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Hello there and welcome to chapter five of Jayden. An twist in the plot comes in. What is it you ask? Well, read on and find out.....

(Author's Note)

=Character thought=

"Human Speech"

'Telepathy between characters'

-Computer Writing, or on Screen Text-

{Pokemon Speech}

example: "Ni nine ta tales ninetales ine?" is what a human would hear.

{What do you mean you can't understand me?} is what other Pokemon, and certain humans would hear.

|| * * * | | | * * * || = End Chapter

* * * = Scene Change

// // = Major Scene/Time Change

Chapter 5:

The salty wind of New York Harbor blew through the corridors of the towering cargo containers. Two men walked through the wee-morning sun, passing the working crews. One was a short man, clipboard in hand and puffing as he tried to keep up with the pace set by the other man.

The other was a tall man, who stood tall against the wind. His shoulder-length blond hair bobbed ever so slightly with each step; cold, piercing eyes made the dockworkers shy away from him. Each step of his boot clad feet clacked against the pavement of the docks.

He stopped suddenly before a cargo container. On its side was emblazoned a crest, an upside-down triangle, divided into four quadrants; within the top-right was a leaf, the top-left a drop of water, in the bottom a flame, and within the center quadrant rested a yin-yang symbol.

"Here," the blonde siad, turning to the manager. "Open it."

The manager looked at the man with a nervous expression. Licking his lips slightly, "Sir, this is a Paragon Industries crate."

The man looked at the short manager with an evil glare. "I know full well that this is Mr. Paragon's crate. He wants me to make sure that its contents are intact before they get transferred to the research facility." The manager cowered before the man's quiet wrath. "Now you will open this container." There was no need to voice the threat.

Now virtually a blubbering wreck, the manager reached for his keys and when he found one, he clicked it into the padlock. Turning the key, he released the lock. As it dropped, he placed the padlock in one of his vest pockets, and lifted the latching bar to the cargo container.

The faint growling from inside increased in volume. Opening the door, the manager backed up to allow the tall man access. Stepping into the container, the blonde looked over the cages arrayed within with cold eyes.

Almost a dozen Pokemon were caged within, all growling at the man. One of them, a Medicham stood up in his cage and shouted at the man. {Traitor! Not content to abandon your duty, were you!? Now you had to come for us!}

"Do I know you?" The tall man asked with an icy demeanor.

The now-infuriated Medicham continued to shout at the man. {You bastard! First you betrayed the principles of the Order! Than you come back with your own Knights!} Ignoring the electrical roar coursing over him, the Medicham continued to grip the bars. {They trusted you! WE trusted you!} He released the bars, standing back, {and you betrayed us.}

The man pondered for a second. In a calm tone, "Now I remember you. From Sinnoh, correct?" The glare he got answered his question. "Ahh yes. Now I remember. Which clan were you, hm?"

The Medicham stood proud. Answering in a strict tone, {I am Duro, last of the mighty Steelheart Clan.} He thumped his chest, before pointing at the man. {And you,} he spat, {are Aril Lightstruck. The Betrayer of the Clans and of the Tribes of Sinnoh,} his eyes glowed with a fierce purple, {and I swear on the bones and blood of the fallen, you will pay for what you've done.}

The man, Aril, laughed at the Medicham. "And who shall make me? hmm? You?" He laughed again at the Medicham. "All those who could've defeated me are dead or gone. The ways of old are forgotten." He gave an evil smile at the Medicham, leaning in. "I don't think Mr. Paragon will notice a single Pokemon missing," Aril then leaned back, "but I grow weary of this conversation." With a sharp jerk of his hand, "be silenced."

The Medicham's eyes grew wide as the very shadows took hold of him. The darkness flowed into his mouth, ears, and nose until his screaming stopped. Duro collapsed on the floor of his cage, his eyes black, but still breathing shallowly.

The dock manager watched in silent terror the conversation before him, only understanding when Aril spoke. Ignoring him, Aril stepped into the cargo container. The Pokemon shied away from him as he passed by. As Aril's gaze passed over the cages, he smiled, glad that they feared him.

He made his way to the back of the container, stoping before a highly reenforced cage. A touch panel lock kept it closed, preventing the occupants from seeing out, but only monitoring the life signs within. Aril gave a smile, pressing the combination into the holo-touchpad. The cage gave a small hiss as it opened.

Aril stood his ground as he watched it open. Once the cage was opened, only a handful of bars separated him from the two occupants. A golden furred Lucario looked up at him, not with fear or anger, but with pity. With a sad gaze, Aril saw that the Lucario was reaching through the bars, holding a female Lucario's hand within his own.

"So, you are the one named Lightstruck." He spoke English fluently, if slowly. His golden eyes blinked slowly, "Why?"

Aril stood aloof, peering down on the two, a sneer of contempt on his face. "So, the mighty Goldenclaw Tribe has finally been conquered." He gave another evil smile before leaning in, "and their greatest warrior lies defeated at my feet." He leaned back, talking with the smoothness of a viper enticing its prey, "But perhaps I shall spare your life. Give me the Scroll of the Sun, and I might let you live."

The Lucario did not respond, only gripping his mate's paw even harder. A single tear fell down his muzzle.

Looking up, he gave a pitying smile at Aril. "You still seek the land between lands?" He gave a sad laugh, "Then you truly are lost."

Aril gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "It does not matter if you tell me or not. I shall find my way to the land between lands, no matter what you or my master," he said this with such contempt, "does to stop me." He stopped his monologue when he saw the golden Lucario give a small grunt. Aril's eyes grew wide and he shouted, covering his face with his arms while turning his back to the two Lucarios.

A bright flash burned through the container, lighting up the docks for several seconds. The rising sun did not notice, or care, as she rose slowly and steadily out of the eastern sky.

// //

Aura awoke with a start. Gasping, she rolled out of bed, panting for air and struggling to escape the sweltering blankets. Jayden was by her side in a moment, helping her escape the confines of the blanket. He managed to free her azure head from the blanket.

She was crying, sobbing uncontrollably, babbling away. "t-they...why...why the death.... so much power...." She brought her paws to her head, "so much power!" She was sobbing freely, "but such release. they freed themselves through their act. But why? Why sacrifice themselves?" She continued crying uncontrollably.

Jayden just held her silently, cradling her head under his chin as he rocked her softly. He made a soft "shush, shush," as he rocked her, letting her cry. What little meaning time had for them faded away as Jayden held her. Then, he extended his powers, encompassing her with the warmth of his love.

Slowly, Aura regained control. Her tears stopped flowing, but she was still breathing in ragged breaths. Burying her face in Jayden's shirt, she breathed in his familiar scent. This, more than anything, helped her calm herself.

Jayden simply held her, rubbing his hand over her head and down her back. Just as he had done when he had first found her, those few short years ago. He closed his eyes, breathing in deep, regular breaths to help her. He smiled as he felt her breathing start to slow, than finally match his own. He gave her a rub of her shoulders, looking into her crimson eyes, "better?"

She managed a weak smile, and gave a small nod. "Yes," taking a shaky breath, "that was a horrible feeling."

Jayden smiled, pulling her in a hug again, "It was just a dream." He felt Aura nod as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Now," after a couple of minutes had passed, "What do you say to us getting out of the city?"

She leaned back, a broad smile on her face. She gave out a happy yip, and jumped up to start packing the few things she had taken out of her bags. Jayden gave a small chuckle as he got up, gathering his own possessions. The two spent the next few minutes in a comfortable silence as they gathered their belongings, not leaving a single item behind.

It was now, when Aura turned her back, that Jayden grabbed the necklace he had bought the day before. He smiled as he called to Aura.

When she turned, he got down on one knee so that he was eye level with her. "I've been meaning to give this to you, and now seems as good a time as any." With that, he opened the box, revealing her necklace.

Aura gasped, her paws shooting to her mouth. Jayden laughed at her reaction, and he took it out of the box. Scooting closer to her, he reached around her neck. He felt the clasp, making sure that it caught before he brought his hands around, trailing along the chain. His hands followed the chain, straightening it, until his left hand hovered under the pendant.

Aura smiled at him, and she embraced him again. She leaned back, as she looked at it, "It's beautiful. But won't it break in a battle?"

Jayden shook his head. "No. A coating of moonstone dust makes it nigh unbreakable. And," he reached forward again, "in battle, you can tuck it in here." He lightly took a patch of fur at her neck, and pulled. He slipped the necklace in, and no-one could see the pendant, or the chain, through her fur. "This way, it's out of the way."

Aura had gasped slightly at the touch, that area being more sensitive than others. But she recomposed herself. "I'm glad I know how manipulate my paws like you do your hands. It makes life so much easier."

Jayden gave another smile, he gave her another hug before standing up again. The two finished their packing, Aura with a renewed skip in her step. Jayden changed pants to a pair of cargo's and slipped on his boots, checking that his knife was still there.

Shouldering his bag, Jayden turned to Aura. "You ready?" At her nod, "Good. I have a friend up north. I called him when we were on the plane, and he said we could crash at his place for as long as we need." He opened the door, and looked over his shoulder at Aura, "Well, no time like the present."

With that, the two walked into the hall, the door closing behind them. Side-by-side, they headed down the hall, just as others staying at the Pokemon Center started to rouse.

* * *

They had breakfast in the food court. Just a simple affair of pancakes, some eggs, and a little bacon. Aura wolfed down all of hers, and was eyeing soon Jayden's with a predatory gaze. Jayden stopped chewing the bacon he was eating and looked at his plate, than to her's.

He gave a chuckle, and pushed his plate towards her. The Lucario gave him a joyful smile as she drowned the pancakes in syrup.

Jayden could only watche with wonder as she skillfully used the fork to cut the pancake into bit sized pieces. With each bite, Aura closed her eyes, savoring the sweet taste.

When it came to the bacon, however. She simply picked it up and ate it, crunching away happily.

The food-court was still quiet, although it was starting to come to life. Jayden looked up from watching Aura, glancing around the area. A couple of trainers were sitting with their Pokemon, eating breakfast as well. Many of the trainers seemed only half-awake, while their Pokemon were all bright and chipper.

Aura soon gave a pleased growl, leaning back, giving her belly a pat. "That was wonderful!" She gave a low moan, "But I don't think I'll eat like that again."

Jayden gave a chuckle, and took a drink out of a bottle of water. "Well, our bus leaves in six hours," he sighed, stretching out his arm to look at his watch, "I figure it'll take us an hour to get to the station. Which means," he smiled at her, "we're going to Central Park!"

Aura gave a delighted squeal. She hopped up, all the discomfort of her over-full stomach forgotten. "Well what are we waiting for?" She slipped on her satchel and backpack, looking at Jayden expectantly. "C'mon! Get up ya slowpoke."

"Alright, alright. jeez, you're worse than my instructor." He whispered the last part as he picked up his bag.

"Now, now. That's not very nice." She stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting a laugh from Jayden.

He gave her a rub on her head, and he walked towards a cafe. "I'm getting some coffee. You want some?" She shook her head, and Jayden shrugged his shoulders, "Allright, but you're missing out." Aura rolled her eyes at that, walking next to him.

Walking up to the counter, the young man behind the counter looked at him, "Morning, how can I help you?"

"Morning, just a coffee, black, medium." Jayden reached into his back pocket of his brown cargo pants to pull out his wallet.

"Yep, coming right up." The young kid turned, making up the coffee. Just two or three minutes later, he came back, clipping a plastic lid onto the heavy paper cup. "Here you go sir. And that come to $1.82." Jayden nodded, pulling out two one dollar bills, and handed them to the kid. "Out of two?" He pressed a few buttons on the register, and crishding it opened. "And 18 cents is your change. Have a great day sir."

Jayden took a drink of the bitter brew, and gave a sigh. "Thanks, you too," he said, lifting the cup briefly. With that, he turned around, Aura hot on his heels.

They made their way onto the street below, pausing for a moment. There were crowds of people going about their day, most of them heading in the general direction of Wall Street. Jayden took a deep breath, and ventured into the crowds with Aura a half-step behind him.

They made their way north towards Central Park, the crowds thinning as they came closer. It was a straight shot towards the park, and the two took it. Jayden, after getting a couple of glances at his eyes, put his sunglasses on as they continued walking.

When they made it to the park, they started to discuss what they were going to do.

"I say we relax and enjoy ourselves for the day." Jayden said, hefting his bag against a tree.

"And I say we train some more. You have skills to keep up on, and I have new ones to learn." Aura said in an exasperated tone.

"Fine!" Throwing his hands up in defeat. "We'll get some more blasted training in."

"Thank you!" She dropped her bag next to his, and slung off her satchel. "Now this is as good a place as any." She took a walk around the area, searching for rocks and imperfections in the ground. She found a small divot, and she filled it in with some dirt. Looking around again, she gave a pleased nod. "There," she said, pleased with herself.

Wheeling around, she dropped into a battle stance, "well come on then."

Jayden sighed as he took a step forward. He hardly had time to look up before an aura-sphere launched at him. He gave a shout as he rolled to the side. Looking at Aura, he shouted. "Damn girl! At least give a guy some warning!"

She laughed at him. "You should always be on your toes. You taught me that!" As she was saying 'that,' she jumped at him, her palms glowing with power.

Jayden jumped back, and a puff of dirt flew up from where she had hit. She swung around with a kick, trying to catch him off-guard. With a grin, he caught her leg with a forearm and she swung the opposite way, bringing a palm to meet with his chest. Jayden then grunted as he used his elbow to deflect the blow to his shoulder, causing him to spin around.

Aura pursued him, doing a jumping-spin-kick. Jayden brought his own leg up as he spun, catching her's. She seemed to hang in mid-air as their legs locked, both of their muscles tightening as they fought for the upper hand.

The Lucario was the first to break the stalemate, twirling in mid-air to bring her other leg around. Jayden countered with his forearm, grunting under the force of the attack. Again, she seemed to hang in mid-air as their arms remained fixed.

Suddenly, Aura brought her leg under her, kicking off the arm that came up to block her. She did a backflip, her arms straight out like the arms of a wheel. Landing deftly on her lower paws, she looked up at Jayden with her crimson-red eyes. She smiled at him, confident now that she had almost landed a blow on him.

She leaned her body over, almost in half, as she charged again. Her right hand glowing with power, left charging an Aura-sphere. She growled deeply as she spun around, throwing the Aura-sphere like a discus. Jayden's eyes went wide as the blue sphere flew towards him, flattening out.

He practically fell over backwards to duck under it. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aura coming up, ready to hit him with her other hand. He did a backflip, planting his hands in the soft grass and kicking his legs up.

Aura gasped as she was forced to lean back or catch a foot to the jaw. She charged when Jayden's legs went over, and his back was to her. With a battle roar, she lunged. Jayden, still on his hands, twisted around, and pushed up hard against the ground.

Aura craned her head to watch him as he jumped over her head, her momentum preventing her from turning the second earlier that she needed to. Jayden landed and pirouetted, intent on landing a kick right between the Lucario's shoulders. Aura flew forward, giving a small shout as she landed face-first into the grass.

Jayden let his leg fall back down as he stood straight again. He gave a smile as Aura started standing up. "Seems like you really want to beat me. Almost had me there for a second," he said, chuckling, as he walked over to her, offering his hand.

Aura looked at the offered hand, before smiling herself and taking it. Heaving her up to her feet, Jayden gave a small grunt. Aura released his hand, giving herself a vigorous shake to get the dust off of her. Looking at Jayden, "How did you do that flip. At the end?"

Jayden gave a sheepish grin, crossing his legs and intertwining his hands behind his head. "Simple," he gave her a devious grin, "I used a small funnel of Aura to push against the ground." He brought a hand around, casually waving it in the air, "Plus all that training I got helped a bit to."

"Huh," Aura pondered the possibilities if she could learn what he knew. "How do you know so much about Aura-manipulation?" She looked at him innocently.

"What? You don't know?" She looked at him, still with those innocent eyes of hers. "Well, I suppose I never did tell you about my trip to Nepal." She now became very interested. Walking over to their bags, and sitting down in the shade of the tree. Jayden walked over as well, taking a seat next to her.

"One sec. Before you start," She reached into her backpack, and pulled out some berries. "Some food to help us get our energy back." She took a Sitrus berry, and handed it to Jayden.

He took it, with a small thanks, and looked at the berry. He brought the apple sized fruit to his mouth, and took a deep bite out of it. His eyes squeezed shut in pleasure as the perfect blend of flavors overtook his senses. A small dribble of juice ran down his chin, and he smiled as he took another bite.

Aura watched him as he ate, slowly nibbling on her own Pecha berry. When he finished his berry licked each of his fingers to get the juices off, Jayden leaned back against the tree they were sitting under with a contented sigh.

He watched as a girl in running clothes jogged by, earbuds in and panting heavily. A few steps behind her was a Pikachu, happily jumping around as he kept pace with her. They soon rounded the bend, passing out of sight behind the bushes.

Jayden sighed deeply, resting his head against the tree again. Aura scooted over, leaning her head against Jayden's chest. She sighed when he brought a hand up and started to slowly stroke her ears. She cuddled up closer to him, breathing in his scent.

"So," she whispered up at him "you gonna tell me about Nepal?"

"Alright," Jayden gave a soft chuckle, looking up into the cloudy sky. "Where do I begin?" He sighed again, contemplating where to begin. "I suppose I should start with an explanation of why I was there." He gave a wry chuckle, "It was one of the rare moments of competency by the Agency bureaucracy."

Aura leaned into his chest, snuggling close. She could feel his every breath, each of the slow, powerful, beats of his heart. She took a deep breath, letting his voice and their Aura-bond, carry her into his past.

(First-Person/Jayden he is telling the story to Aura)

I'd just finished my third year of training at the Agency, when they started to notice differences in me from the other's. I could beat all of my trainers, excelled in all the tests, and could solve challenges in ways they had not seen before.

They started doing tests on me, taking blood and hair samples. But the tests at that time sucked compared to today's. They all came back 'inconclusive.'

So, they decided to use an Alakazam on me. They....well, they made sure that I couldn't move while the Alakazam pried into my mind.

Thing is, they didn't know that I knew what I was. *laughs* That Alakazam got the surprise of his life when he tried to discover my true nature.

I can still see it. His eyes flew open and his nose started bleeding. He stumbled back before he finally said "What the hell are you?" This was the Alakazam that said that.

After that, they ran more specific tests on me. Once they knew what I was, they had to make a decision of what to do with me. So, they found an old training facility in Nepal and sent me there to learn from the Tribes that inhabit those mountains.

I was flown in, and a couple of the local teachers, Buddhist mostly, were brought to the facility. For the next, oh, eighteen months I'd say, I was taught everything there is to learn from others about Aura-manipulation. I did learn a great deal, although much of it was theoretical ideas that I couldn't use for a while.

But, one thing that I learned that I could do almost immediately was Aura-spheres. Just small ones, mind you, but still a respectable size. Those can be counted amosgst the best months of my life, (Jayden smiles at Aura, rubbing her head) But they weren't the greatest.

All good things have to come to an end, I suppose. Once I learned how to manipulate the Aura-sight, the Agency pulled me out.

I remember this kindly Lucario, old as hell. Wonder if he's passed on? We should pay him a visit, you'd like him, I think. Anyway, it was just before I was to board the chopper, he came over. This shiny Lucario put his paw on my chest, and I'll never forget this. He said, "May the goddess, Aura, guide and bless you. And may she smile kindly on you, and forgive you for what you must do." He stepped back, and the other agent gave me a pat on the back to get me onto the chopper.

As we took off, he held up a single paw in farewell. I waved back, and I coulda sworn I saw him crying.

(End first-person)

Jayden rubbed Aura's shoulders with a small, sad, smile on his face. He gave a soft chuckle when he saw she was breathing deeply, in a peaceful sleep.

He gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head, letting her sleep in the morning sun. He sat there, watching as people walked down the trail. Many had Pokemon next to them, or sitting on their shoulders. Many more were walking with their friends, or partners.

A sudden darkness came over the park, and looking up, Jayden saw a forming rainstorm coming their way. "And of course I didn't get an umbrella," he mumbled.

He softly shook her awake, and she gave a large yawn, showing her canine teeth. "What?" She asked in a sleep-dazed tone. She snuggled closer to him, and Jayden softly pried her arms off.

"A storm's headed this way, and I don't feel like getting caught in a downpour." Aura grumbled at this, but slowly got off of him. "Come on," Jayden playfully tapped her on the top of her head, "let's get a move-on."

"alright, alright," Aura mumbled. She slowly picked her backpack and shouldered it, giving another deep yawn. Jayden checked to make sure nothing was left, and turned to see Aura shouldering her satchel.

She gave him a nod, now awake, and Jayden said "Then let's get going." He readjusted the bag on his shoulder and started off down the path of the park.

They didn't move fast enough though, as the heavens opened up. The downpour was so heavy, neither could see five feet in front of them. Both of them were forced to resort to aura-sight so that they could see where they were going.

Over the roar of water, Jayden shouted "No use running, and it's a good thing these bags are waterproof." He looked at his soaked clothing, sighing deeply. The two walked down the continual downpour, now with large cracks of lightning scaring the sky.

As they made their way down the path, people running past them with umbrellas or pulling their coats over their heads, Jayden had a growing sense of foreboding. His head was on a constant swivel, he scanned the bushes through the rain. His heart rate speed up slightly as the roar of the rain and lightning coursed through his ears.

Then, he saw them. Three men standing, blocking their path, blue shades, but there nonetheless. He swung his head around, and saw two more Aura-forms moving to block them in. Jayden concentrated on his aura-powers, focusing on Aura herself, 'Get ready'

He could see the Lucario nod, loosening the straps on her backpack and slipping her satchel so she could drop it. One of the three men stood in front of them, his face covered in a ski-mask. "Hand over your Pokemon, and I'll let you go on your merry way," the man said in a slight, Irish, accent.

Jayden glanced at the three men in front of him, while Aura moved to cover the other two. A crack of thunder rolled, and Jayden growled "Stand aside." He loosened the straps of his own bag, glaring over the men.

"Or what? You gonna teach us a lesson?" Another of the masked men said in a condescending tone. "Just give us the bitch, and we'll let you go on your way."

Jayden's stance moved, unnoticeable in the pouring rain, when the man spoke. "Touch her, and you'll have an intimate moment with the ground."

One of the men that Aura was staring down laughed, "Let's get 'em. They just a couple of pushovers." Aura saw the man draw a knife and she growled, her hands glowing with power.

The middle one in front of Jayden, with his Irish accent, ordered his men. "Beat them. Once you finish beating them, take the bitch." Than he took a step back.

Jayden growled, throwing his bag at the one on the left, catching him off-guard, while he dived at the one on the left. He brought his shoulder into the gut of the other, picking him up and slamming him into the ground. He swung his elbow around, catching the man in his masked cheek with a satifying crack.

Aura smiled when the two men started charging her. She casually jumped over them, and both stumbled past her. Landing behind them, she turned and smacked the one's knee, making him cry out in pain. As he fell, the one with the knife swung it wildly at her. Aura ducked and weaved past the wild thrusts and swings, her smile never leaving her.

Meanwhile, the one Jayden had thrown his bag at was getting up, his own knife in hand. Jayden was standing up from the one he'd knocked out when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the second man charging him. Jayden spun, catching the man's wrist and twisting so that the knife fell to the muddy ground.

Another crack of thunder rang through the park, and the rain started coming down even harder.

Aura grew tired of the constant dodging, and decided it was time to end this. As he came in for another thrust, she caught it with one of her spikes. She twisted her hand, sending the knife flying out the man's grasp, the handle soaked with water. She smiled at his look of shock and kicked off the ground, water flying. She caught him squarely in the jaw with a foot, and she did a backflip so she was facing him again.

Looking at her paws, she grimaced at the fact they were covered in mud. She wiped them on her fur, and turned to see how Jayden was doing.

Every breath by Jayden caused water to blow out of his mouth. He was glad he didn't need to use his physical eyes in order to see his enemies. The man still had his wrist caught in Jayden's iron grasp. Jayden snarled at the masked man, who's eyes went wide "No, please, don't!" He pleaded with Jayden, who simply brought his other hand to the man's neck with a sharp thrust. The man fell to the ground, gasping for breath and out of the fight.

Jayden looked at Aura, smiling before remembering the third man. He spun just as another crack of thunder roared its fury through the park. He gasped as another roar, this one different from the lightening rang out. Aura watched in horror as Jayden fell to his knees, clutching his chest.

She slid next to him, looking on in fear. He slumped against her as she held him. She was starting to cry now, {nonono.} She held his head, {please no.} She looked at the man, anger and terror fighting for control of her.

The man's mask showed no emotion as he stood there, gun pointing at them. He took two steady steps towards them, pulling the trigger again. The pistol roared, its fire burning bright against the rain.

Jayden grunted and he fell out of Aura's grasp. Aura leaned over him, paws on his face, {nonono} she was franticly pawing his face. She reverted to Pokespeech in her terror, {Jay, Jay! Please, no!} She looked down, seeing two streams of blood coming out of his chest.

The man suddenly slapped something on her neck. "Listen here, bitch." He leaned in close so she could hear over the roar of the rain, "you'll come with me. All nice-and-quiet like. Otherwise," he gestured with his pistol at Jayden's barely moving form, "your mate there will definitely not survive the day." Aura gasped, tears streaming down her face, and slowly nodded. "Good," he shoved her down the path, "get your arse moving."

He walked to the other men, kicking them all. Two got up, and stumbled away down the path, standing next to Aura. The one whom Aura had hit in the knee tried to get up, but couldn't. He looked up at the leader, "I can't stand." He winced, "Bitch broke me knee."

"Can you walk at all?" When the man shook his head, "Than your services are no longer required." Aura gasped as she watched the Irishman leveled his pistol and put a bullet in the man's head. The Irishman then walked over to the unconscious man, and after kicking him, put a bullet in his head as well.

When he started towards Jayden, he heard Aura sobbing. Looking up at her, he slipped his pistol into the waist of his pants. "I'm a man of me word." He walked up to her, and than gestured towards the two bodies. "They knew what would happen if they became a burden."

He walked past her, the rain having slowed down now. "After all," he continued walking, "I am nothing, if not a man of my word." He held up a hand, and one of the men pushed Aura.

She gave a final look at Jayden, who simply lie there, chest covered in mud and blood. Jayden could only watch as Aura, his anchor in the world was taken away. He lifted a hand to her, and sent with his last bit of Aura over their bond, a message. 'I'll come for you. I'll always....come......for..........you.......'

With that, Jayden's last hold on consciousness faded. The dark void seeking him.....

|| * * * | | | * * * ||

This is a sad ending.

Or is it?

What happens now?

Who is this Aril?

Why did these people want Aura?

Comment, vote, and all that stuff......

Legal: Pokemon isn't mine, it belongs to Nintendo, Gamefreak and whomeverelse owns it.

Original Characters (Jayden, Aura, Aril and others) belong to me. Send me a PM, asking me before using them.