FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc. Individual characters are my own imagining, 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 33: Upheaval

Where do we go from here? That's the real question that needed to be answered. Though just as important is what do we do. Saying 'we' may be too many people. What should I do? Is it true what Suicune said? How much of what she said was the truth? I still don't get the whole shard business, either. Something about it doesn't make sense to me. Though what would provoke the two Darkrai into attacking? Not to mention Cresselia and her craziness. That might just be that she is simply insane. It didn't stop it from happening, though. Also, Moltres showed up. What did she say? I frowned as I tried to concentrate, but my brain refused to cooperate.

What really confuses me is who is with whom? Suicune and Giratina are obviously in different stances. At least I think so. Though why they worked together in the Ruins of Alph is a question that begs to be answered. Could it be true, then? I frowned, shaking my head again as I leaned on the railing. No, that's just a bunch of stupid shit. Whatever happened to Arceus is beyond our control. For all I know, Suicune could have said that just to get us out of her cave in a convenient manner.

A gust of wind blew by, whipping my hair around and sending a chill down my spine. It felt good, though being in shorts and a shirt seemed to make the change in temperature more pronounced. The city lights of Violet City were still bright against the darkness of the night. I pulled out my Pokédex, the light almost blinding me due to the proximity. The numbers clearly spelled out that it was two-thirty in the morning.

"Mist, are you awake?" I spoke softly.

"You called, Master?" she answered.

"I'm not bothering you, am I?"

"I will admit that the wind is soothing, feeling it through your skin." she responded. "Other than that, no. Though, if you do not mind me saying, it is entertaining watching you think."

"I'm pretty sure you know what I'm about to ask."

"Please enlighten me. It isn't the same if I just pluck at your thoughts."

"You were there for when Suicune mentioned that whole shard of Arceus bit. What do you think?"

Mist stayed quiet for a moment, her voice mumbling in the back of my mind. I distracted myself with looking at the sky, noting that the stars were hidden away. A few clouds passed by, revealing the moon for the first time tonight. Two-thirty? I've been up here for the past hour now.

"No, I do not think Suicune was lying." Mist answered. "The reason why is because ever since the first time you allowed me to merge, I could feel something inside of you."

I was surprised by this. "And you never told me?"

"I was not sure how well you would react. Humans tend to be guarded a lot about the things they do not know. How would you feel if I mentioned this before?"

She did have a point. "I'm sorry, Mist. You're right."

"But to continue, there is something here. Some kind of energy trapped or entwined with your own life energy."

"Have you interacted with it before?"

"No. The thought both excites and terrifies me."

I gulped at that. What would scare Mist? Surprised, maybe. I find it hard to visualize her actually being afraid.

"Interacting with this could cause you endless pain." she said. "I am afraid that if it is moved without proper care, the agony could be unbearable."

"What do you see?" I asked.

"It is a bit hard to explain to someone that is not used to seeing what we can. I will do my best, though. Imagine a small sphere, about the size of your closed fist. It also constantly shifts colors with no discernible pattern. Tied to this small sphere is a thick and elastic substance. For lack of better terms, your soul. Perhaps filaments is the better term. Regardless, this sphere and you are integrated to each other. Though if you did not know, perhaps it is integrated to you.

"Before you ask, no, I have never touched this. Like I said, I feared that it may harm you if it was interacted with. This is something that should be handled with extreme care."

"Could you touch it?"

"Master! I was just done telling you that it's dangerous for me to do so!"

"No, you said you think it is. That it might. I trust you to be careful."

The thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should play a joke. I suppressed the idea quickly. It wouldn't be nice to the ghost that is going to be handling something that is apparently tied to my very being.

"I agree, Master." she said with a giggle. Her voice turned serious. "Please let me know if you feel anything. While I should be able to tell, your input would be appreciated."

I nodded. "I'm ready."

Without knowing what to expect, I focused on trying to feel something out of the ordinary. My hands held a light hold of the railing in the attempt to keep myself as relaxed as possible. A sharp sensation went through me. It wasn't painful at the very least. It was more like having a bucket of ice water dumped on your head. A ghostly finger traced down my spine. The problem was that I wasn't sure if it was happening for real, or it was Mist.

"Are you alright, Master?" Mist asked.

"I'm fine." I answered breathlessly. "Nothing hurts. It feels like something is rubbing my back."

The sensation traveled to my shoulders next. It felt like someone was giving me a massage or something like that. I reached to my chest, feeling it rise and fall beneath my fingers. After a moment, my heartbeat became the center of my focus.

"Are you alright, Master?" Mist asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to stay calm. Nothing hurts so far."

"I am holding the sphere while it is mainly attached to your soul." she clarified. "It... it is warm to the touch. Do you feel anything of the sort?"

"No, I don't, though it felt like someone was massaging my shoulders a moment ago."

"That would be me."

I stiffened at the new voice. Turning around, Joy was giving me a smile as she stood behind me. She wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulders.

"What are you doing? Experimenting?" she asked teasingly.

"Probably a little." I admitted. "It looks like Mist knew all along that there was something odd about me."

Joy shrugged. "Well, that doesn't take a genius to figure out."

I chuckled. "That's true."

She pulled away from me for a moment. "What has you up this early in the morning?"

"Thinking about what we should do."

"You can think about that in the morning, after everyone's done being caught up. We'll see what we can do to get tickets to Hoenn, and we'll be safe there."

I didn't think 'safe' was the proper word. I'm not entirely sure if going to Hoenn was the best idea. Regardless of these thoughts, I nodded. "Alright."

"And who were you talking to?"

"Mist. She's inside of me right now."

That left her speechless for a moment. Joy rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "You're crazy. Mist, please don't touch anything that you shouldn't."

"Too late for that." I said, holding up a hand. "I insisted. In her defense, if anything happened to me is due to ignoring any warnings from her."

"I stopped handling the orb just now." Mist said. "Did you feel anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, Mist, I didn't." I reported. "It looks like I don't feel anything through it."

"If you do not mind, I will leave it alone from now on. It feels like I should not be the one handling such objects of power."

Joy grabbed my hand. "Let's go back to bed. Zin was already threatening to burn things if I didn't get you back."

I chuckled, nodding. "Fine. Let's go. I think I'm ready to get some more rest anyway."

She smiled at me, pulling my hand as she took the lead. We tried to be as quiet as possible going down the stairs. Our footsteps echoed loudly in the staircase and the hallway. The door to our room was open, Baast and Victini both acting like they were standing guard.

"I figured it would be you, Master." Baast said with a toothy smile.

"What happened?" Victini asked.

I shook my head. "Just thinking."

"Ready to go to bed?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Zin is being unbearable right now."

"Joy mentioned something about her." I said with a grin.

"Calm her down, would you?" Victini asked.

I nodded as we walked inside. Zin must have been waiting for the door to open, because she jumped into my chest the moment it opened. Good thing I was in front of everyone. She didn't say anything as my arms wrapped around her. Her cold nose pressed against my neck, making me shiver. I shook my head, carefully navigating my way back to the bed. After managing that, Baast insisted that I used her lap as a pillow. With Zin snoozing in my arms, Joy rested against my back. Victini was somewhere, I wasn't sure right now.

Either way, it was still hard to relax. How would Jon take this news? How would everyone else? Only five others knew about this whole Arceus thing. Would this push our group apart?

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

Jon joined us in the morning on the roof of the Pokémon Center. I honestly didn't even feel safe. Joy was standing beside me, holding my left arm in a tight grip. Mist was surprisingly outside of my body. She was hovering to my right, her touch on my shoulder sending a shiver down my spine. Joy insisted that I took a shower before coming up here, and that I use some of the new clothing that she picked out for me. The blue shirt with yellow makes me feel like I'm a Luxray or something.

"So, what happened?" Jon asked.

"Aaron has some kind of piece of Arceus attached to him." Joy said without much preamble. "It seems that's why we're being targeted by individuals or groups of legendary Pokémon."

"Wait what."

"You heard me, dammit! Don't make me repeat it again!"

"You're being serious." Jon said, looking towards me.

I nodded. "That's what Suicune said. Mist confirms it, due to her seeing something whenever she merges in me."

"You're going to take the word of a crazy legendary and a ghost."

"The ghost you're talking about is right here, so show some respect." I pointed out.

"And you trust her?"

"Yes, I do."

Jon looked at me for a moment before shaking his head. "You're really trusting, aren't you? Alright. Say this is real, and that you have some missing piece that whoever is looking for. What do we do?"

"That's what I was trying to figure out. Suicune mentioned something along the lines of something of gold and silver."

"Gold and silver?" Jon asked.

"Does that ring any bells?" I asked.

"Quite literally." he said, nodding. "We need to go back to Ecruteak."

"Why go back there?"

"Well, usually it's there that we can find any connections to the two that you mentioned. You remember the two towers that we passed by, right?"

I nodded. "That's where we're going." Jon finished.

"Wait a second. Now you suddenly believe him?" Joy asked with a frown.

Jon shrugged. "It's not about if I believe him or not. I've seen what's been going on since we first met. It makes sense.... if I don't try to think about it too hard."

"How does it make sense?"

"Just how Suicune keeps appearing in convenient situations." he said. "You don't normally have someone of that kind of power just watching over you because he or she is bored. She obviously is taking precautions to keep you safe. If bringing everyone to life will do that, she'll do it. She's willing to work with someone that's obviously against her to get what she needs, so there is that to think about as well.

"Though I guess who is the real enemy is the real question. Why does Suicune want you safe? Why were the Darkrai first sent, and then withdrawn? Who sent Cresselia after you? This is beginning to grow out of our hands extremely fast. I think that we should really turn to Cynthia and the other champions to see if they're willing to help us out."

"Is she still around?" I asked. "Cynthia, I mean."

Jon nodded. "She was going to stay around Violet City for a few more days before heading out to her next target. She didn't say where."

"If you know where she would be right now, let's go. If we can get her opinion on this, the better."

"Are you sure that you should mention that?" Mist asked, concern in her voice.

Jon nodded. "I feel like we can trust her. She hasn't outright lied to us. At least, it doesn't feel like it."

"She's always had a good image with the public." I said, nodding. "Alright. Lead the way, then. I don't know where she's staying."

"And why in the fuck do you think I know?!"

"By the time I left, you were giving her a look that said 'Take me! Take me now!'" Joy said, laughing.

Jon's face looked like it was sunburnt. He walked past us with his head facing down. He opened the door to the staircase loudly, ignoring us any further.

"Are you guys coming or not!" he shouted.

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

We found Cynthia leaving the same restaurant that she took us in the other day. She greeted us with a grin and a wave, giving the air of being happy to see us again.

"Hey you three." she said as she approached. "Good to see you again."

"Good to see you again, Cynthia." Jon said with a smile.

I can totally understand why Joy has her opinion about Jon and Cynthia now.

"What happened down there?" Cynthia asked. "I mean, you told me, but jeez. You guys weren't kidding, were you?"

I shook my head. "No, we weren't." I answered. "By the way, is there some way we can ask you some questions? Somewhere in private, if possible?"

She looked at me curiously, but nodded. "Sure."

Cynthia took the lead, taking us towards the Ruins of Alph. The moment I saw the entrance, the first thought was to turn the other way. This was the last place I wanted to be. Joy held my hand tightly, keeping my pace with her. Cynthia held up a section of the caution tape that was used to ward off the area. I was surprised, but then again it makes sense. It should have been pretty obvious that something happened down there while we were there.

Suddenly, I really wish I hadn't recalled Mist back into her Pokéball. Thankfully, we only stepped inside the main entrance and didn't go much further inside the ruins. Cynthia turned towards us, a pensive look on her face as she studied our faces.

"I imagine that something happened, if you're asking for my help." she stated.

We were silent, but I nodded after a moment. "Yeah, you can say that."

"Tell me, please. I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as you do."

I'm not sure about that, but I'll believe you. "Alright."

I didn't leave anything out of our encounter with Suicune. Joy helped me out to describe what happened, and any specifics that my retelling skipped over. Cynthia was frowning as she shook her head.

"So let me get this straight. Giratina wants you dead because that's the only way to get... whatever it is... that's a piece of Arceus? And then Suicune doesn't want you to get killed so Giratina doesn't get it because of something that happened who knows when?"

I nodded. "That sounds about right."

The only part that didn't make any sense is why did both Darkrai say that the orders they received were a mistake? Giratina also confirmed that. This isn't as simple as Cynthia wants it to be.

"The only problem is that I don't think Giratina wants me dead." I said, frowning. "He just mentioned that there was a mistake. But what exactly is the question."

Cynthia shook her head. "Either way, I think that there's enough evidence that your life and the lives of those around you are in danger. You should lay low, get out of Johto. Go somewhere else other than here."

"We were planning on going to Hoenn." I said slowly. Cynthia clapped her hands.

"That sounds like a plan. I'll let Lance know that you'll be in Hoenn later today. When do you plan on leaving?"

"Today, if possible. Though most likely it'll be whenever they have available seats." Jon said. "We had terrible luck when we came from Sinnoh to Johto, so we're not making any bets that it's been any better."

Cynthia nodded. "Either way, it's best that he knows that you'll be on your way. He'll be in the area. Hopefully, anyway. The guy can be a real bastard when he wants to be."

I was about to ask what she meant by that, but she continued speaking. "Regardless, you guys should start heading out to Goldenrod. The sooner you can buy your tickets, the better."

Jon nodded. "We'll get there."

"There's one more thing." I said. "Suicune mentioned something about the Watchers of Gold and Silver. Do you know what that would mean?"

She frowned. "Sounds like something to refer to Ho-Oh and Lugia. Though why I have no idea. The last time those two showed up, the sky looked like something out of a snow globe. Except replace the snow with rain and have fire painting the night sky red."

Cynthia shook her head. "Maybe that bit of news was never really circulated." she said with a shrug. "Either way, if you do decide to call on them, I'll leave you with two warnings. One, they don't get along. Ever. All the accounts of both Lugia and Ho-Oh being anywhere within anywhere means that something bad is going to happen.

"The second is that they haven't been spotted, even individually, for ten years. Researchers and trainers have been trying to find them ever since that one time they both showed up at the same time. It's the only reason the vast majority of visitors that actually go to the Bell Tower is to pray for Ho-Oh's return. Why is something else entirely. Some people believe that should Ho-Oh defeat Lugia, peace will return to the world. Though I'm not entirely sure what they mean by 'peace'. It's not like we've been in a war or anything similar."

Jon tapped his foot. "It sounds like there's a lot more going on that what we know right now." he said with a frown. "Do you honestly think it would be a good idea to investigate this?"

"Do you suggest waiting on our asses while something else happens?" I asked back.

"As long as none of us go off on our own and get ambushed." he retaliated.

I rolled my eyes but held my tongue in check. "Right. Anyway, what do you think, Cynthia?"

She shook her head, shrugging. "Do you trust Suicune?" Cynthia asked.

That was the ten thousand Zenny question, wasn't it. "I don't know. She has helped me before, and she doesn't seem to want to harm us."

"At least not yet anyway." Cynthia said.

"She specifically mentioned that if any danger reaches her, she would tell me."

"And how much of that is true? How do you know?"

"She healed Xola." I responded. "Suicune did that without asking for any payment. I can safely say that if there was any legendary Pokémon that wasn't after us, it would be her."

Both Jon and Cynthia shared the same displeased expression. "I still think you should be careful." Cynthia warned.

"I'm not saying that we shouldn't. I'm insisting that we shouldn't just sit on our asses waiting for whatever comes next and just reacting to it."

"And if that plays into the enemies hands?" Jon asked.

"It's happened more than once before. When that female Darkrai showed up, we didn't hesitate to fight back."

He frowned, but nodded. "Let's just stick together from now on."

I returned the nod. "Yeah."

"Well, sounds like you guys will be going to Ecruteak." Cynthia said. "You should go before it gets any later. The Bell Tower tends to be iffy on its time schedule for visitors."

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

We reached Ecruteak a bit late in the afternoon. By the time we reached the Bell Tower, many people were on their way back into the city proper. We were stopped from going any further due to the doors actually being closed.

"Well, it looks like Cynthia was right." I sighed. "Still, we're here, so we wait until tomorrow."

Jon and Joy nodded, making our way back to the Pokémon Center. No one seemed to come close to us. A few trainers threw challenging looks our way, but none stepped up to actually challenge any one of us. Which, to be honest, was surprising. Was there some kind of rule against public battling that I wasn't aware of? I voiced my question to my friends, and they both shook their heads.

"No, they're just too pussy shit to do something about it." Joy said with a shrug. "They think we're easy pickings, but can't be bothered by it."

I sighed. "Probably for the best. I don't really need to be fighting today to be prepared for tomorrow."

"Do you think something will happen in the Bell Tower?" Jon asked.

I shook my head. "To be honest, no. At least, nothing should happen. Cynthia said that neither Ho-Oh nor Lugia have been spotted in a very long time. It would be very unlikely."

"As unlikely it was that both Moltres and Cresselia came to pay you a visit?" Jon asked.

I sighed. "I just don't think it'll happen. Cresselia was already spotted before coming to me. And even then, we didn't know back then what we know now."

He nodded. "You have a point. Let's keep our guard up, just in case."

We all agreed as we entered the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy greeted us with a warm smile. When asked about staying, we nodded. Joy was quick to say we only needed two rooms instead of three. Nurse Joy got a sly look as she placed a third key down, handing her and Jon the two keys.

"So, who's the boyfriend?" Nurse Joy asked. "The guy with the long hair? You always had something for guys with mullets."

I grabbed hold of my hair, trying to judge the length by feeling it. It was longer than shoulder length. Was that what people mean by that? I've personally never heard it called that.

"That's not really a mullet, you know." Jon said. "It's not just long in the back."

Nurse Joy laughed. "I know. Just giving my sister a hard time. But anyway, really, who is it?"

Joy grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me next to her. Nurse Joy scrutinized me for a moment, leaning forward over her desk to get a closer look. Her blue eyes darted over my face. It felt like she was trying to find something wrong with me.

"He looks decent enough." she said with a huff. "Anyone else asked about him?"

Joy shook her head. "No, not really."

"Treat her well, or there's going to be fucking hell to pay." Nurse Joy said, pointing a finger at me.

I nodded numbly. "Joy, I'll take the key and your things. I'll meet you in a little while, alright?"

She nodded, passing me the room key and her belongings. Nurse Joy pointed towards her left. "That's where the rooms are." she said, staring at us.

I nodded, falling behind Jon as he started walking in that direction. As soon as we turned a corner, he shook his head.

"Jeez, what's her problem?" he asked in a hushed voice.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Ideally we won't be here for very long so we won't have to worry too much."

We found our rooms to be near the middle of the hallway. Jon took a look at the numbers and sighed. I raised an eyebrow at him with my door already opened and me almost through it.

"Don't do anything you shouldn't do." he said while shaking his head.

"I don't plan on it." I said. "It's everyone else that wants it."

"Well, be the voice of reason if they get out of control."

"Try telling that to a Houndoom that threatens to bite your extremities when she doesn't get what she wants." I pointed out. "Do you really want that?"

He sighed. "Good luck."

I went inside the room after saying our goodbyes to each other. The concern was appreciated, but it really wasn't as bad as it seemed. My hands dropped their cargo, turning on the lights to see my surroundings as I closed the door behind me. My thoughts went to my Pokémon, reflecting on what Jon said. Zin does tend to be a bit clingy, but so is Song. Mist is always hovering close by, or hanging somewhere in the depths of my body. Baast and Spirit can be just as bad, especially the Lucario during the Ghast Festival. That was honestly something that wasn't expected. The only 'normal' ones seem to be Akalia and Aurora. Speaking of the Weavile, maybe she should get more time outside of her ball. A sigh escaped me. It feels like everything is going crazy and I'm not paying attention to everything.

I grabbed the Weavile's Pokéball, the sound of it opening echoing loudly in the silent room. She materialized on top of the bed. Aurora looked around for a moment before her eyes settled on me. With a jump she easily covered the distance, landing on my chest. I dropped what was on my hands to make sure she didn't fall. Though I'm pretty sure her claws would have done something to stop that. Probably for the best, because ruining a shirt right now could very well mean an infuriated Joy when she came in.

I sat down on the bed, slowly relaxing. A stray thought crossed my mind that maybe this would have been better if I was sitting on a chair. Oh well. I leaned back, holding onto Aurora gently to make sure that she wouldn't fall off her perch. Her body temperature was lower than normal. Usually when she's sitting on my head it doesn't bother me.

"Are you feeling alright, Aurora?"

She didn't respond to my question in any way. While I didn't want to move her from her spot, my concern was quickly overriding that initial hesitation. Maybe she's just tired? My hands pressed against her back gently. Her cold breath washed over my chest quickly. Her breathing was beginning to turn erratic. I tried to pull her away from me to take a closer look, but her claws dug deeper into my sides.

"Aurora." I called. "Can you hear me? It's me, Aaron. Are you alright?"

She responded by shaking her head against my chest. I've never seen her like this before. Her body shook against mine as her claws continued to bury themselves deeper into me. A stray thought crossed my mind if the wounds were deep enough to spill blood. It didn't feel like it, but I wasn't entirely sure.

I sighed, holding the Weavile tightly. She wouldn't pull her face out of my chest, and her body still shivered. My fingers touched along her body, but this would cause her arms to tighten her hold on me.

"Aurora, you're going to have to let go or I'm going to be missing a lung or two soon." I said while rubbing her head.

Not surprisingly, it only made her hold tighter. The door opened as Joy came in the room. Her eyes widened immediately as she rushed over.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Not sure. I got Aurora out of her Pokéball and she's been like this ever since."

"You're bleeding."

"Thought so. I'm sorry for ruining the shirt."

"Idiot. Don't worry about that now."

Joy moved behind Aurora, her hands gently moving her claws away from me. I winced, but did my best to stay calm. A stinging sensation was my reward as the first claw was removed. The second one joined it, leaving me with my sides feeling like they were burning.

"Stay still and don't let her out of your sight." she demanded. "I'll be right back."

I nodded, holding onto Aurora gently. Her arms were wrapped around her as she began to shake. What would cause this to happen? I don't think it was something I said. Pushing these thoughts away, my focus returned to the shaking Weavile. It didn't take long for Joy to come back with bandages in one hand and a syringe in the other. The bandages were thrown at my face as Joy kneeled behind Aurora. Grabbing hold of the shaking Weavile, she pushed the needle under the skin and black fur to inject whatever liquid was inside. Joy pulled the needle out, grabbing the bandages and wrapped the injury up quickly. After securing the bandages, she stood up and walked out without a word.

I turned my focus back to Aurora, feeling her shaking slow down. It was still there, but it felt like her breathing was returning to normal. Very slowly, but at the very least she was calming down. I removed my shirt, inspecting the damage done by feel. My fingers touched something wet, so that must be my blood. Feeling a little bit more, the wounds could be felt. These weren't too deep, or at least didn't feel like it.

Joy came back inside the room, a towel in one hand and more bandages in the other. The door closed behind her as she approached, so someone else knew what was going on. She approached me silently, staring at Aurora as she rocked by herself. Throwing the towel and bandages at me, she took Aurora in her hands and hugged her gently. The Weavile seemed to be taken by surprise as Joy petted her head softly. Her eyes were wide as she shook her head side to side.

"Do you have her papers still, Aaron?" Joy asked.

I nodded. "They're in my bag." I answered.

Joy passed Aurora to me. I held her gently against my naked chest, feeling her cold fur against my skin. My fingers gently rubbed her back as Joy went through my things. It didn't take her very long to find them, bringing the entire folder with her. Joy flipped through a few pages before staring at one in specific. She then looked at me like if I was insane.

"That look is getting old, to be honest." I said, shaking my head. "I get it enough from Jon."

"She has PTSD." she stated flatly.

The acronym didn't exactly trigger a response from me. Joy sighed. "Post-traumatic stress disorder." she clarified.

My eyes widened at that. The Weavile in my arms began to shake again. We both looked down at Aurora as she shook her head side to side.

"Maybe right now is not the best time to talk about it." I offered. "Regardless of what the reason is, I'm not giving her up."

"Even after hurting you?" Joy asked.

"It was an accident." I said softly. "Nothing more and nothing less. I'm fine anyway. It's not like part of me was ripped off."

"Lift her up for a second." Joy said. I did as was asked as she pulled out the towel from my lap. "You've been getting the bed all bloody."

Shit. "I'll take another room or something, so you don't-"

"Don't worry about it." she said, shaking her head. "This might sting a little."

Before I could ask what she meant by that, my left side felt like it was on fire. It was quickly joined by my right. A hiss escaped my mouth, trying to keep my voice under control. My body shivered a little bit due to the stinging, but it took a moment for the sensation to finally stop.

"The bandages had alcohol on them." she explained after the fact.

"You don't say."

"At least the wounds should close up. Also, you'd probably get sick if they were exposed all night."

"I'm pretty I wouldn't be sleeping if they were open all night."

Joy smiled at me. "Can't believe we're talking so casually about it."

"It was an accident. We took care of it, and that's that. While it was painful, it isn't something that's unknown to me. I've had my fair share of cuts and bruises before."

"I'm sure that Song can tell me all about those." Joys said with a grin.

I shrugged. "Maybe. Xola was the cause of a few, so she has the eyewitness experience. Song will just tell you about what she's seen after I come hobbling over to her."

"Hobbling?" Joy asked. "What, did you twist your ankle or something?"

I shrugged. "I've broken a leg or two before." I answered. "Miracle of modern medicine has me still kicking. Literally."

She shook her head. "Jeez. That's crazy."

"You could ask the Solaceon Nurse Joy if you'd like. She treated me in more than one occasion."

"Your parents must wonder how you lived half the time."

I shook my head. "Half the injuries I ever got were when I was with them on digs."

Joy shook her head before leaning against me. "Try to stay safe from now on, alright?"

"I don't try to find dangerous things. If I had my way of it, all of this could have never happened." I said, frowning. I tightened my grip around Aurora before continuing. "But then again, I would have never met you, or Aurora, or Jon. Maybe it'll all make sense soon, but I'm glad that I've met you."

We lapsed into silence, Joy leaning on my shoulder and Aurora resting gently. It was likely that the Weavile was asleep right now. It was more likely that Joy used some kind of sedative. While I wasn't entirely sure it was necessary, the deed was done already. A sigh escaped me, struggling to wrap my head around what I expected to happen. What are we expecting? For Ho-Oh and Lugia to show up the day that we go to the tower? The idea sounded stupid in my head, let alone expecting something like that. Hopefully we can just learn more of what's going on. Or at least be able to understand what would cause all this to happen in the first place.

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

I was awoken by something sharp poking my belly. It startled me, but most of my body was restrained in some way. To my right was Joy, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around my body. That explains that, but what poked me? The sensation happened again, a little gentler than the first time. I looked down to see Aurora looking up to me, her left claw poking at my side.

I smiled, rubbing her back gently. She shook her head from side to side, before poking me again. What did she want?

"You don't have to apologize." I whispered.

She poked me again, muttering something to herself. While I couldn't understand what she was saying, I hoped that it wasn't self-degrading.

"Just so we're clear, you're not going anywhere." I pointed out. "Unless you want to leave."

She shook her head again, lifting her head up and opening her mouth. Before she could say anything out loud, I pressed a finger against her lips. Her breath, just like her body, was cold against my skin.

"You don't have to say anything." I said with a smile. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're not going anywhere from here, alright? Though I have to remember to let you around more often."

Her claws grabbed hold of my arm, refusing to let go when I tried to shake them off gently. Aurora shook her head, her hold tightening on my skin. I could feel the claws beginning to cut into my skin. She started shaking again. Trying to keep her calm, my fingers reached to touch her. I was thankful that she relented, and slowly began calming down again. Aurora rested her head against my chest as my hands held her against me. My left hand held her head gently, trying not to ruffle her crest too much while my right was against her back.

I could feel Aurora relax, her claws resting on her sides and hanging limp. Her breathing was relaxed against my skin, which sent a shiver up my spine. Joy's soft laughter made me sit up straight.

"You're good." she whispered. "I don't really know of anyone that wouldn't have freaked out after they heard those words."

"I'll have to look at her file before we leave in the morning." I said softly, rubbing Aurora's back. "Just so I know how to handle her better."

"Slowly but surely." Joy said, nodding on my shoulder. "What time is it?"

"Not sure. I don't think its morning yet. My Pokédex isn't ringing and Jon isn't beating our door down."

"Wake me up when something happens." she said before taking a deep breath and falling silent.

I stayed awake for a little while longer, enjoying the moment. My eyes felt tired after a few minutes of this, though. Even after closing them, my mind stayed active. Most of my worries came from what would happen tomorrow. I gently pushed them back, telling myself that it's something that's out of my control at the moment. I sighed, resting my head against Joy's and slowly following her example.

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

Aurora was on my shoulder as I read her file. Joy was still asleep, but it was still early in the morning. My Weavile was somewhere in between awake and resting. She moved around every so often, but wasn't very animated. Maybe she still felt bad about what happened last night. Every time I touched her back, her purring almost lulled me into a stupor. It rumbled her body enough to make my head feel numb.

As I looked at her profile, it was obvious that she had trust issues. From the instances where doctors and volunteers were injured to damaged equipment. I was already aware of that, so what's this about PTSD? Going through the paperwork, it was startling to see that there was no mention of such diagnosed condition. Did Joy do some research without my knowledge, or is she just calling it on the fly? Getting the answer from Aurora could prove either fruitful or disastrous. I don't want her to feel like I'm prodding too much, especially if she has gone through some traumatic experience.

The sun was still trying to come up in the morning. I did wake up before my Pokédex rang, so Joy was getting a little bit of more sleep than I was. Probably for the best. When I woke up this morning, she didn't even move. Her arms and legs were wrapped around me possessively. Somehow Aurora had gotten away from Joy's grasp, but it was probably for the best. She had slept on her usual spot on top of my head.

I noticed a number on the bottom of one of the pages. Going back inside the Pokémon Center, I quickly spotted Nurse Joy behind her desk. Approaching a little hesitantly, she spoke before anything left my mouth.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"Could I use one of your phones, please?" I asked.

She nodded, pointing behind her with a wave of her hand. "Knock yourself out."

"Thanks." I said, moving towards the telephones.

These weren't like the ones in the mall that we used to call my mom and dad. Picking up the receiver and getting the normal dial tone confirmed that they worked. That's all I needed. Punching in the numbers, the familiar sound of a dial tone poured from the speaker next to my ear.

"Thank you for calling the Breeder's License Bureau. How can we direct your call?" a feminine voice answered.

I was surprised, to be honest. "I'd like to speak with Dan please. It's about a certain Weavile that I adopted while I was taking my test there. My name's Aaron."

"One moment, please. I'm not sure if he's in this early in the morning. Could you hold, please?" the lady asked.

"Sure." I replied. I was put on hold immediately after saying the words.

Some classical music started to play from the receiver while I waited. It was just getting to the good part when the music stopped playing.

"Aaron? What's up?"

"Hey Dan. I have a question about Weavile."

"What's up?"

"Are the files you handed me her most recent?" I asked.

A sigh came from his side. "No, they're not. I realized it after you had already left for Johto. We still have your Pokédex on file, so we can send you the information to your device if you would like."

"Yes, please."

"Did something happen?" he asked.

"There was an accident." I said softly. "I opened her Pokéball and she latched on to me like she was scared or something. After a few moments, I noticed that her claws were digging into my sides."

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I didn't get hurt too bad. Tell me, does Aurora have some kind of traumatic event happen to her?"

"Who's Aurora?"

"The Weavile I adopted."

"Right. Anyway, yeah, she has some... issues. Personal issues, mind you. She didn't show this kind of trauma until a few days after being left with us. To be honest, I'm not sure what's wrong with her."

"Joy thinks it's PTSD." I offered.

"No, she doesn't have that. Her previous caretaker was always in contact with us, and I've seen her personally before and after she was handed over. I highly doubt it."

I sighed. "Then what do you think it might be?"

"Trust issues, for one. Over-attachment is another." he answered. "But no PTSD. I wonder why Joy would think of that out of all things. Either case, don't worry too much. Just take care not to get stabbed again."

"I'll try to keep in touch with you, just in case."

"It would be nice. How are things in Johto?"

"They're nice, I have to admit. Joy wants us to go to Hoenn, so we'll be leaving as soon as we can secure the air travel."

"Good old Hoenn." Dan said wistfully. "Take lots of pictures. I'm quite sure you've never seen anything like it."

"I will. Thanks, Dan. Have a good day." I said.

"You too." he responded before he hung up.

I placed the receiver back in its cradle, my mind running with what Dan just said. At least there isn't some traumatic experience. At least one that isn't as traumatic as what Joy thought. Perhaps when Dan sends me the data on Aurora will this get cleared out? Hopefully it isn't something like what Spirit or Mist had to go through.

My Pokédex made a pinging sound, startling me with the sudden input. Pulling it out of my pocket, I opened it up to see that it was receiving something. Probably that document Dan was talking about. My Pokédex made another pinging sound when it told me that the document was here. That was faster than I thought it would be. Still need to sit down one day to figure out how to work this darn thing. With all the commotion going on, I don't even know half the features that I've read about!

A hand pressed my shoulder, accompanied by a soft hiss. Turning around slowly, Nurse Joy was standing over me. At first, it looked like she was angry. It took me a moment to notice that she was more worried than anything.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Is my Weavile still asleep?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's still passed out. You didn't answer my question."

"I'm alright. Just trying to get my head around things is all."

"Sounds like you have a lot to think about." she said. "Are you alright, though? My sister did say that you were injured."

"I'm fine. After Joy patched me up, everything ended up better than expected. Thank you for asking."

"I want to apologize for yelling at you when you arrived." she continued. "I don't tend to do very well with guys dating or going out with one of my sisters."

Oh yeah, that little stunt. "We just started really considering starting a relationship." I said. "It was her idea, to be honest."

Nurse Joy smiled, nodding. It was true enough, so I don't think this will backfire too much when Joy finds out.

"So, how do you stand her?"

"Excuse me?"

"My sister. How do you put up with her?" Nurse Joy asked.

I silently stood up, making sure that Aurora was safe and still sleeping. My thoughts quickly turned to what was asked of me. Feelings and memories were quickly recalled, from helping me and Jon through Mount Coronet when we first met, to the most recent things we've been through.

"She puts up with my crap just as much as I do with her." I said with a smile. "We end up getting along more often than we fight, though."

"And how often do you fight?" she asked.

Come to think about it, when have we actually gotten to a heated argument? "We haven't actually fought." I said.

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

Now that we were finally inside the Bell Tower, I could see why there were so many visitors. The gentle smell of incense distracted me and dulled my senses. Song and Aurora were the ones with me at the moment. Jon got the brilliant idea of covering more ground by splitting up and gathering what we've found in a few hours. My protests fell on deaf ears, as they argued that none of our assaulters has attacked in broad daylight and to endanger other lives.

I still didn't like it. It's not like that would really stop them, right? A few more casualties shouldn't stop them from getting what they wanted.

I stopped moving forward, my body being pushed against the wall. Blinking my eyes in confusion, it wasn't until a few people looked surprised at me that made me a little self-conscious. Song shook her head, waving everyone ahead.

"There's nothing to see here, you idiots." she muttered. I was extremely thankful that no one else had Pokémon out.

I was pretty sure that no one wanted to argue with her, especially with the look she had on her face. Thankfully, no one dared question the Gardevoir's actions. Perhaps it didn't help that Aurora was doing something. She wasn't sitting still on top of my head, that's for sure.

"Weavile?"

"Master wasn't paying attention." Song said.

"Trying to think." I muttered.

"More like trying to think of an excuse why nothing has happened." she said, poking a finger into my chest. "Relax for once. You're going to punish yourself with sleepless nights if you don't."

"I'll stay sleepless regardless." I said, guarding myself from her inquisitive finger. "Besides, I think we're here."

The doors opened to an outside balcony. I wasn't sure how high we were, but we were pretty high. I lost count of the floors past the fifteenth. A cold breeze blew, making me shiver slightly. Perhaps following Joy's suggestion today about wearing a jacket would have been a good idea. It was a beautiful day outside. A few clouds dotted the sky, but it was mostly a bright and sunny day. A few bird Pokémon flew by, a Pidgeotto and a few Pidgey following after it. The area around us was currently empty. The only company other than my Pokémon was the solitary trash.

I sighed as I walked forward towards the stone railing. Leaning against it, the sight was something to remember. Maybe I should take a picture? A mechanical sound made me turn around, seeing Song with my Pokédex in her hands.

"I 'heard' what you thought." she said with a smile. "A good thing I'm taller than you, isn't it?"

I chuckled at that. "Probably for the best. Would you mind taking a few more?"

She giggled, but nodded. Song leaned against my back as Aurora moved to accommodate the large Gardevoir. Aurora must have said something because Song started laughing gently. It remained a mystery, as Song didn't respond back. A few more clicking sounds came from above as I relaxed. If anything, this let us unwind from everything that's happened recently. More of my Pokémon would be out here, but the monks here were ready to kick me out that I broke their 'one Pokémon' rule. Because apparently Aurora just takes so much space in the hallways that she would block people walking by.

"There. That should be good to send to your parents, right?" Song asked, passing the Pokédex down to me.

I grasped the Pokédex, seeing the pictures she took. A grin spread across my face when I noticed the last one was of the three of us. I totally didn't know what was going on and it was easy to see from the picture. Aurora had squeezed in at the last moment into the picture it seemed. There was a bit of a motion blur in the picture.

"Thanks." I said with a smile. "They're perfect."

I felt Song's hands roam across my chest as her head rested on top of mine. The shard on her chest poked at my back but it wasn't too bothersome. A soft hymn came from Song, making my eyes go wide. It was a simple melody, but it was one of the first that I 'taught' her. Her fingers gripped my shirt, as if somehow I was escaping her grasp. It was a slow humming, which was an adaptation of the actual song. Either way she continued, holding me tightly against her as she sang her melody into me.

It felt like what was happening to me was separate from everything else. The only thing that mattered was the soft melody reverberating through me and the feeling of her body against mine. Aurora's claws would occasionally make me shift in place, but nothing distracted me or Song. The humming shifted a little bit, the pace picking up as she switched to another melody. She slowly pulled away, a shiver running up my spine as her warmth left my back. I slowly turned towards her, slowly noticing that she was holding my right arm in her hands.

"Please?" she asked.

To be honest, dancing in public has never been a calling of mine. But to say no right now... I think it's time to swallow that fear. I approached her slowly, our free hands meeting halfway before she slid inside my arms. It wasn't the first time that I marveled at how tall she was. Easily standing a foot above me, she was taller than most of her kind. I still remember when she was so embarrassed about being taller than I was.

I wouldn't call it dancing, what we were doing. Though, perhaps this is all she wanted to do. Either way, she held me tightly against her. The prominent shard on her chest rested on my right cheek as she held me against her chest. She kept humming all the while almost without a reason.

I wasn't sure how long we stayed like that. At one point the humming stopped but Song didn't let go. It wasn't until Aurora said her name loudly did Song let me go. The red on her face told me that Aurora was saying something embarrassing. I shook my head, not only at what was going around me, but to shake off the fuzzy feeling that surrounded me.

"Master! Please tell her that what I did wasn't sexual!"

"What?"

"Tell her!"

Oh Arceus. I shook my head, holding up a hand to stave off any further talking while I got my bearings again. After taking a few deep breaths, it felt like my mind was in working order again. Aurora was standing on the ground with her arms crossed looking at us rather accusingly.

"Why would you think anything like that was going on?" I asked, phrasing myself carefully.

Aurora proceeded to speak loudly, pointing at the two of us. Song's face was bright red when the Weavile was done speaking.

"Well?" I asked the Gardevoir.

"It's nothing." she said.

"I'm pretty sure that Aurora will disagree with you there."

Song played with her fingers for a moment before answering. "She was saying that I was... getting aroused."

Oh. "Well... are you?"

"More than I'd care to admit."

"Would you like to return to your Pokéball?" I asked.

She nodded swiftly. "Let me out as soon as we can be in private. I promise I'll be fine by then."

I nodded, pulling out her Pokéball and recalling her. Not entirely sure I should feel nervous or excited about what she just said. Either way, Aurora jumped into my arms. She stared at me for a moment, before snorting and looking away.

"What?" I asked.

She pointed down. I looked, seeing that I was not proper for my own good. Turning to face the railing once more, I forced myself to think of anything else. Aurora's laughter didn't particularly help me calm down. It was only by luck that no one saw us.

The doors flew open behind us, making me jump slightly. Turning around, a few dozen monks ran past us quickly. Aurora quickly pointed towards them, looking at me with a questioning gaze. She wanted me to follow them? I shrugged, but she pointed at the monks again with a bit more force than before. Giving myself another check to make sure I was not inappropriate, I gave chase.

I imagined that the balcony just surrounded this top floor and that I would be at the beginning. That wasn't the case. A large open stairway was at the back, leading higher up the tower. I could see a few monks climbing the stairs and reaching another level above. Aurora pointed up the stairs with one claw, the other poking me in the back to encourage me. Sighing, I climbed the stairs. It really didn't seem like a good idea. It was either this or risk having her run on her own. Though this wasn't getting any favors from me.

We reached the top of the stairs, all the monks on the floor surrounding a statue of a giant bird Pokémon. It was in the same design of the ones on the lower floors, but done in a much larger scale. The wing feathers were of a bold red with either the tips being white and green, or there was a secondary set of feathers. It had a distinctive beak and crown on top of the head. It also had numerous tail feathers, gold in color and opened like a giant hand fan. I stepped forward, my footstep making a few monks next to me to look at me. A gasp from a few of them made the rest turn around to face me. One was about to open their mouth when the entire statue of the bird caught on fire.

Aurora hid in my arms to avoid the heat radiating from the flames. I took a step back, trying to shield my eyes from the heat and light. It was hard to tell what was going on around me. The fire seemed to grow by itself, reaching out towards me. A part of me wanted to run, and it seemed to be the sensible approach to the situation. Turning to go back downstairs made the fire surge around me, blocking my path instantly. It felt like my skin was on fire, and this couldn't be good for Aurora. While making sure Aurora was still safe with my left hand, my free hand grabbed Spirit's Pokéball.

As I was about to release it, something made its presence known with a loud screech. Turning around to face the source of the flame, it looked like a gigantic bird of flame stood in place of the statue. The sound of stone cracking was loud due to the fire around us not making any kind of noise. The flames retreated from around us before gathering back to the statue. After a few moments, the flames shot upwards as if leaving a shell. The light was too bright to look at directly, and my eyes hurt even as I shielded them.

I wasn't sure how long I stayed there. I was lifted up forcefully to my feet by my arms. Two of the monks dragged me in front of another. No one spoke as a golden feather was presented to me. I blinked, confused at what was being presented to me.

"Take it." the man in front of me said. "Be reminded."

I took the feather gently from his outstretched hand. A strong warmth came from it, as if it there was a flame hidden inside the golden feather. When I looked up, no one was standing around me. Did that just really happen? Turning back towards the statue, what greeted me were the remains of it. Whatever just happened couldn't have been good. I stood up, making sure that Aurora and the feather were held securely.

Whatever just happened, it looked like Ho-Oh knows about me now. Going down the stairs, I stood next to the trash can that was next to the exit of the balcony. Something told me that getting rid of this would probably save me a ton of trouble. My fingers almost let go of it before Aurora grabbed my arms. She shook her head, frowning at me and the feather.

"Weavile." she simply said.

I sighed. "You think that keeping it is for the best?" She nodded in response.

Frowning, I held onto the feather for now. At least until we could find out exactly what it all means.

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

"Aaron! Did you see what happened?" Joy asked.

We were outside of the Bell Tower now, waiting for Jon to come meet with us. I sighed as I showed her the golden feather.

"Yeah, I saw what happened alright. Front row."

"What's with the feather?" Joy asked.

"A good question." I admitted. "The statue at the top blew up in flames. When I tried to get away, the fire got in the way, condensed back into the statue and blew up into the sky. Thank Arceus that there wasn't any kind of roof or we would have been screwed."

"We?"

"Me, Aurora, and the monks that were there."

She frowned. "Do you think Ho-Oh knows?"

"He or she has to." I said, frowning. "I still have that stupid feather. Whatever happens, they'll know."

"What do you think it means?" she asked.

Jon came in before I could answer, waving at us as he pushed through the crowd. "Did you see what happened at the roof of the tower?" he asked.

We stared at him as I held up the golden feather. His face fell. "Oh."

"Yeah, Aaron was just done telling me he was there when it happened." Joy said, frowning.

"Well, don't wave it around." Jon said, pushing my hand down. "We shouldn't even be talking about it out here."

I sighed. "Agreed. When did you say that we leave for Hoenn?"

"Tomorrow morning." he said. "Hopefully we'll meet up with Lance as soon as possible."

I nodded. "Let's get out of here before we get trampled."

My companions nodded as we got up and headed back to the Pokémon Center. I honestly had no idea what was going on anymore. Wait... did I have an idea what was going on in the first place? Shaking my head, I decided to split off from the group. When questioned, I answered that I needed some air and time to think to myself.

Which was pretty much the truth. At least right now anyway. It wasn't much, but at least letting everyone out might help me calm down. Also getting everyone caught up to what just happened today seemed like a good idea. Aurora was still snuggled in my arms. She stirred on occasion, shifting her weight in my hands as I walked. The sun was still high in the sky, so most of the city was bustling with some kind of activity. Definitely not a sleepy town, especially judging by how many people seem to visit the towers and any trainers that are passing by to challenge the gym leaders.

I highly doubt that the gym will be as nice as the Celadon gym. Though finding a park or an open area would be nice. This city seems to be more modernized than any of the others we've visited. There were a lot more people, too. If they were visitors or people that lived here is another question entirely. It certainly didn't look like so many people lived here. Not at first glance, anyway. Maybe there are more buildings than what we saw when we landed? I'm not entirely sure. Or maybe the homes allow for more people to live in them? I shrugged, thinking of these silly ideas as people and buildings passed me by.

It took me enough time to ask someone if there was a park or something to sit at, and they pointed at me towards the right direction. Thanking them for their help, at least now there was a goal in mind. Though getting there had me crossing a few roads and going against the flow of bodies every so often. Thankfully, nothing actually happened. Other than the odd temperature differences I felt when Aurora snuggled close to me or I the golden feather decided to heat up at random.

My mind was on the feather when I reached the park. Why would this happen? It wasn't some odd stone in the shape of a feather. It didn't weigh anything, and didn't feel like anything I've ever felt before. It was smooth as some of that expensive cloth, but resilient enough to keep its shape. Was it really a feather from Ho-Oh? And if it was, what was the point of me holding on to it?

I grabbed hold of Mist's Pokéball first. If there was anyone that should know about this first, it was her. Maybe she could offer something more enlightening than me running around in circles inside my thoughts. The Pokéball opened with its traditional sound, revealing the ghost in front of me. She looked as if she was asleep. Perhaps this isn't the best time.

"No, I'm fine. I was just relaxing, is all." Mist said, the Mismagius opening her eyes and yawning. "Something troubles you."

I didn't refute that, giving her my experience from what happened at the Bell Tower. Mist didn't ask any questions, just listening to what I had to say. It was a little embarrassing to recall what Song and I went through, but I told her regardless. If there was one person that wouldn't hold anything against me, it was going to be Mist.

After finishing my story, Mist hovered in front of me. "Aurora, could you tell me what you saw?"

Aurora stirred in my hands, sitting up and nodding slowly. She spoke quietly and hurriedly, as if to get the attention off from her. Her gaze was on her claws, never looking directly at Mist. Whenever she stopped, I would gently remind her that I was still there. Mist hovered in front of us silently. She shook her head after a moment, the gems on her body glowing in a random pattern. The intensity varied but it stopped as quickly as it started.

"May I see this feather, Master?" she asked.

I nodded, pulling it out of my left pocket. It was still in pristine condition, just like the moment I got it. She looked at it, hovering around my outstretched hand. Curiosity was all over her face as she inspected it.

"Interesting." she said. "I can feel its warmth, and it has some kind of power attached to it."

"Can you tell what it is?" I asked. "Is it hostile?"

She shook her head. "From what I can tell, no. I don't believe that it is hostile. It may even be aligned to us."

I frowned. "What good does that do?"

The ghost shrugged, a wispy tentacle stretching out towards the feather. As she came in contact with it, a gentle heat came from the feather and our connection. Mist grabbed my arm suddenly. I almost pulled away on reflex, but her hold didn't allow me to do so. It was only when the feather stopped emitting whatever it was that she finally let go of me.

"Ho-Oh is watching us." she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked worriedly.

"As long as you have that feather, they know where we are or will be."

"They?"

"Ho-Oh and whoever they decide to share this information with." she said.

"Yeah, it was probably a good idea that I didn't tell everybody about this just yet. Though it wouldn't be that surprising if somehow one of them found out. Baast and Song can both read my mind. Zin would find out somehow. Spirit would just get worried about how my own well-being.

"You should tell them." Mist said. "Also, please put the feather away. It is almost like you are waving a sign to blatantly announce our presence here."

I quickly stuffed the feather back into my pocket. It glowed one last time as I put it away. A warm feeling raced up my arm as it finally stopped touching my skin. It was definitely an odd sensation.

"Why do you say that?" I asked. "I mean, about letting everyone know."

"They will all find out sooner or later." she said, shaking her head. "Do you really want to worry Spirit? I also truly do not wish to handle a more than ornery Houndoom, either."

I sighed. "Maybe. I still don't know how most of them will handle this new development."

"You seem to forget that we all were recently brought back from the land of death itself." Mist pointed out. "I would think that we are all taking it rather well. Especially me, since I'm already at the border of it."

There's no winning this one, is there? The ghost chuckled. "The sooner you realize this, the sooner you preserve your mind."

"You're not helping, Mist." I said, frowning.

A soft tapping got my attention. Turning my focus to it, Aurora was poking her claws at me gently. She whispered a few words and turned away from me.

"She wishes to apologize about what happened to you?" Mist translated.

"Aurora stabbed me by accident." I explained. Mist looked at me strangely.

"By accident?" she asked.

"Yes. Trust me."

"May I say that you worry me sometimes?"

I smiled at the comment. Turning my attention to Aurora, I gave the Weavile a cuddle. Her claws reached around my neck as she rubbed cheek rubbed against mine. Her cold breath washed over me as she whimpered softly into my ear. This won't do at all.

"You're already forgiven." I whispered. "Don't hold this against yourself. Where's that playful Weavile I first met?"

She didn't respond. "I should tickle you. Or throw a snowball at you. Maybe that would make you feel better."

I could feel her stiffen in my hands. Maybe it was working? Pulling away, a cold wind blew across my face. The temperature drop was enough to make my eyes close due to the stinging sensation. A soft giggle came from Aurora, a sound that I haven't heard often enough. Maybe I'll let everyone know later? Though, Song did want to get out of her Pokéball. Brushing the frost over my face with one of my hands, Aurora climbed on my shoulders. She snuggled against the back of my head and letting out a rather loud purr.

"Feeling better?" I asked, scratching her back.

"Weavile." she whispered. She scratched the top of my heads with her claws.

Mist hovered next to me, giving me an amused smile. I shook a finger at her. "Don't even say it." I warned her.

"My lips are sealed, Master." she said. "But if I ask, what was the purpose of coming here?"

"To try to make sense of anything that's happened to us." I said with a frown. "So far, I've come up with nothing. It's turning easier to cope with what's going on instead of trying to understand them."

"These are powers out of our control and understanding." she pointed out. "You need to stop this before you drive yourself insane."

"Can you blame an inquisitive nature?" I asked, grabbing hold of Song's Pokéball.

"I could. Though that is one of your better qualities."

"I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing." I said with a chuckle.

Song materialized from the ball, immediately grabbing hold of me and pressing my face into her chest. Thankfully, the red crystal thing on her chest missed my face. It didn't stop her from trying to suffocate me. Aurora voice complained rapidly of my rapidly degenerating posture.

"Sorry!" Song exclaimed. A gasp of air filled my lungs. The Gardevoirs arms still held me against her though. I'll take my victories when I get them.

As Song held me, I slowly managed to release everyone out of their Pokéballs. A few looks were passed between some of them, but no one said a word. Smoke was coming off from Zin's nose and mouth as she stared at Song. It only helped make the Gardevoirs hold on me tighten.

"Everyone needs to calm down." Mist said. "Master has something to say."

I thanked Mist for her timely intervention and quickly took advantage of the silence. Bringing the feather out, I explained what happened after Song had to go back to her Pokéball. My retelling significantly changed why I did recall her to save her a bit of embarrassment.

"So a statue blew up for no reason?" Zin asked. "And then a feather just so happens to be there?"

"It was handed to me. I'm not sure where the feather came from." I answered. "Mist is confident that it is linked to Ho-Oh though."

"How?" Baast asked, stepping forward.

"The energies tied to it defy anything in the material realm." Mist said, floating through me to stand in front of the Lucario. "The heat that emanates from the feather is something that could burn me, yet it doesn't."

"That doesn't explain anything, ghost!" Baast pointed out. Her paw grabbed hold of the feather, and my entire hand exploded in pain. It felt like if Zin was breathing flames through me. My arms seized up, being held in Baast's grip as pain raced through me. Spirit and Io grabbed hold of Baast and pulled her away from me. Song and Mist pulled on me in the opposite direction. It did the trick, as the pain instantly stopped. The feather fell from my grip straight down to the ground. I expected the grass to catch fire but thankfully nothing happened. The feather pulsed a few more times before the light fading away and returning to normal.

"I think that shows that this isn't a normal feather, Baast." I pointed out.

She nodded mutely. No one said anything as I knelt to grab the feather. I touched it with the slight fear that whatever just happened would happen again. Thankfully, nothing happened. Again, the feather pulsed warmly against my skin. How odd. I quickly stuffed the feather inside my pant pocket. Hopefully to not burn anyone or anything until I could find somewhere to store it.

"Io, do you have any ideas?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, sadly. Anything to do with any of the legendary Pokémon is a mystery to me. I have never encountered any of them before meeting you, and truth be told, I do not want to meet any more. I do not wish to be part of the machinations that they seem to have in store for you."

I frowned at the confession. Spirit was nodding, standing next to Iolanthe. Akalia quickly followed, standing next to the two large bipeds. Xola also joined them after a moment's hesitation. A bell rung from somewhere in the city. I wasn't entirely sure from where, but it's probably more likely to be from the Bell Tower.

"So... you don't want me to continue searching?" I asked.

"We just don't want to see you hurt. We're all worried that this may just end getting you hurt again." Iolanthe answered.

I couldn't honestly blame them. They did die, technically. Zin stepped forward, growling heatedly.

"You ungrateful Jigglypuffs!" she shouted out loud. "You're basically saying that you just want to quit?"

While it wasn't how I would have put it, that is how I was feeling. For how long have they felt this way?

"You think that you can walk away from this?" Zin continued. "You think it's just that easy? That Master can just turn his back on this and not be hounded down by these Pokémon? Would you prefer to be chased down in your own dens instead?!

"What about that? Would you rather be back in the Sinnoh Pokémon Center, worried sleepless about him right now? Or would you rather be out here, actually helping to keep him safe? You wouldn't even KNOW if he even died! How would you feel then?"

Akalia and Xola both didn't look towards Zin. Spirit was glaring down at the Houndoom. It almost looked like she was daring Zin to continue.

"Zin, I-"

"And what about you, overgrown lizard?!" Zin shouted, her tail pointing towards the Flygon. "What do YOU have to say for yourself? The one that's taken up Master as almost a son? Huh? What do-"

Spirit let loose a jet of flame towards the Houndoom. Zin didn't bother dodging it, allowing the flames to roll over her. I tried to break away from Song's grip on me, but Baast stopped me from forcing myself away. This wasn't looking to be something that would be resolved quickly either. The flames that were coming from Zin were different from the standard orange flames. From what I could see, the fires were tinged black and blue. Spirit took to the skies, the familiar buzzing of her wings reaching us as she flew up into the air.

"Aurora, Mist, I want you two to do damage control. Hopefully things haven't caught on fire yet."

Mist nodded as Aurora jumped off my shoulders. I turned my focus to Song. She let me go before the words left my mouth as she turned around and grabbed Iolanthe. "Come on." she said and stepping away from the group. After a few moments, a large bubble shimmered into view. It encapsulated both fighters inside. A burst of flame came from Zin, Spirit dodging the attack. The flames hit the bubble but didn't pierce through.

Well, to be honest this wasn't what I had hoped for, but it was something. "Baast, is there anything that you can do?"

"This isn't what I was expecting from her." she said softly.

"Join the club. If you think of something, let me know." I said, nodding towards her. She nodded back, her gaze turning towards Zin and Spirit. Xola and Akalia both looked like they would rather be any place other than here right now. I sighed.

"Look... we can talk about this after we get those two calmed down first." I said. "That's first priority. We can't have these two going crazy in town."

They both nodded slowly. The odds that either of them would come up with something were small, but it was still an odd chance that it would work. Turning towards the two that were fighting it was relieving to see that they were limiting themselves to just throwing projectiles around. It could be worse. Zin tends to prefer melee, and I'm not entirely sure how Spirit will be able to handle that. Though there was that moment when she shot whatever it was at Darkrai that one time.

Zin unleashed another Flamethrower up towards Spirit, who dodged towards her left and dove straight down. Zin instantly stopped throwing fire and adjusted herself. The Houndoom jumped upwards, meeting the Flygon in the air. They both tumbled into the ground hard, grass and dirt flying upwards. Well, maybe the direct route was easier? I grabbed hold of both of their Pokéballs, hoping to get them inside their devices before more public property got damaged.

Getting Zin's Pokéball first, I made my first attempt. To my surprise, the beam actually hit the intended target. It even recalled her back inside the ball. Though somehow it was struggling to keep her inside. The ball opened on its own, the Houndoom growling as she ran back towards Spirit. Before she could reach her, I tried recalling Spirit inside of her ball.

The beam hit Spirit as Zin as jumping towards the Flygon. Though it was amusing in an odd sort of way to see her miss entirely, the ball itself was shaking in my hands when Spirit was fully recalled. After a few moments the ball stopped moving in my hands. I sighed in relief. When I went to put the ball on my belt, it opened by its own.

"Spirit, stop!" I yelled, standing in front of her. While her eyes were looking at me, it was pretty obvious that it wasn't me that she was seeing.

Grabbing her face, I made her eyes focus on mine. "Calm down. Please calm down, Spirit! You don't have to fight anymore, OK?"

It was a gambit that I was afraid to play. I've never seen her so angry other than when we fought Darkrai. Spirit stood in front of me, unmoving and unwavering. It was scaring me. Her fangs were biting into her lower lips. A trickle of blood oozed out from biting too hard I suppose. Her wings twitched in reflex. I wasn't entirely sure what Zin was doing behind my back. Perhaps she was reacting to that. Spirit's jaw slowly lost its tension after staring at each other for a good minute or two. Her body dropped on top of me. I was thankful that Baast was quick to react. Between the two of us, we managed to get her to the ground safely.

I turned to see Zin growling at Spirit. Walking towards her, the first instinct that had to be pushed down was to hit her across her muzzle. That wasn't going to make thing any better. Especially if anyone saw what went on between the two. The Houndoom took a step back when I approached, but didn't turn away as I looked down at her.

"Are you calm now, too?" I asked.

"No." she answered.

"Well, we'll have to talk about this. Not now, though. We're leaving for Hoenn tomorrow, and between all that's going on it might take some time before we talk."

She growled. "Yes, Master."

"Don't think that you're getting off easy." I warned her. "We're supposed to be a team. Antagonizing each other doesn't help right now."

"But she wants to leave!" she screamed.

I shook my head. "Does she? Have you talked to her? Do you know exactly what she's thinking, Zin?"

When she didn't respond, the answer was obvious. I sighed, shaking my head. "We'll talk about this. For now, you're going back inside your Pokéball. We'll see about talking when we land in Hoenn."

She opened her mouth to complain, but I stared her down. "I'm not budging from this, Zin." I warned her. "You've made your move. I have to protect my friends, too."

The look on her face would be comical if the situation wasn't so serious. Either way, I raised her Pokéball and pointed it towards her. She didn't resist this time as she was recalled. I did the same for Spirit, securing both of their Pokéballs on my belt. Mist and Aurora came back, both reporting that they didn't spot any other kind of damage.

"Good. At least we got away with that one." I muttered. "Let's get back to the Pokémon Center. We're leaving tomorrow, so no funny business."

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

My stomach twisted and churned as I sat in the bed that was my room. It was a similar design of the airplane from when we traveled here from Sinnoh. Either way, I was glad to be by myself. Joy still found it amusing that I wasn't able to stomach flying in an airplane, and Jon wasn't going to sit in my room again to get threatened by my Pokémon.

It wasn't like I asked for that to happen. Though in hindsight, maybe I did. This is Zin that is up to discussion. Song was with me this time, making sure I didn't lose my mind as we took off and climbed in elevation.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I shook my head, drinking water and eating a saltine cracker. "Not particularly." I said after a moment. "It feels like my stomach is rebelling."

She smiled as she leaned on my shoulder. It was only a matter of time now before she suggested what I feared she would. Though it looked like she understood the need to pace the event from happening. The plane itself was still climbing, after all. Also, Jon wasn't able to secure us cabins next to each other like last time. Jon was like two doors down from me, while Joy was about three or four. I wasn't entirely sure.

Still it helped with coping with things. She was humming again, and the sound was helping me stay at ease.

"It's funny how a little tone can make you do anything I want you to." she said with a giggle.

"I don't hear you complain too much." I pointed out.

"And you only have yourself to blame!" she said with a laugh.

"Well, that is true, that I got you to sing." I mused. "Still don't know why it has such a strong effect on me."

"Maybe you just enjoy a good melody?" she suggested.

"Maybe I enjoy just being with you?" I suggested with a grin.

"If you start saying things like that, you may get something you didn't look for." she said, sitting on my lap facing me.

"Are you that horny?"

"Ever since we separated." she said, leaning down to speak into my ear. "Since you took me to dance it's been on my mind."

"I shouldn't keep a lady waiting, shouldn't I?"

"No, you really shouldn't."