of the door."

"What are you talking about?" Joy asked.

I didn't bother responding, opening the door and avoiding the five people that fell through into the meeting room. Rolling my eyes at the scene, they moved out of the way so myself and Song could leave the room in peace. Though I have to say that being followed by a lot of Rangers thinking they were being experts at hiding was a bit amusing.

Thankfully we were able to leave without anyone heckling us more than being followed through the building. It felt a little awkward, though I did my best to hide my nervousness. Relief was an understatement when we left the building and no one else followed us. Song giggled at my reaction, making me lean against her slightly.

"You're funny." she said, her fingers running through my hair.

"A total laugh riot." I said, unable to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"At the very least, you still have us." she said with a smile.

"Somehow, just the ten of us makes me fear for our safety." I responded.

"Well, they know where we will be, right? And Jonathan can call you using the Pokédex. I don't see a problem."

I nodded. "You're right. We'll figure this out... somehow. But first, let's get everyone rested and fit before we leave for Indigo Plateau."

Song nodded, more than willing to take the lead as we walked towards the Pokémon Center. It made me feel at ease, knowing that this wasn't some kind of demented illusion that my mind came up with. I still felt unreal that Song was back. I wrapped a hand around her, hugging her close to me. Letting her go was the last thing on my mind right now. Her fingers on my hair went to my shoulder, gripping me tightly. It always surprised me how much taller she was than me. Though then again, I've only known one Gardevoir and she's always been this tall ever since she evolved.

We stepped inside of the Blackthorn Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy waving at us as she sat behind her desk. A smile spread on her face as we approached her.

"So, who's the Gardevoir?" Nurse Joy asked.

"She's the Gardevoir that I had to leave behind in Sinnoh." I said.

"Well, how did she get here?" she asked.

"Teleportation apparently doesn't have many rules." I said with a shrug. Song giggled, nodding happily.

"Fair enough, I guess?" Nurse Joy offered, giving us a shrug. "Regardless, are you here to pick up your things?"

I nodded. "Yes, please. Also, could you check on my Pokémon? I'd like to be ready by tomorrow if possible."

"I imagine you'll be staying the night."

I nodded as Nurse Joy looked thoughtful for a moment before grabbing a key. She placed it on the desk and pushed it towards me. Song grabbed it from her, holding it securely. Pulling out the Pokéballs out of my belt, I passed them over to Nurse Joy one by one until she had them all except for Song's.

"Don't get too rowdy in there." she said with a smile. "I actually have a few patients sleeping."

"We wont." I said, nodding. Nurse Joy giggled as we walked away.

"I'll pass by and give back your things in a little while." she said happily. "I'm a little busy at the moment."

I nodded as we went down the familiar hallway towards our room. The door unlocked without any problems, revealing a simple single bed room. Thankfully it had another door that I hoped led to the bathroom. As soon as I sat down on the bed, my body fell on top of it. Screw changing into something more comfortable. That was another step that felt unnecessary.

The bed sagged a bit more as Song's weight fell on the bed. She crawled over me, her face laying next to mine as her body lay on top of me. Her body aligned herself with mine as she sat on my lap. She smiled down at me before coming to rest on top of me, resting her head next to mine.

"Song?"

"Yes?"

"Do you... regret coming with me?" I asked.

She sat up, looking at me with eyes wide. "No, I don't!" she exclaimed. "You're the reason I evolved, and gave me a purpose. While losing my powers was regrettable, it doesn't matter. As long as you're safe, I'm happy."

I nodded. She smiled again, poking my chest gently. "Just don't go about doing dangerous things. If you do, I'll make your life miserable."

My hand reached for hers, her fingers wrapping around mine and grabbing tightly. Her smile never left her face, the grip on each others hands never wavering. She leaned down, her lips pressing against mine before parting. It was a brief kiss, but it made me feel secure.

She leaned down again, her body laying on top of mine. I wrapped my free hand around her body, holding her as close as I could. She giggled softly next to my ear.

"It feels good to hold you again." she whispered.

I couldn't agree with her more.

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

The familiar sound of my Pokédex ringing brought me back to awareness. Song shifted above me, her body heat keeping me comfortably warm. My eyes struggled to open as a yawn escaped me. Something cold pressed against my cheek, making me shiver slightly. Turning to face the cold, I saw Aurora with my Pokédex in her claws as she tapped the plastic. The numbers glowed brightly in the display, showing it was eight in the morning.

"Too early, Aurora." I grumbled, closing my eyes and snuggling against Song.

Something cold pressed against my sides again, making me stiffen immediately. I tried my best to stay still, but not reacting only made Aurora more determined to make me move. My body began to shiver uncontrollably, hearing Aurora giggle softly as she tortured me to get up. Song giggled above me, her lips pressing against mine with growing urgency. She broke contact suddenly, leaving me slightly breathless.

"I'd better stop, or else we would be here all day." she said with a giggle.

I opened my eyes to see Song looking down at me. Her eyes looked happy, though that particular emotion was easy to spot due to her smile. She leaned towards me, kissing my lips again before moving to get off me. Motioning to Aurora, the Weavile stopped the alarm clock. Both Pokémon helped me get up, though Aurora cheered for me more than actually helped. It was then that I realized that Nurse Joy must have brought my team while we were asleep. The Pokéballs were resting next to my backpack on the floor. One of them was opened, which would be Aurora's. All the other ones were still sealed, much to my relief. Though, there was always the chance that a certain Weavile would have let them out and closed the devices behind.

Standing on my own two feet, Aurora rested on my right shoulder. My eyes moved towards her, making the effort for us to see eye to eye.

"There wouldn't be the odd chance that you let everyone out of their Pokéballs as well, right?"

Aurora shook her head. Song giggled next to me. "I don't feel any other presence here." she said, nudging me gently.

I nodded as she giggled again. "In the meantime, go to the restroom and get ready. It smells like you haven't taken a shower since we last saw each other!"

I blinked, suddenly being pushed from behind towards the restroom. "But what about Aurora!?" I exclaimed.

"She can make sure that you're properly clean." Song said with authority. "She's probably seen you naked a few times by now, right?"

I shook my head, trying to find the right words to say. Song didn't let me think though, pushing me through the open door and into the bathroom. She gave me a shrug when I turned around to face her.

"So she hasn't?" Song asked. "Why not?"

"Er... Zin was... well, she..."

"Oh, I get it." Song said, giggling softly. "If you need permission that badly, I give it to her. Now don't stand there woolgathering! Get going or else I'll see to it personally."

"But who's going to-"

The rest of my sentence was cut off as Song closed the door on me. I blinked, surprised at the abruptness and shocked that Aurora was still on my shoulder. My eyes turned to face the Weavile, who was giving me a grin. She jumped off me to the ground, perching herself on top of the sink. Aurora then proceeded to mime taking off clothes from her body, and then pointed at me. I knocked on the door gently.

"Having technical difficulties?" Song asked.

"Can you please hand me some clothes at least?"

"Nope! You can get them after taking a shower. Aurora, I'm counting on you that he actually gets clean."

"Weavile!" Aurora exclaimed loudly. She even saluted! My hands covered my face, a sense of dread beginning to grow.

My cheeks began to feel warm, standing still in the bathroom. Why in the world would Song want Aurora here? It's not like she ever made sure that my showers were 'proper' before. I kicked off my shoes, sitting on the seat cover of the toilet to take off my socks. Aurora was giving me a very impatient look, tapping her claws against the sink. The sounds the action did sounded like a clock ticking impatiently. Standing in front of the sink, I kneeled down to pull a towel from underneath the bathroom vanity. Shedding my shirt and pants, I stood in my boxers in front of the Weavile. Aurora was looking slightly surprised, crimson patches appearing on her cheeks.

A chuckle escaped me, pushing the curtains out of the way. Standing in the dry tub, I finally gave myself some privacy. Shedding the last remnant of clothing on me and throwing the boxers over the curtain bar. My fingers played with the shower handles, trying to find a warm temperature. Satisfied with the temperature, I pulled the shower diverter up for the water to spray from the above me.

Grabbing the soap, I began to take care of the necessities. At least this time Mist wasn't here to make sure that my body was cleaned to satisfaction. I also didn't want to make Aurora or Song wait for too long for me. The idea of having two angry Pokémon with me wouldn't bode well. My hair was a mess, now that water was running through it. My hair was definitely longer too, and a little bleached. Either way, my hair was never the top priority no matter how much my mom would remind me about it. A chuckle escaped me, remembering about mom and dad. I was extremely relieved to hear that everything was fine on their side of the world. But will Darkrai really leave us alone now, or was it just a ruse? And what about Cresselia? No matter how many times Jonathan repeated it, it still felt extremely suspicious.

My thoughts drifted as my hands pressed against the wall to lean. Water ran through my hair, dragging the shampoo suds with it. What about Suicune? What was her role in all of this? What did she mean by meeting in more pleasant terms? I sighed, shaking my head as water began to go down my face. A bit of warm water ran into my eyes, blinding me momentarily. I used the palm of my hands to wipe the water out as best I could. After that, my fingers worked the shower handles again, turning the water off. Remembering that Aurora was still inside the bathroom, I cautiously opened the shower curtains enough for me to see outside the bathtub.

Aurora was sitting on the floor, her back turned to me with the towel wrapped around herself. My clothes lay in a small pile next to her. Did she fall asleep? Somehow I seriously doubted that.

"Aurora?" I called softly.

She jumped in the air, taking the towel and what looked like my shirt with her. Landing, she spun around and launched a beam of ice in my general direction. It missed, but just barely. It might have frozen a few hairs on my head. Thankfully it was a short lived attack. Maybe she realized who she was attacking? She blinked for a moment, before launching herself at me. I barely managed to throw the curtains to the side and catch her in my arms.

Her claws flailed around me, though they never came within range of my skin. Aurora was shaking her head against my chest. Holding her gently, I focused on balancing so that we wouldn't fall down. Easier said than done, but it was manageable. Bringing myself to sit on the cloth, my focus turned to Aurora. I shivered slightly, the cool air sending goosebumps up and down my arms. It didn't help that Aurora felt like a block of ice against my skin either.

Aurora calmed down slowly, her claws resting on my arms. She was still twitching slightly, but her breathing was a bit more relaxed now. For the moment, things looked like they were fine. She suddenly began flailing again, almost crawling up my chest until her face was aligned with mine. Aurora's eyes were wide, almost fearful and tear stricken until she closed them.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly. She shook her head.

"It's because I'm naked, isn't it."

While her eyes were closed, the blush on her cheeks told me her answer. I smiled to myself, bringing my face closer to hers. She opened her eyes, almost falling as she saw me. My hands caught her claws before she could fall, her surprise easy to see. I placed one arm under her and the other behind her back, to make sure she didn't fall.

"I didn't think that you'd be so shy." I said with a smile. "I don't know what Zin or the others have told you, but you don't have to do what they do with me."

I turned thoughtful, looking for anything that may tell me about her thoughts. Her eyes opened, turning to me with a cold look. My smile countered her cold exterior as we looked at each other for a moment. Aurora turned away from me, crossing her arms over her chest. I was about to say something when the door opened, revealing Song with a handful of clothes for me. She blinked for a moment, before giggling madly.

I should be more embarrassed, but to my credit I didn't scream in surprise. Though it was mildly annoying knowing she didn't knock. Song spoke after she managed to control herself.

"Just to let you know, I did knock." she said, walking over to the sink to drop my clothes.

"Really now. And how come we didn't hear it?" I asked.

She shrugged, giggling again. "Maybe you were too engrossed to hear it?" she offered. "It's not like you were doing something that you would regret. Or is it?"

Aurora glared at Song while I tried to think of something to say. I rolled my eyes, sighing and shaking my head. "I don't need Zin to think of her as a threat."

"And why would she think that?" Song asked.

"Good question. All I know is that she proclaimed that she didn't want Aurora to be physical with me for some reason."

The room fell silent at that. I looked down at Aurora, seeing her mood darken quickly. It felt like I was playing into a trap. The idea didn't sit well with me, if that was the case. A chill went down my spine as whatever moisture that was left on my skin felt extremely cold. Looking down at Aurora, she was shaking in my hands. Song came and grabbed her from me, giving me a frown and shaking her head before leaving.

Yeah, should have probably kept my mouth shut.

The door closed as both of them left. I stood up and finished drying off, idly noticing small patches of ice against my chest and arms. Slipping on the clothes that Song brought, thoughts ran around my head of what just happened. Again, having played in Zin's little plan came up. In all honesty, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if that was the case. Though then again, it might just be that I don't think. Possibly both, looking at the situation now. Good to know that my flawed personality still showed.

With my pants on I turned to the sink and letting the hot water, using it to thaw out the ice on my skin. The brilliant idea of ripping them off sounded pleasant. Shaking my head, I frowned as my gaze met the mirror. This felt like waking up before leaving home. Though the problem was that this was a worst case, seeing as she's with me instead of her just leaving.

With the water rolling hot and towel in hand, the ice melted off quickly. At the very least it didn't cause permanent harm to myself. At least not yet anyway. Arceus be damned, I'm an idiot.

The water was still running, but the sound began to soothe some part of my brain. At the very least it was something. Thoughts began to coalesce, as if coming out of a fog. Implications mostly, of the things I say, have seen, and keep doing. Have I changed so far? It's been... a month and a half? It was just before The Ghast Festival, though my frame of reference felt extremely skewed. I felt like all I did was stumble along, though it felt like I was putting my foot in my mouth more often than not.

Putting on my shirt, it was annoying to think that it was mostly reaction that kept me going. Plans weren't really in my vocabulary. It usually boiled down to forming half a plan and then winging it the rest of the way. Maybe it was time to think this through? Would it help at all, though? Sitting here in Johto wasn't getting us anywhere. Jonathan's idea fell through, and it didn't seem that Sinnoh had any individual happenings that I ever heard of. Admittedly, I didn't pay much attention to the news while at home though.

If I knew that this was waiting for me after leaving home, I would have stayed put.

Regardless, wishing for things to change wasn't going to help anyone at this time. Looking at myself in the mirror, my eyes seemed to have a resolved look. Was I serious enough to see this through? My face softened, becoming conscious of how it looked. My hair looked like a mess, and my face had a scratch I don't remember having. Shaking my head and turning off the water flow. Mistakes can be fixed. Maybe it was really time to get hold of my life.

Grabbing my old clothes and walking out of the bathroom, Song and Aurora were talking quietly while sitting on the bed. Neither of them made a motion to show that they knew I was outside. Even being able to understand Song, I couldn't hear what she was saying. Perhaps she was speaking softly. Aurora certainly wasn't. Shoving the used clothes into my backpack, it was probably a good idea to go through laundry when we stopped next. Where would that be is another story.

I grabbed my Pokéballs and attached them to my belt. Without anyone saying a word, Aurora presented herself to me. Recalling Aurora, Song grabbed her ball from my waist. No words were exchanged as I recalled her as well. Grabbing hold of Song's staff, I closed the door and turned off the lights.

As I passed by the front desk, Nurse Joy called to me. It was a bit exasperating, but she was extremely generous to us while staying here. It was only fair to be polite.

"Isabella wanted me to ask you if you were leaving." she said. It still felt weird knowing that Joy's first name was Isabella.

"Yeah. I'm leaving right now for Indigo Plateau." I said, nodding.

"I can tell that you aren't stopping for anything." she said with a slight smile. "I'll let her know where you're going. Expect getting yelled at when she gets her hands on you again."

I nodded, giving her a smile of my own. Returning the key and waving good-bye, my fingers grabbed Spirit's ball. It would take a bit to get to Indigo Plateau, and I had to make some kind of argument that sounded at least legitimate.

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

It surprised me how simple minded some people are. I would never understand why would someone risk their life to get to the League. Flying sounds like a much better alternative. Problem was that people didn't take too kindly to that for some reason. Apparently it was some right of passage.

Because risking your life to prove that you're worth fighting is a big deal to these people. As if beating eight gym leaders wasn't enough. Or ten, like that one guy in the news at one point.

I found it a bit comical that when flying over the general area of Victory Road, according to my Pokédex map, five trainers on top of gigantic birds showed up in a tight formation around me. Spirit almost panicked, but a soothing touch kept her calm. We followed them, a groan escaping me as we turned backwards. Landing in a open area, a sign proclaiming the entrance to Victory Road sat next to the yawning cave.

A man in a blue uniform jumped off one of the birds in front of us. "You can't fly over to the League, young man."

Time to see if my idea works out. "I want to talk to a League representative about the Darkrai attacks."

The man sighed. "You and the rest of the world. If that's the case, you're going to fill-"

"No, you don't get it." I said, interrupting him. "I've been a victim of the attacks, survived, and I want to do something about it. After wasting time with the Johto Rangers, I want answers from the source."

"Unfortunately for you, that isn't how it works." the man said, frowning. "You're going to have to go to-"

"That won't be necessary, young man."

We all turned, facing to see whoever spoke. An old lady stood next to a Gengar, a walking cane in hand while dressed in a violet dress. Well, it was my guess that she was old, as her face wasn't full of wrinkles or whatnot. Her hair was a bit on the silver side, though.

She walked up to me, her cane touching my left knee gently. "What's your name, boy?" she asked. Her tone told me she wasn't kidding around.

"Aaron. And who might you be."

"Just a little old lady. My name is Agatha." she responded, a smile appearing on her face.

"Nice to meet you. Would you know how to talk to someone in the League? It's important."

"So I've heard." she said with a smile. Agatha then turns to the men standing around us. "Well, what are you waiting for? Aren't you all supposed to be making a patrol?"

The first man that spoke to me looked flustered for a moment. His eyes went from me, to Agatha, to me again, and back to the Agatha. He finally nodded, jumping back on his bird and flying off. The rustling of wings could be heard, the formation circling above us a few times before flying off into the distance.

"You'll have to forgive them." the old lady said. "They're just doing their job. Ever since reporters started flying around, the League has been trying to keep the situation under control."

"Situation?"

"Darkrai." she answered with a shrug. "It's no surprise, really, if you look at the evidence left behind. It's only a matter of time, though, until Cresselia shows up and fixes this."

Darkrai's words came up while being in Mount Silver. I shook my head, frowning. "But what if Cresselia makes things worse?" I asked.

"Why would you say that?" she asked kindly.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How can I explain this in a way that doesn't make me sound insane?

"You've fought against Darkrai, haven't you?" she asked plainly.

Shocked to hear her words, I nodded. Agatha smiled at me however, patting my shoulder. The Gengar at her side nodded, looking oddly satisfied. Spirit stood behind me, claws holding me tightly against her body. My Flygon's actions made the old lady chuckle, shaking her head.

"You don't have to worry your pretty little head." Agatha said. "I'm not planning on hurting him."

"Thanks." I said.

"I wasn't talking to you." she said, smiling all the same. "Regardless, you won't be meeting anyone else from the League today. Though you may want to check upon Cerulean City. I'll give you a hint if you pass a piece of paper for me."

"Alright. Doesn't sound too dangerous."

"Go to the gym and ask for Misty. She'll be there, though you might have to sit through a show or two to finally talk to her." Agatha said, her Gengar passing her a piece of paper that she passed to me. "This is the letter. Just hand it to Misty and she'll know what to do with it."

I nodded. "Thank you! I'm glad to at least see someone that doesn't think everything I say is crazy."

"I do think you're crazy." she said, stopping my enthusiasm. "But at the very least, you're not weird."

My mind was a blank when she said that. I think that silence was the best answer to that statement, nodding as Spirit leaned down for me. Agatha didn't react as we flew away up to the sky. Though we were still in the sky, it felt like her eyes were still on me. It was definitely an odd feeling, and it persisted the more I tried to ignore it. Opening my Pokédex map, it looked like Pewter City was in the way, alongside Mount Moon. Ha! Not going through another mountain. I'm flying over it, no matter what anyone says. Considering how fast we made it to Indigo Plateau, we should make it with plenty of time to spare. Hopefully we can make it past the mountain before sundown. Pointing us in the right direction, Spirit flew without complaints. The letter was still in my hands, though I gripped it as tightly as Song's staff.

Stuffing the letter inside my shirt, I decided to see who in the world Agatha was. Maybe there was some kind of database for trainer names accessible through the Pokédex? Though nothing of the sort was in the small device, there was something that related to members of the Elite Four. I was surprised to see that there were more than four members for Kanto... but it makes sense since it looks like both Kanto and Johto share the same League location. There were a few menu options, but the one that intrigued me the most was the member listing. One name stood out to me, and it wasn't Lance.

Seeing Agatha's name on the list was slightly shocking. Not enough to make me drop my Pokédex or Song's staff, but enough for my breath to catch on my throat. What was her angle? Did she have any idea what was happening? She should, at the very least. It didn't look like she was ignorant to what was going on outside of the immediate region. Maybe the League is doing something, but not openly public. Would it be to keep the public from open panic? But wouldn't that bring more trainers to help them? Why would they just want the champions of the regions to handle this?

Too many questions ran through my mind as scenarios came unbidden. My heartbeat increased as plausible things repeated themselves over and over again. It took considerable willpower to not scream out loud. I took deep breaths, making sure that my hands didn't grip on Spirit's scales. The last thing that needed to happen was catch her by surprise while a few hundred feet off the ground. Falling didn't sound like a good idea at the moment.

The sun was already past the midday point. Taking a wild guess, it felt around two or three in the afternoon. A city was growing underneath me, a forest in the distance to my right. Roads led from the city towards the forest and to a large mountain in the distance ahead. Opening my Pokédex, we should be passing over Pewter City right now. The Viridian Forest was to my right, and Mount Moon was ahead. Looked like we may or may not make it before nightfall, but at least we were headed in the right direction.

Spirit looked back at me, giving me a smile and a nod. I leaned forward, afraid that she was tired and was needing a break. She shook her head, before picking up a bit more speed and heading forward. Pewter City passed under us quickly, the route to Mount Moon replacing the city. As much as my doubts kept eating at me, it was at least a step in the right direction. Actually, right might not be the correct term. A direction, at the very least. I just hoped it was the right one.

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

As tempted as I was to continue on foot, the thought of traveling at night in an unknown region stopped that idea. Setting up camp on the other side of Mount Moon, the hills let us see Cerulean City clearly. The trees did little to hide away the city lights, and it seemed to be quite an active city. It felt like that concert back in Jubilife, but knowing it wouldn't end. It felt a little odd, seeing a city that was like that, but then again this was Kanto. As far as I'm concerned, Kanto could be as weird as Johto. Maybe I should have asked Jon or Joy about this place.

It's not like I was going to let go, that's for sure. It just felt... odd. This kind of environment wasn't the one that was at home. Having dinner while sitting on a piece of firewood didn't help my overall mood much. Spirit took an early night, happy to take my tent before anyone else. Zin and Akalia took charge of everyone to make sure that we had plenty of firewood while Song offered to cook dinner. When I offered myself to help, it was met with a cold gaze by everyone. I deferred to the majority vote, quickly backing away.

Sitting by myself away from camp made me think about this morning. As much as it bothered me, it must bother Aurora just as much or more. Who knows how the quiet Weavile is handling it. All that I knew was that she hadn't gone crazy yet, by either outright attacking Zin, me, or anyone else. Knowing her documented background didn't help much in that regard. In all honesty, it was a wonder that everyone was still comfortable around the Weavile. Giving notice that probably someone has overheard me talk or think about her reports by this time, the thought surprises me more than it probably should.

"We know."

I hardly suppressed the urge to jump as Mist's voice spoke from behind me. It still surprised me that she always caught me unawares. Possibly due to her being a ghost. Or maybe it was due to being lost in my own thoughts. It never took much to surprise me. Mist hands touched my own as I faced her. She was alone as well, much to my surprise. Though this was probably a lecture, at the very least it would be one at a time.

"It is not as bad as you think, actually." she continued. "Aurora is taking it better than expected. So is Zin, actually."

That took me by surprise. The look on my face must have betrayed my thoughts, since Mist giggled softly. I managed to smile, though even I knew it was forced. Mist shook her head, her hands reaching up to touch my face. My back slumped towards her touch, leaning down to her.

"They are just talking, you know." she continued, her hands pulling away slowly. "You really don't give any of us much credit."

"It wasn't the right way to present Zin's view of her, though." I said, shaking my head. "If anything, I should be-"

"No, you are definitely not going over there." Mist said with finality. "That is one of the things both Zin and Aurora asked me to do. They will approach you later. Right now, let them speak to each other at their leisure. Their discussion is heated enough as is without you being in the center of it."

I nodded, seeing her point. Zin could get extremely possessive around me, especially if it came to this kind of relations. She didn't seem to have much of a problem with any of the others, though it seems that everyone else has 'proven' themselves in her eyes. It still felt weird knowing that all of my Pokémon, with the possible exception of Spirit, wanted to bed me at some point or another. It felt extremely odd that even Baast felt that way, and she wasn't part of my original roster. And from her own words, her sister as well? What others have felt that way? The notion that possibly Jon's or Joy's Pokémon feeling that way sent a chill down my spine.

"Master!"

I turned to face the new voice, seeing Xola move towards us. She was panting softly, shaking her head when she came to a stop. My blood ran cold at what could possibly make her so nervous or anxious.

"It's Zin and Aurora." Xola said, still panting. "They're-"

"I'll go ahead." I said, interrupting her. "Mist, make sure that Xola calms down."

I ran towards camp as soon as Mist confirmed my request. While the it was only a few moments away, the need to make sure everyone was alright made the run that much faster. The fire in the middle of camp highlighted the little damage that was caused. A tree nearby had some its leaves burnt as they fell slowly to the ground. The bark was also slightly blackened, along with a few other trees. On the opposite side, there were a few trees that were the recipients of ice. Leaves and parts of the tree bark were frozen inside blocks of ice, revealing only parts of their natural color where the attack didn't reach. The ice seemed to reach behind the trees as well, indicating the force behind the attacks.

Zin was being held down by Akalia, though it was more that they were talking softly to each other. Iolanthe was standing nearby, both of her tentacle hands twitching if need be. Aurora was being pinned down by Baast, who seemed to have no problems subduing the smaller Pokémon. The ground surrounding Baast was covered in ice, Aurora's struggles obvious to anyone seeing the spectacle. Other than the tantrum that she was throwing. It didn't look like she was attacking anyone in specific at the moment.

My gaze fell on my tent. How Spirit slept through the noise and how was the tent intact would be a mystery to me.

A blue glow came from behind me, lighting the tent up brightly. Turning around, the glow was a beam of ice was heading my way. My eyes widened, bringing my arms up to block the impact as much as possible. If I dove out of the way, Spirit could be affected. It wasn't a chance that I wanted to risk. A gentle touch on my arm made me look towards my side, seeing Iolanthe step in front of me. It was a different face that greeted me, though. Instead of the usual face, hers was more rounded now, as well as the rest of her body. The tentacles were thicker, hanging at her sides as she stepped in front of me. I was about to move her out of the way when the Ice Beam hit. The temperature drop was instantaneous, shards of ice landing near my feet as she blocked the beam. The attack ended abruptly, the cold passing and warm air heating me slowly. I shivered slightly, as Iolanthe turned around to face me.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice surprisingly lighthearted.

I nodded, my body still shivering. From cold or shock, it was anyone's guess. Her form changed slowly, her face slimming down again to the one I was used to seeing. The large tentacles slimmed down, splitting up again into two thinner ones. Her body slimmed down again, the extra bulk disappearing. To where was a guess I didn't want to make. The safety of my body wasn't worth a risk to guess at her weight.

My legs gave out, but Iolanthe grabbed my body quickly. Her eyes showed concern, but she nodded anyway. Her tentacles wrapped around me, taking me over to where everyone was still standing. No one made a sound as we approached the rest of the group. Xola and Mist were with the rest of the group already, their shocked expressions telling me they knew what just happened. Zin was the first to break the silence by launching an attack towards Aurora and Baast. Baast ducked, avoiding the attack but stopping Aurora from retaliating.

"Both of you, stop it!" I yelled, trying to stand on my own. It was a mildly successful endeavor, though my legs were shaking underneath me.

Akalia and Baast both looked at me hesitantly, before letting their charges go. Aurora jumped off Baast's arms, landing on the ground without effort. Akalia walked until she stood next to Song, lightning beginning to surge through her fur. It felt a little awkward reprimanding in front of a crowd, but everyone became involved after some time. It's not that I was hiding this debacle from anyone seeing it. Everyone at some point became involved. The why was another story, one that needed to be said.

"Alright." I said, breaking the silence first. "Whatever it is that you two talked about almost got Spirit involved. I would like to know what it was you two were discussing."

"Master, they-"

Everyone turned to see Xola's mouth being covered by Mist. My Milotic struggled for a moment to free herself, but relinquished after a moment. Mist shook her head.

"I apologize for the interruption." she said with a smile. "She only wished to speed things along, but it is for the best of the guilty speak for their own defense."

I nodded. "Thank you. You're right. I appreciate the gesture Xola, but they need to tell me what's going on instead of someone else."

My eyes focused back to Zin and Aurora. Both of them were quiet, barely moving at all. Zin's usual animated self was still, her gaze not meeting mine while her tail lay flat on the ground. Aurora stood without a seeming care in the world, examining her claws for flaws or damage. The Weavile seemed extremely confident about something. About what was up in the air. I've given up trying to follow my Pokémon's general train of thought. It was enough knowing that seven out of nine wanted to get in my pants. Constantly.

"Though I know it's a bit unorthodox, I'm willing to ask others for means other than questioning to get answers." I said, raising an eyebrow. "While it's impossible for Song, Iolanthe, or Mist to pull direct information, persuasive interrogation can be made possible due to Baast having enough reasons to pound the crap out of someone."

"Indeed." she said, rubbing her paws slowly. Seeing as she held down Aurora while being the unfortunate bystander of Zin's attacks, she has enough reasons.

Zin still looked like she didn't want to cooperate. Aurora was an entirely different picture. One look towards the Lucario was enough to get her talking. Especially with the grin on Baast's face. Aurora spoke in a rapid fire voice, waving her claws around energetically while pointing at individuals during her speech. I listened, but it was obviously a token offer. It was impossible for me to understand. I was extremely grateful that there were at least four here that could translate. Three, technically, seeing as Zin wasn't speaking for once.

I honestly felt a little bad for the Houndoom. It felt extremely awkward seeing her afraid of my reaction. Has she had this fear all this time? Why? Was the fear of my rejection that strong in her? A touch on my right hand brought me out of my thoughts, turning to see Mist float next to me. She started to go inside of me as I turned my vision over to everyone else. Aurora was shaking slightly, but continued talking nonstop. Her eyes met mine, reminding me that this kind of situation wasn't new to her. I idly wondered if she instigated this on purpose.

"I will translate what she is saying for you, if you are ready, Master." Mist said softly in my mind. I nodded.

A soft voice replaced Mist's soothing one. It took me a moment to finally place the holder of it. Was this what everyone heard when Aurora spoke? It almost sounded like someone tapping on glass.

"I wanted to talk about the comment you told me earlier today, Master." Aurora's voice said, playing inside my skull. "When I approached Zin, she wasn't very cooperative, telling me to mind my own business. When pressed, she only continued to say the same things.

"I then asked what are you to our Master. Zin exploded, telling me that she was everything to you and that I had no rights to question her. Pointing out that I threatening her position wasn't my intentions, she still lashed out to me both physically and verbally. She said that I would never be good enough for you, Master. Zin pointed out that I spent enough time on top of you to, to which I retaliated with saying that my relationship with you wasn't sexual in any way. When Zin didn't respond, I said that the relationship between you two was all about what happened in the bedroom and-"

It was confusing enough to hear the conversation that was already said and having it catch up. Mist worked extremely fast. I silently thanked the ghost, but raised a hand to stem the tide of words that Aurora continually threw. Thankfully, Aurora did stop and saving my head from pounding.

Turning my gaze over to Zin, the Houndoom still looked uncooperative. Her gaze was cast downward, avoiding looking at anything except her paws or the ground. I closed my eyes for a moment, rubbing the bridge of my nose as my mind filtered through the information as quickly as possible. It's understandable that Aurora would want an answer to such accusations, but why was it so important? Probably the more important question is why wouldn't Zin answer her.

"This all looks like a huge misunderstanding, or a severe lack of communication." I said, opening my eyes. "Aurora, you were there when Zin first mentioned this comment. Why are you reacting so strongly now? It didn't seem to bother you at first."

The Weavile spoke, and thank Arceus for small wonders that Mist was still willing to translate.

"I remember." she said softly. "But... hearing you say it made it feel like that you didn't want me to be with you."

So the little ice princess was afraid of rejection. I sighed. "Have my actions ever made you think like this before?" I asked, frowning. "It's not like I've taken you off my head before whenever you climb up on me."

She stayed quiet after that, looking away from me. I turned my attention to Zin, who was still avoiding my gaze. "Zin, would you like to elaborate your part in this?" I asked.

She shook her head, standing and looking at me for the first time in the night. "No. I've already told you my stance on her."

"Right." I said, rubbing my eyes. "Look, this just seems like a huge misunderstanding at worst. Aurora, do you want us to be more physical?"

She shook her head. "All I want is to be close to you. I never understood the need of the others to have such contact with you."

"Join the group." I responded with a chuckle. "Zin, now that you've heard it from her, will you stop antagonizing Aurora?"

She nodded mutely. It was better than nothing, I suppose. One thing that bothered me was how this all came to pass. I honestly didn't want to know, because the headache would be unwelcome.

"Before this gives me a headache, I'm going to ask that you two forgive each other. Mistakes happen, what else is new. But at the very least, understand that you two need to tolerate each other so we don't strangle what cohesiveness we have. Which, if I may say, is one of the few things keeping us together."

Everyone was looking at me by this point. Mist's attention was evident to me as pinpricks of pain went up my arms. I shook my head, pressing onward with my impromptu speech.

"It's our bond with each other that's allowed us to face what we've seen so far. Sure, we're strong by ourselves but we're stronger with each other. Fighting each other isn't going to help our case. Darkrai is still out there, and so is Cresselia, Jirachi, and Arceus knows who else that might want to stop us. Do you really think that..."

I stopped myself before chuckling. "You know, I've said this enough times. You all know what's about to be said. I'm going to look at the stars for a bit more before passing out. Good night."

Looks of surprise were on everyone's faces as I turned away and walked towards the tree line. Someone was following me, but it didn't surprise me when both my arms were grasped. To my left was Song and to my right was Iolanthe. They didn't stop me, but it was obvious they wanted to come along. Turning them down sounded like a bad idea, and it would be nice to have company. We didn't walk that far away from camp, but enough to hide the glow of the fire. It was hard to see the stars through the canopy, but in all honesty I just wanted to be away from everyone. Three Pokémon obviously didn't get the message.

"I was not going to leave you alone, Master." Mist whispered softly.

We stopped under a tree, Song pushing me down to sit on the grass and dirt. With my back resting against the tree, Song and Iolanthe sat to my sides. I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to fall asleep right there and then. More likely than not, all three of the Pokémon with me wanted to make sure that didn't happen.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"To make sure that you don't do something you would regret." Song said.

"Not to sound morbid, but walking off a cliff?" I asked. "I'm sure that Mist would scream murder in my head until I walked the other way. If not outright propel me away if that was ignored."

A chill went down my spine as Mist slowly pushed out of my chest. Her ghostly hands pressed against my cheeks. "Or both." she whispered slyly.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Or both." I conceded. "Something that isn't that far of a stretch."

"Would you do that?" Iolanthe asked.

I shook my head. "No. That's an extreme answer to a temporary problem. I'm not that much of an extremist."

"Master is one of the most understanding humans I've ever met." Song said.

"Song, you've only met like fifteen humans that I know of." I said, shaking my head. "Or at the very least, those that were recorded on file and not counting the monks."

Mist giggled at that. "If my opinion counts, I would have to say the same." she said. "You are very understanding, almost to a fault."

"I have also noticed that you are extremely patient." Iolanthe said, adding her thoughts to the pool. "Most trainers would have given up in exasperation long before now."

"I think you've said that before." I pointed out.

Iolanthe shrugged, her body leaning on mine. "I believe you are right, but it does not make it less of a truth."

"I give up." I said, leaning my head back. "I can't say anything without one of you having something to say."

"You should just give up and listen to what we have to say." Song said with a giggle.

"But I already do that!"

"Not as often as you should." Mist said, giggling.

"Alright, so what do you three suggest?" I asked.

Mist giggled instantly, while Song leaned against me more. The feeling that they were communicating without my knowing was a bit too obvious. Iolanthe pulled away from me completely as if my body was on fire. Mist and Song laughed together, leaving me feeling confused.

I rolled my eyes to myself. "What are the odds that Zin has set fire to camp?" I asked aloud.

"Oh, I think that those two will behave themselves now." Song said. "They looked a bit scared of you, and will probably be for a while."

"I don't know about being scared of me." I mumbled. "Do you really think so?"

Song giggled. "Yeah. I was honestly surprised that Zin didn't dig a hole for her head. If she pushed her head any lower, she would have needed one."

That mental image made me grin. It wasn't my intention, but I couldn't help it. Mist on the other hand, giggled for me as her hands gripped my shirt. Song stood up, using me as a stand. Mist floated farther away from me, both of their silhouettes standing over me.

"Could you stay with them, Mist?" Song asked.

Though she didn't respond immediately, it only took a moment for her to nod. Mist floated down to me, resting against my chest. Song looked down at us, her eyes glowing slightly.

"I'll make sure that nothing happens at camp. You two just make sure that Master comes back intact."

Intact? I was about ask what she meant, but something covered my mouth. My words were muffled as Song waved towards the three of us and walked calmly away. Whoever was covering my mouth finally removed it when Song was completely out of sight.

"I was the one that stopped you, Master." Iolanthe said, answering the unasked question.

"Why?"

"Because you would object." Mist pointed out. "And it was either you be forced with Xola or Iolanthe. Or would you like to have Song here? Perhaps Akalia?"

Oh Arceus. I shook my head. "Would it be all possible to have a rain check for this? I'm not quite in the mood."

"That excuse will not work with me, and I will tell you why." Mist said. "Zin trapped you in her den, and she forced you into giving her what she wanted. And seeing that you are still alive and intact, you conceded to the act."

"I'm willing to believe that there's a submissive somewhere buried in my psyche."

"That is one extremely weak argument."

"Point taken."

"Besides, it's not like you don't enjoy it." Mist continued. "Unless you are more repulsed than you show."

"I think you've been in my mind enough times to know that isn't the case." I said, groaning. "It's just... dealing with Zin and Aurora's bickering was frustrating. It bothers me that Aurora reacted so strongly, even after hearing from Zin. It bothers me that Zin felt that way about her. It bothers me that I spoke like an idiot."

"It is those flaws that make you mortal." Mist said. "Even I am not exempt from making mistakes, as you well know. Accept them for who they are."

I nodded. "Knowing that, it still bothers me that I reacted so nonchalantly."

"That was nonchalant?" Iolanthe asked, confusion in her voice. "What would be a scenario when you care?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to know."

"Regardless, what is stopping you?" Mist asked, pressing against my forehead. "Uncomfortable?"

"Would you believe that I don't know how to approach you, Iolanthe?" I asked, turning to face her.

She didn't respond vocally, choosing to lean towards me instead. Though I turned to face her, it wasn't possible to stop her from knocking me down. Iolanthe laid on top of me, facing each other. Her tentacles held my arms tightly as Mist's chuckling echoed in my ears. My struggles didn't earn me much freedom, though I was positive that Iolanthe wasn't using much of her strength to hold me down. It didn't look like she was struggling to pin me down. Her face leaned over mine, eyes looking at mine. She blinked, as if confused over something.

She leaned further towards me, her face meeting my lips. Was this her idea of a kiss? While it felt a bit awkward, it was definitely a unique experience. Pressing back against her, it was good to feel that she didn't pull away. Mist's voice giggled from somewhere around us.

I ignored the giggling, focusing on returning the affection. She pulled away from me suddenly, her eyes encompassing my field of vision. Iolanthe shook her head, leaning down again but holding me tightly against her. Her tentacles released my arms, but wrapped around my body instead. Surprised by her actions, I still wrapped my arms around her.

"Hold me, please." Iolanthe whispered.

"Of course." I said, stroking her back. "Just remember that we don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"I'm satisfied for now, holding you like this." she said, burying her face against my neck.

Mist's giggle echoed in my ears as I closed my eyes. It was a relief to know that the night wasn't as cold as Mount Silver. Then again, that was just a death trap.

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

We marched into Cerulean City, and I'm pretty sure that it looked a bit intimidating. With Song and Iolanthe walking beside me, Xola and Baast walked behind me. Aurora was on top of my head, while Akalia and Zin acted as the front guard. Not to mention with Mist hovering above my head and Spirit flying a bit higher than Mist. I'm sure that anyone that didn't know me saw this as either a very confident trainer, or flaunting an obvious breaking of trainer rules. It was funny when someone walked up and tried to say something. Zin almost blasted him before I walked up to him.

"This better be important enough to risk getting burned by a Houndoom." I said to the man. He looked as old as my dad. He wore a matching blue shirt and shorts, but not much else stood out.

"You can't have more than six Pokémon." he pointed out. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm a breeder." I said. "Unlike a regular trainer, that rule doesn't apply to me. Now, if that's all you wanted to point out, could you point me in the direction of Misty? I have something to deliver to her."

"She's at the gym." he said. "But you wont get to see her. You have to be a trainer to meet the gym leader."

I shrugged, walking away from him. "I'm sure that there can be exceptions." I called, waving goodbye.

It was a bit ironic to find that there were trainers that didn't know about breeders. Well, maybe they were like me and didn't know much breeders in general. Not much information was given in any of the tests and packets that I was given to study. Maybe it was more about a niche group of individuals that knew about it. Well, lucky me that we ran into Joy after all.

That and being saved from Abomasnow and all. Yeah. Let's leave that were that lies.

It was nice to know that Aurora and Zin worked out their problems. Baast informed me, however briefly, that they have agreed to disagree. At the very least they're being more amiable to each other. And here I thought that more severe courses of action had to be taken.

No one came to talk to us after that guy. Maybe we did look more intimidating than I thought. Either way, it was easy to spot the gym due to the massive crowd gathered in front of it. Not to mention the huge Pokémon on top of it. The gym was by itself, surrounded by trees while the nearest building being the Pokémon Center. As we approached, I could see that a few people had some kind of paper in their hands. Shrugging, I decided to wait out the crowd to see what was the whole deal. Thankfully, it only took a few minutes by my reckoning for everyone to get inside the building. Walking forward, there was a ticket booth in clear sight with a guy sitting inside.

"Tickets?" he asked as we approached.

I blinked in surprise. "Um... actually, I'm here to talk to Misty. Is she available?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, she is the lead for today's show. She's going to be busy all day, and if you aren't a trainer you can't challenge her."

It was through force of will that stopped me from rolling my eyes. "I know that I can't challenge her." I said calmly. "Agatha from the Elite Four handed me a letter personally to give to Misty. If you want to be the one that holds that up, fine by me. I can tell Indigo Plateau what was the hold up and blame it on you."

The words were that, and it was extremely unlikely that it would have any effect. The guy didn't react any differently than I expected, giving me a shrug.

"Sure, and so do the next twenty bozos that try to get in here for free. Look pal, I don't care what's your excuse for not buying a ticket but you need one to get in here."

"When does the show end?" I asked, changing tactics.

He rolled his eyes while pointing upwards. "You can't read well, can you?"

Ignoring the jab at my intelligence, I looked up to see the times of the shows. Pulling out my Pokédex, the most recently started show was going on now. This would be the second show, starting at ten and going until midday. There was a two hour window, so maybe it would be possible to meet Misty then? I shrugged, closing my Pokédex and turning away.

"Hey!" the guy called. "What's your name, so we can get the authorities when I tell Misty?"

"You just tell her that Agatha sent me." I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll see you at midday."

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

We paraded into the Pokémon Center, getting a rather happy reception from the Nurse Joy behind the desk. It was a bit surprising at first until she cleared that the Blackthorn City Nurse Joy called. Apparently, Agatha liked to talk about things. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew more than she showed.

"I just wanted to make sure that you felt welcome in Cerulean City." she said with a smile. "After hearing that you helped take care of Zapdos in Johto, you've been the talk of the region."

I shrugged. "It wasn't just me, that's for sure." I said. "One of your sisters and a Blackthorn Ranger were part of it."

She waved my comment aside. "Sure, but they're not here right now. And speaking of said sister, Isabella is going to give you the pounding of a lifetime for leaving her behind."

"I imagine so." I said, shrugging. "Joy and Jonathan can both fly faster than I can. No offense, Spirit."

My Flygon didn't seem to care, rubbing her cheek against mine. Nurse Joy giggled at the display.

"Will you be staying here?" Nurse Joy asked. "I'm sure that Isabella would like to know where you are."

"Yeah, we'll be staying here." I said. "Much to my regret that she'll know. We're going to check with Misty in about two hours, too."

"Something from the officials, right?" she asked with a smile.

"Something like that." I said with a shrug. "All I know is that Agatha personally handed me a letter. Got no idea what it says, and it's not my business to know unless told otherwise."

"Fair enough. I'll get you a key for your room. Will you like a check-up for your Pokémon?"

I shook my head. "We didn't do any fighting while on our way. Spirit could do with some more rest, though, so just peace and quiet will do."

Nurse Joy nodded, passing me the keys. "It's a large room, for when Isabella and Jonathan arrive. You should rest before meeting Misty. She can be a pain in the ass sometimes."

I nodded. "What can you tell me about her?"

"In about six words? She's a pain in the ass. Trainers that fight her for the Cascade Badge always come here with more injuries than I care to admit to. In my professional opinion, she should retire."

Her eyes widened for a moment, before leaning over the counter and grabbing my hands. "Maybe Agatha sent you here to teach her a lesson! Oh, Arceus, that would be a blessing!"

"I highly doubt that, Nurse Joy." I said with a nervous grin. "I'm a breeder. Technically it's impossible for me to challenge a gym leader."

"Well, maybe the letter says otherwise." Nurse Joy suggested. Letting go of my hands, she gave me a smile. "Either way, we'll find out in a bit. Go rest, and I'll wake you up before the show ends."

I nodded, walking down the rather familiar looking hallway that Nurse Joy pointed out. Were all Pokémon Centers built the same? Regardless, it was easy to find the room. Opening it up, I was greeted by a larger room than was expected. It was a gigantic room, with three full beds. It even had it's own television! Zin, Akalia, and Aurora claimed one bed, so I dropped my bag on top of it.

"The other beds are for Joy and Jon, whenever they get here." I said, turning to face everyone. "Let's not ruin that for them. We all should get some rest before we have to talk to Misty."

Everyone nodded as I proceeded to sit on the bed and take off my shoes. With that accomplished, the idea cropped up that setting an alarm would be a good idea. Pulling out my Pokédex, the function was easy to find and I set one up for midday. With that accomplished, and making sure that no one was currently behind me, I leaned back and closed my eyes. Sleep sounded good, especially after being sleeping on the ground last night.

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

The alarm rang, making me wake up instantaneously. For the first time it wasn't Aurora's fault that it rang. No one but Iolanthe, Xola, and Song were curled up around or above me. It didn't take much for Xola to move, allowing me to at least sit up. It took a gentle nudge for the Milotic to finally get off me.

"It's way too early." Xola grumbled as she moved.

I chuckled, rubbing her body gently. "Well, we don't want to miss our appointment with Misty."

"Oh yeah." she mumbled. "We should go."

"Indeed." Iolanthe said, her tentacles curling around me.

I grabbed my shoes, slipping them on and tying them as fast as possible. Xola and Iolanthe nodded at me. Song was yawning demurely in my direction.

"You wake me up for this?" she asked. "And here I thought we would be sleeping for longer."

I grinned. "You should know me better by now."

"Oh I do. Though I still wonder why you and Iolanthe didn't do it."

My cheeks heated instantly. "That's a good question."

We all turned to Iolanthe, who was looking at us with surprise in her eyes. "What?"

Song and Xola giggled, while I shrugged. "They're laughing at us because we didn't have sex." I pointed out.

"I thought that you did not want to."

"Iolanthe." Song said in a de facto voice. "When you want something from Master, you have to take it. No matter how oddly it feels, and especially if it's a matter of his body."

"Song, I do not need anyone else jumping down my pants." I groaned. "Let's get going and meet with Misty. I don't think it would be a good idea to keep a gym leader waiting."

Nobody argued after that, following me as we left the room and the Pokémon Center. We could see the crowd of people walking away from the Cerulean gym as the show ended. I think it was a good idea to stay away from the moving mass of people as they left the building. It took a few moments until it finally stopped, and we made our way forward. The same guy at the ticket booth saw me, motioning inside the building. Out walked a tall woman with sand blond hair, wearing a form fitting white bathing suit. She was wearing a matching jacket, unbuttoned and only with one sleeve on. Her eyes were a piercing green, her mouth looking to be caught between a grin and a laugh.

"You really bothered me for this?" she asked. "What is it you want, an autograph?"

I ignored her questions, pulling out the letter that Agatha gave to me. She grabbed it quickly, her grin becoming slightly more prominent.

"Follow me, kid." she said, turning around and walking inside the gym. The ticket booth guy looked at me in surprise, and all I could do was shrug. It didn't feel like making Misty wait was a good idea, so we followed her.

While I've never been inside any gym, it didn't strike me that the building would be this large. Some walls were gigantic aquariums, housing all kinds of Pokémon from different regions. Some I recognized, like the Seadra that sped past my vision or the Seaking that was lazying about. Others were completely new to me, like the one my Pokédex identified as a Gorebyss after being confused over the long pink Pokémon with a needle for a nose.

We followed Misty until we reached a large pool area. She took a seat in the stands, motioning for us to do the same. I sat down next to her while Song, Iolanthe, and Xola stood nearby.

"You know what your signing yourself up for, right?" she asked.

I blinked. "Er... actually, I have no idea." I admitted. "Agatha just gave me that letter to give to you, in hopes that you could point us to Lance."

She blinked, before laughing hysterically. Did I say something funny?

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed, barely containing her laughter. "This is fucking rich! Damn that old woman. Hope she rots in her grave, sending kids to do her dirty work."

My surprise must have been obvious. Her grin reminded me of Joy for some strange reason. The cynical part of my brain idly wondered why. Must be the language.

She showed me the letter in her hand, which was decorated with three words. 'You owe me' was clearly seen against the white paper.

"What is it that you owe to Agatha?" I asked.

"I bet against her that no one would come looking for the champions on their own volition." Misty explained, wiping away a tear. "She told me that someone would, eventually, and that I would owe her a favor."

"Which would be?" I asked.

Her face split into a grin. "You're a breeder, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"What made you pick that path?" she continued, ignoring my question. "Have you been attacked by Darkrai?"

I blinked, but nodded. "Two of them, actually." I clarified.

"Damn. That's crazy. Most people don't live through one."

"Wait a second, you said people don't live?"

She nodded. "What, you've been believing that nonsense that the League spits out? Most people that end up encountering Darkrai are dead by now."

I looked at Song, her eyes wide at the news. We were extremely lucky. Misty's laughter made me turn back to her.

"Yeah, Pokémon that are attacked by them usually meet the same fate as the trainers." she said with a shrug. "That's why the champs are out there, doing whatever it is they're trying to do to stop them."

"So then the champions moving around is old news." I said, frowning.

"Duh. Lance came here last year to inspect the Cerulean Cave. Looking for some writing that Mewtwo left or something was his excuse."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Mewtwo?" I asked.

"Some experiment that Team Rocket made a few years ago." she said with a shrug. "Supposedly some super powerful Pokémon with the fossilized blood of Mew or some junk. It was never confirmed or denied when they captured Giovanni. He never talked."

"So Lance is going on a rumor of a pile of rumors." I said, raising an eyebrow. "The only thing we know that's true is that the Darkrai are killing people and Pokémon at random."

"Pretty much it." she said, laughing. "Oh, and before you go, I want to ask you something."

I raised an eyebrow. "Go for it. What's up?"

"Will you fight me?"

"Technically I can't." I said. "I'm a breeder."

"Fuck that rule." she said, rolling her eyes. "I never understood the point. It's the gym leaders that set the fighting rules anyway! I'm telling you it's OK, so will you or not?!"

I didn't respond for a second. She filled the silence. "Have you even fought a gym leader?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. Becoming a breeder seemed way more important." I said. "Six Pokémon wasn't enough to help my Gardevoir when Darkrai attacked her. It was bad enough then, and I don't want that to happen to anyone else."

"Well, that explains the staff in her hands." Misty said, pointing behind me. I nodded.

"That's some serious shit." she said. "You also haven't answered my question."

"What would be the rules?" I asked.

"That's for me to figure out and for you to guess." she said, winking at me. "How many Pokémon do you have?"

"Nine in total."

"Sounds like enough for thirty minute show." she said with a smile. "That is, if you don't mind."

I looked behind me, seeing my friends give me slight nods. I didn't have to say anything, her hand extending to meet mine.

"It looks like we have a plan." she said with a laugh.