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C** hapter One: "The Starting Point"**

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As of late, the odd weather patterns of the year had become something of a familiarity to the people of the mild climate region known as Hoenn. Truly, whether someone lived in the north, south, east or west, whether they lived in a small time town like Littleroot or in a thriving city such as Rustboro, whether they were young or old, every citizen of Hoenn had come to accept the recently random attitude that Mother Nature had taken to adopting back during last year's winter where the snowstorms - usually rare - had been frequent, the snowdrifts had been huge and the snowflakes had almost been categorized as knives flying through the bitterly chilled, powerful winds.

The only thing that had kept the population of Hoenn optimistic throughout last year's harsh winter, mind, had been the thoughts of spring. Ah, yes, the season of spring, the season of renewal, the season of life. That would surely prove to be the end of Mather Nature's coldest days as well the coming of better if not warmer ones. However, as the snowstorms had faded in the middle of March, all that had come with spring's arrival were thunderstorms. And all that which had followed the said storms had been nothing but mud, floods as well as a never ending streak of days where everyone - restless kids and Pokemon included, GAH!!! - had had to stay indoors while the outside world had went on being depressingly wet.

"Summer. Oh please, please, please, Arceus, let that season be the end of the world's temper against us all."

As most of the populace of Hoenn had prayed the same thing to the Pokemon of all Creation throughout stormy March along with April, Summer - the season of comfort, of sunlight, of vacations - just had to be the light at the end of the tunnel! It just HAD to be! Well, in a sense, as the constant drizzling of the springtime storms had drawn to a close, there'd been plenty of light to be found when the summer season had finally arrived. It turned out in the end... to be too much light, mind. Indeed, where winter had been colder than cold, where spring had been wetter than wet, the summer that'd hit Hoenn this year had been the hottest ever experienced.

Truly, hot enough already in their habitats, even the fire pokemon throughout the region had had to seek some shade from the sunlight during the noon of each day of June, July along with most of Antony. It'd been noted by environmentalists studying Mount Chimney at the time that the local Numels and Camerupts had broken the record in erupting bubbling lava from the humps on their backs thanks to overheating every other day.

By this point, of course, seeing as winter, spring and summer had brought fearsome conditions upon the folk of Hoenn, there'd been gossip that three guardians of the region - the master pokemon of the earth, sea as well as sky - were furious with the world over something. Indeed, with some maybe even believing in it at the moment, people had started to guess that somewhere out there... Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza were waging war. And the result of their war was what had brought about the terrible snowstorms, rainstorms as well as heat of the past three seasons.

Yet, today, on the 15thof October, there was no longer fearful discussion of any kind about if the three legendary pokemon of the three elements had had anything to do with controlling the weather in the past. Not when back in Antony, the hot days of summer had come to an end... and the most colorful, soothing, cooling season of autumn had begun. Not when all through the month of September, people hadn't needed to worry about waking up to freeze or be rained on or be boiled alive if they dared to take a foot outside. Instead, as September had progressed, everyone had been more than happy to come outside.

For everything had felt perfect then. The wind had been relieving against the senses, the air had smelled fresh, the leaves had turned into a rainbow of colors before dropping off of their respective branches to dance in the air. And now, with it being October, with the daylight getting shorter, with the pokemon league championships having drawn to a close a week ago, families had taken up the art of sitting around bonfires after dusk where they talked, laughed, ate along with enjoyed their lives. That and they enjoyed the company of their pokemon at their sides too.

Honestly, as far as anyone could guess about the matter, perhaps Groudon, the king of land, Kyogre, the king of the sea, and Rayquaza, the king of the heavens, had had something to do with the unique weather patterns in the past. Maybe they'd been fighting one another up until fall where they had decided to call a truce and allow the world some moments of respite. Either way, thanks to the legendary three pokemon or maybe just due to Mother Nature finally getting over one of her moods, tonight was another one of those content bonfire nights for Hoenn.

Again, whether they lived in the north, south, east or west, whether they lived in the smallest village or in the biggest city or were even on the road as trainers, whether they were young or old, mostly everyone had - since the last light of the sunset had vanished an hour ago - taken to sitting outdoors with their pokemon. Some of the people of Hoenn enjoyed the warmth of campfires. Others liked being in the dark where they could gaze upwards at the stars without trouble as they puzzled over the thoughts going through their minds at the moment.

Still, where it seemed all of Hoenn was enjoying the night of October 15th in their own way, there happened to be one soul who was not so content. The soul in question was an older man who, instead of enjoying the warming touch of a bonfire or the pleasurable experience of looking up to the star strewn heavens, was currently leaning against the deck railing of a boat sailing for Hoenn; the S.S Arrow, a citizen cruise ship. Truth be told, since he'd been given dire reason to do so back in his homeland of Kanto, the older man in question had been on the described vessel sailing for Hoenn for the last week.

And his reason, the older man's reason, for going to Hoenn... that was the cause for his not enjoying the silent, cool, balanced night of October 15th. Rather than look happy if not hopeful like the rest of the passengers aboard S.S Arrow who were from Kanto like himself or from Johto to the east, he looked disturbed over something. It could be said that he, like the other passengers, was going to Hoenn to see family. However, judging by the grim look on his face, noting the dimness in his eyes, it almost seemed like... he wasn't sure what to expect during the coming days.

At the disturbed man's side, sitting obediently with its ears perked up, observing the pitch black water of the sea passing by as the S.S Arrow leisurely cut through the waves, was his most loyal pokemon in the world; a burly looking, crimson eyed, white-black striped Mightyena male. The wolf like canine had been lovingly named Loki by his master twenty years ago. And where Loki knew his name full well today, he very well knew the name of his master, Mordecai Squires.

The same Mordecai Squires who had been the twelve year old boy that'd adopted Loki as his first official pokemon twenty years ago. The same Mordecai, who had traveled across the world to Sinnoh, to Johto, to Unova, to Kalos and other regions many times over during his past years as a pokemon trainer. The same Mordecai who had been the man who had received distressing news about his brother from Hoenn a week ago, who had set off from Kanto with lightning speed in turn, who now leaned against the railing of the S.S Arrow and watched the dark horizon with unsure eyes colored the brownest soil of the earth.

Yes, during the tranquil night of October 15th, the older man deeply thinking of things to himself on the outside deck of the S.S Arrow was Mordecai Squires of Kanto. Out of everyone in the world, he was who Loki most adored, most respected, and would follow to the ends of the very world if need be. As for following his pokemon master to the ends of the world, even without having had much warning before it'd occurred, that was what the sitting Mightyena had honestly felt like he'd been doing all week long. Nevertheless, having known all the while during the last seven days that life been harder on his owner than on himself, Loki hadn't ever whined or complained or slowed down during the trip.

Instead, having come to know Mordecai better than anyone else or anything in existence, seeing as what kind of situation his trainer was bravely heading into tonight with as much as a brave face as he could muster, Loki was actually proud of his master's choice in having left Kanto so quickly to head for Hoenn. He was honored to have been brought along on this journey of hope without a second thought or words exchanged. For that meant that Mordecai trusted Loki, depended on him, cherished him as a reliable friend.

This whole adventure that had started seven days ago, that had begun the moment Mordecai had been contacted via telephone by someone by the name of Norman of Petalburg who had not had the best news to say about Mordecai's brother's family's overall health... Well, overall, everything that'd transpired during the past seven days had been something of a blessing for Loki.

You see, ten years ago, in Cerulean City of Kanto, Mordecai Squires had decided to take a break from traveling as well as the excitement of being a poke' trainer. Instead, he'd worked in the health department at a local pokemon center to relax. Thanks to his ever increasing relationship with Nurse Mariette Joy there, he might have made the career of being an assistant to the medical staff a permanent career. That was until seven days ago when the phone call from Hoenn had reached him and now... here he was with Loki, having donned his old pokegear, remembered his skills as a trainer and had recalled his joyous days of traveling with his dutiful Mightyena who now watched the dark horizon with him.

As it was said beforehand, the phone call about Mordecai's brother, Shane, hadn't been good. The subject of the phone call had been made clear to Loki during the past week where Mordecai had spoken to the black-white canine about it every night before bed as a kind of attempt to face the truth of the matter. Then, he'd always tried to get some sleep... only to wake up yelling, crying out, sobbing into his hands. All the while, Loki had only been able to do so much to ease his master's obvious pain.

For whether someone was human or pokemon, it was still a hard thing to accept the deaths of loved ones with good graces. And that was what had been haunting Mordecai for the last seven days. That was what he was trying to accept on the deck of the S.S Arrow before arriving to Petalburg; he was doing his best to be prepared to see the dead bodies of his brother and his brother's wife, Tamarie, who had been killed last week on the 8th.

Hardest of all, though, Loki knew was the challenge that would await Mordecai after he said goodbye to his brother tonight. The challenge that'd been waiting for him for the last week, that had been in the custody of Norman of Petalburg all the while.

"Loki, my friend..." Mordecai murmured softly to his canine companion, drawing his long coat tighter around himself as a chilly wind over through the deck meanwhile, "It's getting colder by the minute. I have your pokeball in hand. Do you wish to go back inside it and warm up?"

Loki, who was thickly furred along with quite capable of looking out for himself even though getting on in years, looked gratefully from the darkness that was the ocean and up into the caring eyes of his trainer. He did not return to his pokeball, mind. Instead, with a warm smile of his own, not wanting to leave his troubled master's side but face the future with him, he leaned into his trainer's legs. After having done so, Loki's answer to Mordecai's question was made clear.

"No, sir. Put the pokeball away. It's okay. I'm not cold. You are though. Let me help you warm up."

"Hah, very well. Who am I to argue with you? Why, after twenty years of being together, I should know that when you say that you're fine, Loki, then you are fine." Mordecai chuckled, scratching his loyal dog behind the ears who very much enjoyed the attention. Next, Loki looked curiously back up to his master's face. There was a question written in the Mightyena's expression. One that most anyone would have missed. Yet, Mordecai knew Loki better than anything and he read the inquiry shown in his canine's crimson eyes.

"And what about you, sir?" Loki's eyes spoke for him, "I may be fine tonight... but what about you?"

"I... Well, I could be worse at the moment, Loki. Truly, I could be." The pokemon master sighed to his Mightyena, grateful that the dog pokemon continued to lean against his legs to help him stay warm against the building chill of the nighttime cast over the sea, "Seven days have come and gone since I was called by this Norman character. Seven days have come and gone where I've wept my share of tears. Still, seven days have come and gone... and my brother along with his wife are no more alive, are they?"

"No. They are not." Mightyena signaled back to his trainer with a solemn twinkle in his eyes.

"Death. It's not something that anyone my age gives much thought, Loki. It's something that doesn't come to be noticed by anyone or anything until they begin to approach the end of the road that is their life. And by that time, most everything has gotten along in years. By that time, most everything has been given the chance to live as best as possible." Mordecai mumbled to himself, getting himself lost in deep thought over philosophy, "Yet, my brother and his wife... They weren't allowed to live as best as possible, Loki. They were cut off without warning. Because of the arrogance of someone else, they died before they could even begin to truly live!"

"I know." Loki whined, giving his troubled master a somber expression from where he sat, "I know what you mean. You've told me so many times before during these seven days. I understand."

"Death, Loki. Truly, I do not blame it now like I did in the beginning. For it's a part of life. Without life, there could be no death to fear. And without death, there could be no life to enjoy. Together, those two things make everything with intelligence, like you and me, that much wiser. It teaches us to value our years, to make the most of every day that comes our way." Mordecai sighed, rubbing his pokemon's head in the meantime, "Yet, death becomes a scary thing when it happens like it happened with my brother who was killed by someone who didn't care about their own wellbeing. As I've come to realize, death can come to any of us in the blink of an eye. It can be unfair to anyone anywhere if it so chooses to be. It can take the young as well as the old from this world without them having any say in the matter."

A pause of silence commenced between the Mightyena and his trainer on the deck of the S.S Arrow. The sounds of the ship sailing through the water, of the waves splashing against the sides of the vessel and of the wind occasionally blowing across the deck were what disturbed their shared, reminiscent moment of silence. Then, with a sigh, Mordecai smiled a small smile of hope to himself. Of course, it was a meager smile yet it was a smile nonetheless. It was his first smile in seven days. It was one that brought courage to Loki's heart in turn as he listened to his trainer speak further on the subject at hand.

"Yet, where death can be unfair, Loki... Life can be merciful. Yes, even though death was unfair to my brother and his wife last week, life was at least kind to their son. And for that, for life at least giving me the chance to continue my brother's work, for giving me the chance to raise his surviving son in his stead, I am happy. I am thrilled to know that I can honor my brother's memory by taking his son under my wing."

There was another moment of quiet between Mordecai as well as Loki. Then, the pokemon trainer admitted to his Mightyena, "But where I'm honored that I'll be able to raise Antony in memory of his father, Loki... I'm frightened also. I think that's what I've feared the most about this whole mess."

"Why?" Was the voiced question in Loki's eyes.

"Bah. I've never seen myself as a father figure, Loki. I've been many things but being a dad... that's going to be something completely different."

"You raised me, didn't you? You raised a lot of other pokemon."

"That's different." Mordecai jokingly argued back at his amused Mightyena, making the dog wag his tail happily, "Pokemon... aren't the same."

"How?"

"Well... You do most of the growing up, er, evolving yourself. Plus, pokemon come to respect their trainers more easily than kids come to respect their parents. It's in their nature. It's in your nature."

"You're just rambling because you're facing something completely new. You're about to do something you've never done before; be a father." Loki said with his eyes, panting cutely all the while, "It's only natural for you to be scared of something new, sir. Everyone gets uncertain when they don't know what they're about to face. In the end, you'll look back on this moment years later... and laugh about it."

"You... really think I'll do fine as a father?"

"You did great as a trainer. How different can that be compared to being a father? You'll do everything to the best of your abilities. Raising your brother's son, Antony, will be like when you raised me from a Poochyena." Loki seemed to say for himself through his actions, jumping up onto his hind legs to put his fore paws on chuckling Mordecai's chest, "Plus, remember, you brought your nephew a present from Kanto. In my opinion, you having brought a gift for Antony is a great start."

"Oh, hey, yeah, I almost forgot about my gift to Antony." Mordecai admitted hurriedly, pulling out a regular white-red pokeball from a pocket in his coat, "What do you think, Loki? Will my nephew like this pokemon we brought with us from Kanto?"

"It'll be his first pokemon ever. He'll have to like it. Scratch that. He'll LOVE it, just like you loved me when you first got me back so long ago."

"Speaking of my gift of a pokemon to my nephew... I think I've kept her in this thing for a bit too long." Mordecai admitted guiltily, holding up the pokeball purposefully, "I'm going to let the little gal out of this ball again like this morning and let her stretch her legs a bit. Like always, she's going to be a bit energetic and want to go adventuring. Think you can look after her during then, Loki?"

"Of course!" Loki barked in reply, wanting to stretch his own sea legs too.

"Alright. Don't go frightening her, okay? We need her in tip top shape to present to Antony tonight. Remember that, okay?"

"You got it!"

"Here we go then." Mordecai declared, pressing a button on the ball which released a red light from within with a sharp "POP" sound. The red light had barely turned into something before it went scurrying off to another part of the deck in the blink of an eye. "Be careful with her, Loki. Give her some space. No biting, you hear me?" Mordecai called after his Mightyena who had instantly if not expertly chased after the released pokemon with unmatched swiftness.