FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Kinzoku's eyes opened slowly, her mind still hazy from the aftermath of the battle. She stood and shook the accumulated snow off her body, wondering why she wasn't back in her Pokéball. A few meters away Akatsuki had also woken up, and was unsteadily rising into the air. Kinzoku looked around in confusion, trying to make sense of things. Where was Valor? Why had they been left out in the snow?

She got her answer when she spotted their trainer lying on the ground, his body covered in a thin layer of snow. She and Akatsuki rushed over to him, immediately recognizing that he was unconscious. Kinzoku turned to the moth pokémon. "Warm him up, or he won't last for very long."

He nodded silently and began flapping his wings, enveloping Valor in a cloud of warm air laced with small cinders. As the Bug-Fire Type set to warming up their trainer, Kinzoku started looking around again, this time trying to figure out what had happened to Tamash?. A few feet away she spotted, slightly buried by the snow, a long strand of red and a small silvery orb. She gently picked it up, recognizing it as the Soothe Bell she had seen Tamash? wearing. Now she was worried. Valor was unconscious, Tamash? was now where in sight, and the humans from before had disappeared. "What in Arceus's name is going on around here?"

"Kinzoku."

She turned to face Akatsuki, shocked to hear him speak. The snow covering Valor had been melted and evaporated by the heat, but now they had a new problem: they had to get rid of the net that was tightly wrapped around his body. "Any ideas for how to get rid of this?" she asked, curious to see if he would speak again.

She was slightly disappointed when he responded with only a shake of his head, but this wasn't the time for such things. Not when their trainer needed help. "Alright then. I'm going to try to cut it off him with my claws. It's not going to be easy though. I'll have to go slow if I don't want to cut him to shreds in the process."

She gently worked the claws of her right paw under the wire of the net and swiftly pulled back, cutting them clean through. She continued like this, severing each row of wire until he was completely free of it, breathing a sigh of relief when she finished. "Alright, we need to get him inside, but you don't have arms and I'm too heavy to carry him up those steps to the house. They'll likely collapse under my weight. We're gonna need help."

She pulled the Pokéballs off his belt and, not knowing which contained what pokémon, she opened them all, causing Seiza, Inazuma, and Sangoshou to appear before them. "I'm going to make this quick. Valor is unconscious and I think Tamash? was kidnapped by a couple of other human. We need to get him inside, so Inazuma, you're going to help with that. Akatsuki, Seiza, you two should go out and see if you can catch up to the humans who took her, or at the very least figure out where they went. Okay?"

Inazuma, Seiza and Akatsuki all nodded in agreement, but Sangoshou scoffed at her planning. There was clear contempt in the Kingdra's voice when he spoke. "Why should we go after her? All she does is create a distraction for our trainer. He would be far more proficient at battling if not for focusing his attention on her. Besides, give him time and he'll find some other female to play with. In the grand scheme of things, Tamash? simply doesn't mat-"

He was cut off as Kinzoku grabbed him around the neck, gripping him tightly and pulling him up to her eye level. In a deadly quiet voice that was filled with barely controlled anger she said, "Now you listen to me you pompous prick. I don't care what you think of their relationship, they need our help. Valor cares about her. She matters to him. And she's part of our team, which means we care about her too. If you have a problem with that, than tell me right now and I promise I'll make it quick. However, if wish to continue with this pathetic thing you call a life, than you will help us, and you will shut up and keep your comments and prejudices to yourself. Understand?"

His eyes wide with fear, the Dragon-Water Type nodded, causing Kinzoku to drop him roughly to the ground. "Good. Now, Akatsuki, Seiza, get going. We'll deal with things here."

The Volcarona and Staraptor nodded again, then took off to the south, following the road toward Route 117. Kinzoku watched them go, hoping they would find something. "Sso, what sshould I be doing?"

Kinzoku turned back to look at Inazuma, his hissing voice getting her attention. "You're going to carry him into the house. I would, but putting over eight-hundred pounds of weight on wood steps isn't a good idea."

The eel pokémon nodded. "I undersstand. Sshould I just go ahead than?"

"Yes. And take this as well." She handed him Tamash?'s Soothe Bell, then said, "Just leave that somewhere he'll find it."

The Electric-type nodded and took the bell, then walked over to, Valor, carefully picked up his still unconscious body, and carried him up the steps and into the house. Kinzoku sighed. "I guess this is just one of those days." She turned back to Sangoshou and, still clearly irritated with him, said, "You go inside as well. Just try to stay out of our way. I'll stay out here to wait for the others to come back."

He hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing the look in Kinzoku's eyes he decided it would be better to do as she said. He hurried inside, leaving her alone in the snow to wait for word from the others.

***

Akatsuki soared through the sky, Seiza trailing a few meters behind him. Working together they were looking for any possible indicator of where the Pokémon Hunters had taken Tamash?. Their results thus far were less than promising. The snow had covered the Hunters' tracks, and they had a head start of at least a couple hours. And of course, there was no guarantee that they had gone south at all, even if it was likely.

Form behind him Seiza called out, voicing what Akatsuki already knew. "There's no sign of them. We should head back. If I can't see anything with my visual acuity, then we probably won't find anything."

With an inaudible sigh the moth pokémon nodded, then turned to head back, Seiza following not far behind. This was a disaster, he thought. He and Kinzoku had failed to stop the Hunters in the first place, and now he couldn't find them. He couldn't help but feel that he had failed his trainer.

Shaking his head in frustration, he banished those thoughts from his mind. This wasn't the time for placing blame. It wouldn't do any good. They continued their flight back, knowing that Kinzoku wouldn't be happy when she heard the bad news.

***

Candice walked along the road, headed toward Lake Acuity. Much as she hated to admit it, she had played a rather sizeable role in the previous day's events. Though she and Tamash? had never really gotten along, she knew she needed to make an effort to patch things up, at least so she wouldn't lose Valor as a friend.

Though, the idea of playing nice with Tamash? didn't sound to appealing to her. Ever since she had first met the Lucario Tamash? had seemed cold toward her, something that made no sense. It wasn't as if she had given the Fighting-type any reason to dislike her, at least not that she knew of. But they had been at odds with each other from the moment they met.

With a sigh she looked up, wondering why they had developed that relationship. Her expression turned confused as she saw what looked like Valor's Volcarona and Staraptor flying toward lake Acuity. "What are they doing?" she asked of no one in particular.

Suddenly worried she picked up the pace, almost running toward the lake. A few minutes later she arrived at the house on the shores, very out of breath. When she got there she could see Kinzoku standing outside the house, seeming to have a conversation with Akatsuki and Seiza, and none of them looked very happy. "What's going on? Is Valor alright?"

They turned to look at her, clearly surprised by her sudden appearance. Kinzoku hesitated for a moment, then gestured toward the open door of the house. Candice rushed inside, worried what she might find. She stopped cold upon entering the house. Valor was lying on one of the couches in the room, clearly unconscious. Inazuma was nearby, and Sangoshou was off to one side of the room, avoiding looking toward his trainer.

She walked over to Valor, a look of concern on her face. He was breathing steadily, but he had a bruise on one side of his face and he was shivering slightly. "Alright. I'll take care of him from here. Where are his Pokéballs?"

Inazuma pointed outside. She ran back outside and retrieved the capsules, then returned all of the pokémon to their respective balls. She closed the door to the house, trying to figure out what had caused this. She lit a fire in the fireplace then went to get a blanket from one of the bedrooms. She returned a moment later with a wool blanket, intending to cover Valor to help keep him warm. Arriving back at his side she smirked, trying not to laugh, as she couldn't help but notice that there was a growing bulge in his pants. "Well, you must be alright if you're dreaming about something that could cause that."

With a chuckle she gently placed the blanket over him, wondering who he was dreaming about. She sat on the other couch, her thoughts turning once more to what the question of what was going on. It occurred to her for the first time that she hadn't seen Tamash? for the entire time that she had been at the house. Where was she? Did her not being here to have something to do with this?

It was then that she noticed that Tamash?'s Soothe Bell was lying on the small table between the couches. That only confused her more. Where was Tamash?? Why was Valor unconscious? She shook her head, not understanding what was happening. None of it made any sense.

Her attention turned back to Valor as he shifted in his sleep, making a sound that spoke of some sort of pleasure. Candice smiled, finding herself wondering again what was going on in his dreams. "Tamash?."

Candice's eyes went wide in shock. Surely he hadn't just said that. "But...that would mean..." Her mind was reeling. What he just said would indicate that he and Tamash? were...no, he wouldn't do that, she thought. It was wrong, it was unnatural. It...made perfect sense.

Candice leaned back against the couch as the pieces fell into place. Valor always rejecting her, Tamash?'s dislike of her. Now it all made sense. The weirdest part though was that, after the initial shock wore off, she found herself quietly accepting what she had been presented with.

She shook her head with a slight smile. "We are going to have a lot to talk about when you wake up Valor.

***

When Valor's eyes opened his first thought was, how did I get inside? His face hurt, but he couldn't remember why. In fact, he couldn't remember anything from the last few hours-except for a particularly raunchy dream he had just been having about Tamash?.

"Nice to see you're awake. Having a pleasant dream where we?"

Startled by the sound of the voice he turned to see Candice sitting opposite him on the other couch, an impish smile on her lips. "What are you doing here? And what do you mean 'pleasant dream'?"

"I mean the tent you've decided to erect here in the living room."

Catching her meaning he hurried to make sure he was properly covered, drawing a giggle from Candice. "I can't say it's my thing, but I suppose I can understand the attraction. She is rather easy on the eyes."

Valor looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and Tamash?. And since I know you're going to ask how I know about that, you were talking in your sleep. It doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together."

Valor didn't need to look in a mirror to know that his face had turned bright red. Not knowing how to respond he simply said, "Oh."

Struggling to keep from laughing at his embarrassment, she said, "Don't worry, I'm not judging you or anything. I actually think you two make a cute couple. And it certainly explains the way you two have been behaving toward me."

"Yeah, sorry about that. But, you can understand why we couldn't explain anything to you."

She nodded. "I understand. This isn't the sort of thing you just go around telling people. Anyway, I'm the one who should be sorry after how I treated her. Which reminds me, where is Tamash??"

"Where...is..." He trailed off, trying to remember. Then, in a single instant, the memories rushed back to him. The fight with the Pokémon Hunters. Tamash? being taken. He could remember all of it clearly. He started shaking with anger, then slammed his fist into the upholstery of the couch, venting in the only way he felt he could.

A moment later the anger changer to depression as he realized that he didn't even know what to do about what had happened. With an expression of concern Candice asked, "What's wrong Valor? What happened?"

"What happened? I failed is what happened! Pokémon Hunters came and took her from me. I tried to fight them off, and in my arrogance I thought I could deal with them. I was wrong, very, very wrong. I couldn't protect her, and I wound up unconscious on the ground and she wound up being taken off who knows where."

"Can't you go after them?"

He shook his head. "They would be too far away by this point. I wouldn't be able to follow their trail anymore, and they're probably too far away for me to sense."

"Sense?"

"Yeah. I'm a Guardian of Aura. I can sense Aura, but there is a limit to its range. It varies from person to person, and I can sense things about half a mile away. But that's it. There doesn't seem to be anyway to track them at this point. I couldn't protect her, and now I can't save her either."

"I didn't know you were a Guardian. How come you never told me?"

He sighed sadly. "The existence of Guardians isn't exactly a secret, but we still don't go around just telling people. We prefer to keep our powers hidden unless it becomes necessary to show them."

She nodded understandingly. "I get it. But, back to the issue of the Hunters. Isn't there some way you could track them down? Or, do you know somebody who could help?"

Valor was quiet for a moment. He had already thought of someone who could help, but he was reluctant to get his help. If his dream about Tamash? dying had been some sort of prophetic vision, getting his help could lead to it coming true, a reasonable fear, considering he had been in the dream. Then, he decided that it would be worth the risk, if it meant saving Tamash?. "I...do know one person who might be able to help. If anyone could help me, it would be my friend Galen."

"As in the Pokémon League's World Champion, Galen?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You know him?"

"He's friends with all the Gym Leaders of Sinnoh. Though, I haven't actually seen or talked to him in a while, but still, I have known him for years."

Valor shook his head with a sigh. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Well, why don't you call him? I'm sure he'd be willing to help. He does have a bit of a habit of getting involved in other peoples' problems."

Valor took a deep breath and got up off the couch, knowing that it was the best solution.

***

Galen stepped outside, an expression of irritation on his face. "We just had to come see her sisters. It's not even about telling them she's pregnant, it's just that she wants to _brag_about being the first one to start a family of her own. It's our engagement all over again! She always has to try to outdo them. And even knowing that I can't stand her sisters, she still insists that I come with her. And why? Because at the end of the day she can't stand them eith-"

His soliloquy was interrupted by a ringing sound from his pocket. With a weary sigh he pulled his Pokégear out of his pocket, wondering who was calling. Without looking to see who it was he pressed the button to accept the call. "Hello?"

A familiar voice issued from the Pokégear's speaker. "Hey, Galen? It's Valor."

Galen blinked in surprise. "Hey kid. What's up? Where are you calling from?"

There was clear stress in Valor's voice, detectable even through the speaker. "I'm...calling from the house at Lake Acuity. You know, the one you gave to me...and Tamash?."

There was a catch in his voice as he said Tamash?'s name, prompting Galen to ask, "Valor, what's wrong?"

The communication device was silent for a moment, then Valor began to explain what had happened with Tamash? and the Pokémon Hunters. When he finished recounting the events, he said, "And now I don't know to do or where to go to even start searching for her. I...I need your help."

Galen took a deep breath "Alright, I'll get there as soon as I can. Don't worry Valor, we'll find her."

Valor's voice was filled with a mixture of gratitude and relief as he said, "Thank you Galen. I...I really appreciate it. More than you could ever know."

"Don't mention it kid. I'll see you when I get there."

Valor said goodbye, ending the call. Galen returned his Pokégear to his pocket, and was surprised to find that he had a giddy sort of grin on his face. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. Speaking only to himself he asked, "Am I really so bored that the idea of going after Pokémon Hunters excites me? Do I really want to go on another adventure that badly?"

With another shake of his head he added, "Or am I just insane?"

***

Valor returned the phone to its resting place, then turned and started walking toward his and Tamash?'s bedroom. Looking over his shoulder at Candice he said, "Galen said he would get here as soon as he could, so, I guess until then, I'm waiting. Though, I hate the idea of sitting around doing nothing. Not much else I can do, unfortunately. It's getting late, and as you can guess, I would like this day to end, so I'm going to bed. You're welcome to stay the night. There are a couple of empty rooms. Anyway, like I said, I'm going to go to bed."

"Valor, hold on." Candice stood up and grabbed the Soothe Bell off the table. She walked over and handed it to him, saying, "Here. I'm guessing this fell off her when...you know. I think your pokémon probably brought it in when they brought you in to the house. I...figured you would want to know."

He took the bell, his eyes growing sad. He had given it to Tamash? only a few days before, and now she was gone. And it was entirely his fault. "I remember. It came loose right as they were leaving. It just...fell into the snow. Thanks."

He turned and disappeared into the bedroom a moment later, closing the door behind him. Candice hesitated for a moment, then went into one of the other bedrooms, deciding she should stay close by, just in case. She closed the door behind her, and the house came to be filled by a sad, stifling silence.

In his room, Valor dropped onto the bed, having left the Soothe Bell on one of the nightstands. He pulled the covers over himself, and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. But try as he might, he couldn't.

Not only was he plagued by images of the day's events playing in his mind, but it was also the first time in over a year that he had been alone in bed. He had become used to his mate being right next to him, or more recently, on top of him. All the empty space felt like just that-a vast empty plain of nothingness. He found himself unable to clear his mind, his own thoughts preying on him, and thus sleep continued to elude him.

"Froslass?"

Valor opened his eyes upon hearing the voice, and was greeted by the sight of Froslass floating in front of him. "Hey Froslass. What's up?"

"Fros Froslass Fros?"

Though he couldn't understand the exact meaning of what she said, he could tell that she was asking after his well-being. "I'm...honestly I'm feeling awful. Worse than I've ever felt, in fact. I feel...empty and broken inside. The worst part is that I can't even do anything, and it's all my fault."

Froslass came close and hugged him, attempting to offer comfort. With a shiver he gently pushed her off saying, "Please don't do that. I appreciate the sentiment, but you're too cold to really be of much comfort. Sorry."

He rolled over, looking away from her as he said, "It's not even just you. I actually don't think much of anything could comfort me right now. I just...need time."

Froslass floated over to the unoccupied side of the bed and dropped down onto the bed, making sure he could see. With a sigh and a small smile he asked, "You're not leaving, are you?"

She shook her head in response, causing him to let out another small sigh. "Alright. You can stay in here. Just don't get too close okay? I'd prefer not to freeze in my sleep-if I can get to sleep that is."

She nodded and laid her head against the pillow, closing he eyes. She's may not be Tamash?, he thought, but at least the bed's not so empty anymore. He closed his eyes as well, and after a while he drifted off to sleep due to sheer exhaustion, his dreams filled with images of his mate.

***

The next day's dawn cast its light over Sinnoh, revealing all that the dark of night had hidden. At the base of the northern side of Mount Coronet the morning light touched a small campsite, consisting of only two tents and a small fire. Vince and Daniel were seated around the fire, trying to stay warm in the snowy shadow of the twin peaked mountain. "So he's supposed to come here to get her, right?" Daniel asked, pointing toward Vince's tent, where Tamash? was being kept.

Vince nodded, taking a sip from the mug of coffee in his hand. "That's what I was told. He has our coordinates, and he's gonna come here and get the little blue bitch."

"Then we get paid, right?"

"Yes Daniel, then we get paid. Supposedly we're gonna be getting enough money to last for the rest of our lives."

Daniel grinned stupidly at the thought of the money, and Vince let out a small sigh. Not for the first time he found himself wishing he worked with someone who was a bit more intelligent. Even though they worked well together, and always got their jobs done, Vince often found himself irritated by his dim-witted accomplice. He took another sip of his coffee, smiling slightly. At least after this job they wouldn't have to work together anymore, he thought.

Vince set down his mug and stood up, stretching his arms out over his head. "I'm going to go check on our merchandise. You know, make sure she isn't trying to escape or anything."

He walked over to his tent, and opened the flap, stepping inside. He smirked at the sight of Tamash?, fully awake and struggling to break free of the net they had trapped her in the day before. "Well, well. Look who's awake."

She looked up at him and immediately started growling. "You bastard. The moment I get out of this I'm going to rip your throat open!"

The first time he had heard her telepathy the day before it had caught him off guard, but now it just made him grin wickedly. "Is that so? Could such a pretty little thing really do something like that? I don't think you would have the stomach for it. But, I'd rather not take the risk. I think it's time you went back to sleep." He pulled a Pokéball off his belt and said, "Noctowl, use Hypnosis."

The owl pokémon appeared in a flash of light and did as its trainer commanded, using hypnotic suggestion to cause Tamash? to fall asleep instantly. With another smile Vince returned his pokémon to its ball, then turned and exited the tent with a chuckle. It's too bad she's not human he thought, I like that feisty attitude of hers.

After a few hours of waiting they heard the sound of helicopter rotors, the vehicle itself coming into view a minute later. It was small, and white in colour. It landed a few hundred feet away, causing the snow in the area to be blown in every direction. A man in a white suit with long blond hair stepped out of the copter and began walking toward them, a confident smile on his face. Vince and Daniel stood to greet him, hoping that he was the man they were waiting for. Vince spoke first, asking, "Are you Lawrence?"

The man in white stopped a few meters away from them, still wearing that confident smile. "Yes, I am. You are the ones who acquired the Lucario I wanted?"

Daniel nodded and said, "Yeah, she's over in that tent."

"Excellent. I'll be taking her then."

Vince smiled slightly. "She's all yours-just as soon as you pay us."

Lawrence nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't expect you to hand her over without some kind of cost." He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out two coins, then tossed them into the snow in front of the other two men.

Vince's smile faded instantly. "What the hell? Is this some kind of joke?"

"This is no joke. It is your reward for doing the job."

Vince shook his head, clearly irritated. "We were told we would be given enough money to last for the rest of our lives."

Lawrence began laughing, causing Daniel and Vince to look at him in confusion. "But don't you see? That is exactly what I have given you."

"Excuse me?"

With a sadistic smile Lawrence said, "I'm sorry gentlemen-and I use the term loosely-but you are a loose end that has to be tied up. I can't have people around who know what I've done here. So, I'm going to remove a potential threat, namely the two of you."

Vince scoffed. "And what makes you think you can deal with us? You must be insane."

"No, I merely understand that you cannot get ahead in this world without removing a few obstacles along the way. And as for whether or not I can deal with you, well, I will let this answer for me." Lawrence reached into his suit and pulled out an ornate hand gun, levelling it at the other men. "This is goodbye, gentlemen. Thank you for your services."

***

Tamash? woke with a start when two explosively loud sounds came from nearby. Not really caring what the sounds had been she immediately started trying to free herself from the net wrapped around her body. She didn't really have a particular method for breaking free; she was really just struggling to loosen her bonds a little bit.

As she fought against the wires that were pressing her fur against her skin, she closed her eyes, searching for the Auras of the Pokémon Hunters, intending to keep an eye on them to make sure they weren't coming to "check on her" again. She stopped struggling, confused by what she found. There was no sign of the Auras belonging to the two Pokémon Hunters. Instead there was a single man with a deep purple Aura, an Aura she didn't recognize.

Not knowing what to expect she started fighting even harder against her bonds, desperately trying to get out of them. The tent opened and once again she stopped struggling, immediately recognizing the man who stepped inside. The shock wore off almost immediately, and she began growling, trying to come off as threatening as possible.

Lawrence knelt down beside her, saying, "It would appear as though you remember me. Those Pokémon Hunters did get the right Lucario. So, do I simply call you Lucario, or did your trainer give you a name?"

She chose not to respond with words, only with more growling. Lawrence let out a small sigh. "You know, you don't scare me. You should be nice to me. After all, I get to decide your fate now. And, I'm not above taking the life of another being. Just ask those Pokémon Hunters."

Her eyes went wide as she was shocked into silence. Now the disappearance of the Hunters' Auras made sense. "You...killed them?"

"It was necessary. They could have been used against me."

"You're a monster."

He smiled. "Perhaps, but you'll find that there are plenty of humans who are just as bad, if not worse than, me. But let's get back to my first question. What is your name, if you have one?"

She remained silent, prompting another sigh from Lawrence. "Well, if you won't tell me, I might be able to remember it. I do believe you trainer said it at some point when we first met. Now what was it? Something starting with...t, I think. I remember thinking it was a rather odd, but somehow fitting name." He then smiled, saying, "Ah yes, I do believe it was...Tamash?. Am I right?"

She remained silent, coldly staring back at him. "I suggest you answer me, unless you would like to join those Pokémon Hunters. I would hate to lose such a pretty thing, but if you won't cooperate, well, I might be forced to dispose of you."

Shaking with a mixture of anger and fear she said, "Yes, my name is Tamash?."

Lawrence smile gently. "Now, you see, that wasn't too hard, was it? Well Tamash?, I am your master now, and I expect you to cooperate with me. If you do, you'll find I'm a kind man. I am good to those in my care. But I would recommend you do not give me a reason to be displeased with you, or it will not end well, and I do not wish to harm you."

"If you really don't want to hurt me, then let me go. Let me return to my ma-to my trainer."

Lawrence shook his head in response. "I can't do that. You are mine now, and if I let you return to your mate, I would likely wind up under arrest." Seeing her eyes go wide in surprise he smiled and said, "Come now, don't be so surprised. Between the little slip up you almost just made, and how protective he was of you in Lilycove, it's rather clear what there was between you two. So of course you know that if I were to let you go, and I wound up under arrest, I would most certainly turn in the two of you as well. In fact, if you ever try to escape, than I will go ahead and turn him in anyway. So, do you think you can be a good little pokémon and cooperate with me?"

Seeing no way out, and seething with anger she nodded, hating herself for submitting to him. "Good. Now, we need to be going." He pulled a black circlet of metal from his pocket and snapped it onto her neck. "This collar is a safety precaution. It makes it so that you cannot use your attacks, and I feel it would only be fair to warn you that it also functions as a shock collar. Do yourself a favour and don't give me a reason to use it, okay?"

She nodded once more, still sick over having to do as he said. He set to work getting the net off her, and a moment later she was free-or at least free of the net. I seem to have traded one form of captivity for another, she thought.

"Alright, come along. I'm sure the pilot of my helicopter is growing tired of waiting." She reluctantly followed behind him, avoiding looking at the bodies of the Hunters as they walked toward the copter. The only real thought in her mind as she unwillingly stepped into the vehicle, was that if she made it out of this alive to see Valor again, it would be a miracle.

***

At around midday there came a knock at the front door of the house. Opening it, Valor was surprised to see Galen standing there, waiting to be admitted. "How did you get here so quickly?"

Galen stepped inside, pushing past Valor into what was once his house. "I have methods of travel that allow me to get around quickly, though it's rather inconvenient to use them regularly. Hello Candice, what are you doing here?"

Candice smiled in response to the greeting. "Uh, hi Galen. I'm here keeping Valor company."

Galen sat down on one the couches, his arms crossed. "I see. Our little Valor does need comfort at a time like this, doesn't he? But, then, should we really be comforting him over something that was his fault in the first place?"

Valor bowed his head in shame, but Candice was not so submissive. "How could you say something like that? Wouldn't you want a little comforting if you were in his position?"

"The difference Candice, is that I wouldn't have screwed up so badly."

"Did you just come here to insult him? To make him feel worse? Because if so, than you should just leave now!"

Galen shook his head. "Somebody needs to tell him the truth. The fact of the matter is that he screwed up. In all likelihood, he won't ever see Tamash? again, and he has no one to blame but himself."

"You fucking asshole! Why are you treating him like-"

"Candice stop."

She looked at Valor in confusion. "Why?"

Valor took a deep breath. "Because he's right. It is all my fault. I screwed up. If I hadn't been so damn cocky, if I hadn't overestimated my own abilities, Tamash? wouldn't have been taken." He paused, the redirected his attention to Galen, a look of absolute conviction on his face. "I know the chances aren't good, but I still can't just leave her. I love her too much to do that. So, whether you're going to help me or not, I'm going after her. No matter what happens, I promised her that I would always protect her, and since I couldn't do that, I have to going to save her, even at the risk of my own life!"

The room was quiet for a moment, the Galen burst out laughing, drawing looks of confusion from the other two. Wiping a tear from his eye Galen said, "Damn kid, I was hoping I would get a reaction like that, but that was even more than I was hoping for."

Valor stared in shock. "You mean...everything you just said...was some kind of test?!"

Galen nodded, his usual confident smile back in place. "Yeah, sorry about that. I had to make sure you were willing to put your life on the line for this. It's not that I really doubted it, but I still wanted to be sure." Becoming suddenly very serious he added, "Because it's very likely that your life will be in danger at some point."

Shaking with anger Candice walked up to Galen and swiftly slapped him across the face. Rubbing his face he asked, "Was that really necessary?"

With a look of contempt Candice crossed her arms and simply said, "Yes, it was."

Rubbing the back of his head Galen sighed, then said, "Alright, maybe I deserved that, but still, you didn't have to hit so hard.

"Um, no to sound narcissistic, but can we get back to my problem?" Valor asked.

Galen grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. You're right. We have more important things to worry about. So kid, we need to do some-" he stopped mid-sentence, a look of concern on his face. "How long have I been here for?"

Valor looked at him in confusion. "Uh, a few minutes. Why?"

"Oh. Crap. Uh, Valor, I would run if I were you."

"Why?"

"Because-"

Galen was cut off by a flash of light coming from under his jacket. Riley appeared in the room, a look of absolute rage on his face. "Alright, where is the little bastard?! I'll fucking kill him!"

Galen grabbed the scruff of his Lucario's neck, resulting in the rather amusing sight of an enraged fighting type struggling to rush toward Valor while being held in place by his trainer. "Dammit Galen let me go!"

Galen sighed, slightly embarrassed by his pokémon's behaviour. "Riley, you can't kill him. Calm down."

"I will not! Because of him my daughter is in the hands of Pokémon Hunters-or worse!"

"Riley, Isaid calm down." Then with a slightly sadistic smile he added, "Or do I need to get Clara out here?"

Riley instantly stopped struggling, a look of fear in his eyes. "Alright, I'll be good."

Fighting the urge to laugh, Valor asked, "Who is Clara, exactly?"

Galen smirked. "My Espeon. She has a habit of smacking Riley around-a lot. A fact which embarrasses him greatly."

"Just shut up and put me back in my Pokéball!"

"As you wish." Galen pulled out the Lucario's Pokéball and returned him to it, then stood up, stretching as he did. "Alright, now that that's taken care of, we should get going."

Breaking her self-imposed silence Candice asked, "So, you're just going to leave right now?"

Galen nodded. "The sooner we get moving the better. Those Hunters already have a one day lead. They don't need any more."

"Actually Candice, if you like you could stay here in the house. You know, keep an eye on things until I get back."

Candice sighed with a sad smile. "Oh, fine. Just don't go getting yourself killed, okay?"

Valor nodded. "I'll be careful. Oh, uh, Galen, wait for a minute would you? I need to get something."

Valor quickly went to his bedroom, then returned a moment later with Tamash?'s Soothe Bell tied around his neck. "Alright, we can go now."

Already waiting by the door, Galen smirked. "Uh, care to explain the bell?"

Reaching up to gently touch the bell he said, "It's Tamash?'s. I got it for her as a gift, but it came off when the Hunters took her. I figure I should keep it with me so I can-"

Galen held up a hand to stop him. "Say no more. I understand. Alright then, let's go."

He turned and walked out the door, Valor not far behind. Valor stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at Candice. "See ya Candice. I'll try to get back as soon as possible. After all, I wouldn't want you getting bored without me around."

Candice shook her head with a smile. "Get going, and don't come back without your mate. Good luck."

"Thanks."

He stepped out the door to join Galen, who was waiting less than patiently at the bottom of the stairs. "You all ready to go kid?"

Valor nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Valor walked down the steps then stopped. "Hey I just realized, where's Luxor? He's usually right next to you."

Galen yawned, saying, "I left him with my wife. I figure we can travel faster with just two of us."

"Couldn't you just put him in his Pokéball?"

"No, he hates that thing. He wouldn't put up with being stuck in there all day."

Valor nodded understandingly as they began walking down the path to Route 217. In the past year or so Tamash? had become the same way. Just threatening to put her in her ball had an effect. The thought of it made him smile, as well as reminding him where his focus needed to be. "So, where are we-"

He was stopped short as he smacked into something floating in the middle of the path, knocking him to the ground. As he hit the ground Froslass became visible, holding her head in pain. Looking up at the ghost pokémon Valor asked, "Froslass, what are you doing?"

Galen gave him a quizzical look. "You know this Froslass?"

Getting to his feet Valor nodded. "Yeah. She's been living in the attic of the house. She was here when Tamash? and I moved in. Anyway, you okay Froslass?"

The Ice-type nodded, still looking a little woozy from the impact. Valor breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, that's good, but what are you doing out here?"

"Fros, Froslass lass Froslass, Froslass lass Froslass."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but I don't understand."

Galen chose that moment to chime in. "She wants to come with you."

"How do you know that?"

"Just trust me. I can tell."

Turning back to Froslass Valor asked, "Is that right? You want to come with me?"

She nodded in response, confirming what Galen had said. "Look, I appreciate it Froslass, but I think it's better if you stay here, okay?"

She didn't look too happy about the idea, but she nodded just the same. Smiling softly, Valor said, "Don't worry. I'll get Tamash? back and we'll both be back soon. You won't have to wait for long."

Looking a little happier she moved forward to hug him, but stopped, remembering how her previous hugs had been received. With a sigh and a smile Valor said, "Alright, just make it quick."

Without hesitation she rushed forward, wrapping her small arms as far around him as she could. She backed off only a few seconds later, knowing he wouldn't be able to take it for long. Then, with clear reluctance she flew off back to the house, looking back to wave goodbye before she disappeared through the wall of the building.

"She means well, but she is really cold to the touch." Valor said with a slightly exhausted smile.

"She loves you, you know."

Valor blinked in surprise at Galen's comment. "Who? Froslass? Are you sure?"

Galen nodded with a knowing smile. "I'm sure. But, there are more important things going on. Let's go."

He turned and continued down the path. Valor took one final look back at the house, then turned to catch up with Galen. "So, before that happened, I was going to ask where it is we're going."

"Well, I don't know where to start looking myself, but I do know a guy who may be able to help."

"Really? Where do we find him?"

Galen let out a sigh. "Well, if he's in Sinnoh right now, than we can find him in Veilstone City."

"And, if he's not in Sinnoh right now?"

"Then we're on our own, and this will be even more difficult. Of course, there is no guarantee that he can help, but it's still worth a shot."

Valor nodded. "So, Veilstone City then. Right, let's go."

He picked up his pace, forcing Galen to match his stride to keep up.

I'm coming to get you Tamash?. I promise I'll save you, no matter what.