A/N: Hi.

So if you're from the original FTA1, and for some reason were anticipating an update, this is... the update, I guess. If you weren't, this does not pertain to you and you are free to move on to the story.

Anyways, to those of you still reading, this new story is a reboot, a rework, a new beginning, if you will. I've got a plot figured out, I've scrapped useless characters, and now I just need time to write. Over the summer, I wrote two chapters, both equaling up to about 13.5k words in total. The next chapter will be posted soon, I just need to touch up on it.

Of course, I say that and pretend that the past year hasn't happened. This story has already gone through a reboot, as well as several delays. Call me reliable? If you did, I'd laugh at you.

Well, if you're a little shocked at this sort of 'update', I promise, you'll like this one better. At least I know I will.

Well, without further ado...

The Pontus Jewel

-.-.-

-Prologue-

Torey had been four when he first heard the word 'salaud.'

It was an interesting word. It sounded fun to say. However, it seemed like a word that would be meant for harm. He heard Alain mutter that word all the time whenever he stubbed his toe when he came to stay at the house for vacation. Papa muttered it sometimes when he couldn't find his car keys. Mama yelled it when a joltik bit her.

Torey was six when he asked Alain about it.

Had it been on a weekend? It must have been on Saturday or Sunday; Torey remembered being anxious and excited about seeing his grand frère fight in the top division of the famed International Pokemon Association. Mama had taken Torey just after breakfast as Papa and Alain had already been at the stadium since the crack of dawn and were practicing for the big event that would start that same day. Torey could hardly contain his enthusiasm, and as they were waiting for security to open up the stadium to the public, Torey remembered tugging on Mama's jacket sleeve to pass the time.

When the clock struck ten, security opened up the stadium to the general public. Torey rushed ahead, slithering past people to see Papa and Alain working hard for the upcoming battle. Mama repeatedly called after Torey, but he didn't return. He wanted to see Alain and Papa train for the fight, as he aspired to become like Papa in his glory days and Alain nowadays.

Instead, he found Alain arguing with one of his competitors, a big burly man who had an abundance of body hair and smelled like a wet stoutland, perhaps because there was a stoutland next to the big burly man. It flashed its teeth and snarled at Ross, the jolteon that had grown out of its niche as the family pet and had now taken the job as one of Alain's partners in battle. The much smaller pokemon snarled right back with as much ferocity and sparked it's fur. Papa was in between the two men, pushing them away, but they still argued. Papa couldn't stop the flow of words coming from both men's mouths, and their hands drifted towards their own belts of pokeballs. Torey rushed forward just as Mama caught sight of him.

Torey interrupted Alain by half tackling, half hugging his brother, who was a good foot and a half taller. Alain's fierce look towards the man softened when he realized Torey's presence and he ruffled his hair.

"Hold on, Torey, let me take care of this," Alain said softly, to the amusement of the other man, who crossed his arms. "Don't make this hard for me, ami. I've got other matters to attend to," Alain spat quickly. The other man scoffed, scratched his beard.

"A'right, we'll talk this out later," the man jeered, glaring back at Alain.

"Yeah, we will," Alain retorted, taking a step forward. Papa stopped him.

"No, you won't, Alain," Papa said, pushing Alain back. "Go back to your side, sir. We can 'talk' this out on the field."

The man chuckled, gave a quick smirk. "Yeah, on the field, buddy. Papa's not gonna save you this time," he sneered, before walking away and cackling to himself.

Alain glared after the man as he walked back to the other end of the stadium, calling him a 'salaud' under his breath.

Torey put a hand up to his chin. "Alain?"

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Was that man asking you about the Devon job?" Torey asked. Alain chuckled, still looking after the man.

"Mhm." He shook his head in disbelief. "Crâneur wants a cut from the job. Says he's 'done his research'. Doesn't look like he's aware of what he's finding, though."

Alain's recent trip to Hoenn wasn't for competitive reasons. Over the past two years, Alain had traveled back and forth between Kalos and Hoenn because of a job the Devon Corporation had called him for. Alain was a part-time trainer, full-time archaeologist, though Alain preferred the term 'treasure hunter'. Before Torey was even born, Alain had been involved with many different historical findings, and it was only inevitable that his reputation would grow. Now, Alain was leading his first real job at Hoenn's famed Mt. Pyre. He'd tell Torey about ancient legends of powerful gods and mystical battles; it all seemed too illogical for it to have existed eons before the world today. Torey was fascinated by such stories, though, and he remembered Alain telling him that if he doesn't find whatever he'd be looking for, he'd want Torey to finish the job.

"Is it bad that he doesn't know?" Torey asked. Ross had now shifted his attention to Torey, running circles around him. Torey reached down and petted the jolteon, the unique feeling of electricity surging through his arm. It tingled, and his hand was a little numb after he let go of the dog.

Alain looked down and grabbed both of Torey's little shoulders, chuckling and shaking his head. "Never mind that." Alain looked at Ross as well, chuckling when Torey was accidentally shocked by Ross. The little jolteon whimpered apologetically and licked the spot where Torey was shocked.

"Ross is still getting used to the new body. He's gotten a little bigger, and he kind of misses cuddling with others. He keeps hurting them on accident." Alain scratched the back of Ross' ears, having been used to the numbness that came with petting an electrical socket of a pokemon.

"Hurting others?" Torey asked. He knew Ross was never one to harm others. He would only protect, as love seemed to be the only thing Ross knew.

Alain laughed. "Stay away from carpet." He scratched Ross beneath the chin before shooing him away towards his teammates' pokemon. "Anyways, petit frère, how have you been?" he asked, watching Ross trot over to his teammates' pidgeot.

"Good." Torey looked up to his taller brother. However, there was one thing that fascinated Torey more than the power and wrath of the gods above."Alain, what's salaud mean?" he asked, much to the surprise of Alain. Torey was curious to know what Alain's vocabulary was like, since Torey always wanted to be like Alain. Alain glanced at Papa briefly, who shook his head and sighed.

"Not quite the response I was expecting," Alain mumbled. He chuckled and squatted down to Torey's eye level. "Don't say that word, Torey. Not until you're older."

"But-"

"Sh." Alain put a finger on Torey's lips. "Don't."

Torey paused for a moment, looking around the stadium and watching it slowly fill with spectators. "But why can't I?"

Alain sighed and smiled at Torey. "It's not something you should say to anyone."

Torey frowned. "But you called that man a-"

Alain covered Torey's mouth quickly. "Yes! Yes, I did. Look, just don't say- don't think about that word. At all."

It was odd. People would always tell each other not to think about this, not to think abut that, when all they're really doing is make them think of that specific thing. Torey remembered a story that Alain had told him over the phone a few months ago. It was a silly story about a troubled man in prison who had been told not to think of a mamoswine, and then was promptly told to answer the question 'what pokemon are you thinking of?' His only way out of prison was to answer anything but the mamoswine.

The man died in prison. Torey found that story to be hysterical.

"Just don't say the word, please?" Alain pleaded after Torey reminded Alain of the story. "It's a very bad word."

"But- But I want to be like you," Torey said. "I want to be like my grand frère."

Alain glanced at Papa, who was now joined by Mama. They both shrugged back at him. Alain rolled his eyes and looked back into Torey's gaze. He sighed. "Grand frère isn't very good sometimes. He can be a naughty boy." He lightly squeezed Torey's shoulder. "But you, you will be a good boy, petit frère. I know you're a good boy."

Torey looked down at his toes. "So I'll never get to say it?"

"Not until you're older."

Torey fiddled with his thumbs, sighed to himself. "Then I'll never get to be like you, Alain."

Alain opened his mouth, then closed it, chuckling to himself. "You are something, aren't you, petit frère?" Alain said, more to himself rather than to Torey. "Hey listen, I'll take you to Hoenn when you get older, Torey. You'll love it. If anything, I want to find this treasure with you."

Torey looked at him. "I know what you're trying to do," Torey muttered. Alain creased his brow. "You're trying to change the subject."

Alain sighed in response, and Torey could see just a tiny twitch of Alain's lips, as if he was tempted to say something back. He squeezed Torey's shoulders and looked into Torey's eyes. "Have I ever told you about the old man and I?"

"You're still trying to change the subject-" Alain's finger went straight to Torey's lips.

"No no, Torey, just listen for a moment. Now the old man-"

"Was the old man Leo?"

Alain rolled his eyes. "Just shush. You never listen."

Alain told Torey about how he wanted to desperately be like his treasure hunting partner and mentor, Leo. At the time Leo was a strong, quick thinking, and ambitious man.

"I remember telling him that he was the person I most looked up to. I wanted to be exactly like him. I couldn't, though. I couldn't make the quick decisions that he could. At my age, I couldn't match his strength." Alain paused and scratched his stubble for a moment. He placed both hands on each of Torey's shoulders. "Do you know what he told me, petit frère?"

"Thank you?" Torey guessed. Alain chuckled at the attempt.

"No, he said 'don't be like me'. And that's what I'm going to say to you, petit frère. Don't be like me."

Torey was taken aback by this. "You don't want me to be like you, Alain?"

"Torey, everyone in this world is different. You and I may be of the same blood, but we're all different. So, no, I don't want you to be like me. The world's already seen enough of me. However, the world hasn't seen enough of you. I want you to be different. Pursue you," Alain said. Alain lifted Torey's chin, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"Pursue me?" Torey asked, still fiddling with his thumbs.

"Yes. I want you to be you. When you grow older, you'll find some other bad word that'll have a better ring than..." he trailed off. "Y'know."

Mama nudged Alain in the arm.

"Or you don't have to find a bad word. That works too." Alain said, rubbing his arm sheepishly. Torey looked back down at his toes, not content with the answer. He still didn't know what 'salaud' meant. "Oh, come on, cheer up, petit frère," Alain said. "Listen, after the battle, I'll show you what Leo and I found on the Devon Job." Torey's face lit up at this. "But that's only if you cheer up, yes?"

Torey nodded enthusiastically. "Will Leo visit?"

Alain shrugged. "He might come over for dinner." Alain chuckled when Torey's smile widened, his growing excitement obvious. "Seems like you're more excited to see Leo more than me," he mocked.

Torey became flustered. "No!"

He chuckled to himself once more. "Okay, frère. Well, some of the things we brought back from Hoenn are definitely worth showing you, so you better keep that enthusiasm up."

He looked behind his shoulder and saw his teammates wave him over to the trainer's pedestal. "Anyways, Torey, look at me. That advice I just told you, remember that. Keep it with you as you grow up." He lightly tapped the top of Torey's head with his fingers. "I did, and if you want to be like me, pursue your own self."

As Alain rose to his feet, Torey quickly grabbed and tugged at the hem of his shirt. "Alain, wait."

"Yeah?"

Torey looked down at his feet ashamedly. "I- I don't know how to be me. I've always wanted to be like you." Torey said.

Alain smiled pitifully at Torey and gave a small sigh. He squatted back down to eye level once more, and reaching behind his neck, undid a necklace that wrapped around his neck.

"Here, take this," Alain said, handing the necklace to Torey. "This was a little thing I found way back when Leo and I started the Devon job. Just a little 'good luck' charm, I suppose. Well, more a reminder than a good luck charm now that I think of it."

It was a silver ring, tarnished with age. On it was an ancient text that Torey could not decipher. Alain laid the necklace on Torey's neck, and Torey instinctively took the ring that was attached to it. Torey ran his finger across the surface of the ring.

"What for?" Torey asked.

"For you, petit frère," Alain said. "It's yours now." He took the ring from Torey's hand and pointed to the words inscribed on it.

"'Those who dare change the world'. If you live by these words, I'm sure you'll do great things," Alain said softly. He ruffled Torey's hair once more, hugged Papa and kissed Mama, and left to go with his teammates before Torey could say thank you. It was something that Torey would soon regret.

"Alain gets himself into more trouble than he should," Torey heard Papa say to Mama. "Ever since he took that job for the Devon Corporation. I think he should let go of that job, notre fils is getting too much attention."

"I think Alain likes the spotlight, bien-aimé," Mama said to Papa. "He and Leo have certainly made a name for themselves."

Torey was four when he also heard the genuine sound of a gunshot.

It had spooked him, being so loud, being so deafening. He was spending time with Alain at the time, but it had been much fainter than when he heard it at the stadium. He remembered Alain telling him to think of the one thing that made him happy. He said that love and happiness would always overcome fear, and that the loud bang he heard was something he shouldn't be afraid of.

The one thing Torey thought of was Alain. He was smart, strong, hopeful, and always there for him as a protector of sorts, and after thinking about Alain, Torey wasn't scared of the gunshot anymore.

The one in the stadium, though, was a much louder bang, one that cracked the air and sent a shock through Torey's body. His face grew hot and his arms began shaking. Immediately, he thought of Alain, how he always made him happy and would always be there for him. Two more bangs followed.

Torey was six when he first saw what a gunshot did to someone.

Alain fell down to his knees, clutching his chest. More than just a shock was sent through his body. Alain was immediately surrounded by his teammates. The bloody scene quickly covered up.

Torey didn't know what to do. Papa and Mama jumped out of their sideline seats and rushed towards Alain. But Torey just stood there.

It wasn't until a much louder bang went off, one that dwarfed the first three, and tiny pieces of the roof began crumbling and falling towards the playing field that Torey began to run towards the group of people surrounding Alain, who was being dragged off the field, dribbles of blood running down his mouth.

That was all Torey got to see before being dragged off by one of Alain's teammates.

"No no no, c'mon, bud, we're going this way. Can't let you see that." It was Leo who was dragging him away, away from his brother, who, in the little glimpse Torey had gotten, had looked so hopeless and vulnerable.

"He's-" Torey whispered with what little air he had in his lungs, before his voice broke. "Alain's-"

"C'mon, kid! We have to get going," Leo said, much more volume in his voice. He pulled on Torey's arm as they made their way towards the stadium's exit.

Torey looked back out towards the playing field, watching several other pieces of debris fall to the ground. He followed the path the little golf ball-sized rocks fell, and for a fleeting moment, he locked eyes with a man on the roof. A flash of his red tie, the glint from some object he held, and then he was shrouded in a wispy black cloud that appeared to have come from a pokemon by his side. By the time it cleared, the man was gone.

And he had escaped smirking.

It was a long night at the hospital. Alain's life was on the line, and the doctors were working diligently on keeping him alive. Ross was off in the corner, staring blankly ahead with his head on his overlapping paws.

Torey's eyes ached. There was a lump in his throat. He was on the brink of crying, but he told himself not to. He wanted to stay strong for Alain. He wanted to keep that same spirit that Alain always had. He clutched the ring that Alain had given him, remembering what the words inscribed on the ring meant.

Torey still hadn't thanked his grand frere.

No, he couldn't shed a tear yet. He still had to stay strong for Alain. Alain had always stayed strong for him, so Torey had to do the same. He cursed the man on the rooftop under his breath, softly calling him a 'salaud'. He felt better for a moment, despite the fact that he didn't know what the word meant. All he had to know was that word was supposed to be used for harm.

He just repeated the word, over and over and over again. It's helping effects somewhat died quickly, however, as Torey realized that repeating the word didn't do anything to the man.

The last time Torey said the word 'salaud' was when Leo approached him after emerging from Alain's room. Leo took a seat next to him and took several deep breaths. Torey hoped it would be good news, that his brother would make it out alive, that the bullets didn't really affect him and that he would be walking out of the hospital by the end of the night.

"Hey, listen kid. I've known Alain for a long while, and we've been through some tough spots together. It was always something we could walk away from." Leo sighed, scratched his head. "Look, I love your brother, I really do. He's like a kid to me. Y'know, being some twenty years younger..." Leo paused for a moment, looking away towards the TV screen in the corner of the room. The news of the crumbling stadium had been the highlight for the past few hours. Several dead, many injured; Torey had been hearing it since he got here.

Leo cleared his throat. "Look, Alain... he's not in the best shape he could be in-" Torey's heart plummeted. "He's a strong man, but, I don't know if he's walking away from this one."

That was all Torey needed to hear before jumping out of his seat and rushing through to Alain's room. Leo pleaded for Torey to come back, but Torey ignored him.

The unmistakable flat-line beep was the first thing Torey heard when he charged through the door. Some of the doctors around Alain looked in shock at the little six year old boy that had appeared before them, while others were still fighting to bring Alain back. Mama and Papa were sitting off to the side, with Mama gently weeping and Papa trying his best to soothe her.

Leo rushed in right after Torey, pausing as he heard the line go flat. He put his hands up to his head, before trying to pull Torey out of the room. But Torey would have none of it. He slithered out of Leo's grip and pushed past the doctors who surrounded Alain's body. Some doctors wouldn't let Torey through, while others let him past.

Torey climbed onto a step stool next to the bed that Alain laid on. His eyes were closed, and the soft heaving of his chest that Torey hoped to see wasn't there. The flat-line beep kept droning on.

He looked so peaceful, despite the blood that covered the bandages around his chest. His eyes were closed, and he seemed undisturbed by everything around him.

Torey laid his head against Alain's chest, and that was when Torey finally let the first tear go. He couldn't hold it in, and before he knew it, he was crying over his older brother's corpse.

There was nothing the doctors could do for Alain. He had now gone up to a better place. And already, Torey was missing his grand frère.

He had one thing, however, that kept Alain with Torey. With head still on Alain's chest, Torey clutched the ring that Alain had given him. He still hadn't thanked him for it.

"Merci, grand frère," Torey whispered, letting the tears run down his cheeks. But Alain hadn't heard it, as much as Torey wanted to think so.

A barrage of emotions overcame Torey; sorrow for his brother's passing, vengeance against his brother's murderer, confusion for the events that had happened today. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do next.

His hand slid over the necklace, and he looked down at it. Alain's voice echoed through Torey's head. "'Those who dare change the world'. If you live by those words, I'm sure you'll do great things."

It was then Torey knew what he'd do for Alain.

As a young cub, Mago had always been different. He didn't know how to swim until he was three, didn't learn his first attack until he was five, and left his buizel raft when he broke six years old. His mother was captured, his father was hunted, and both were taken away by humans.

But the odd thing was, he didn't miss them. As soon as he was hatched out of his egg, he was looking straight up at a staravia.

It was an awkward moment for the staravia, for sure, as he had just waddled by when Mago hatched, but Mago didn't find it peculiar. He didn't think that about how different a buizel's and a staravia's anatomy was, mainly because he had just hatched from his egg and was too young to think about such a complicated situation, and also because minutes later, the staravia had saved Mago from becoming a liepard's lunch.

And so, after being called Papi numerous times, the staravia couldn't leave Mago behind, and instead took him under his wing. Mago came to know the bird as Arrow, a newly evolved pokemon that had just been kicked out his flock after being caught in the cross-fire of an argument. Arrow would evolve shortly after leaving, and then would run into Mago just a few days after.

It took Arrow a while to figure out what he'd do with Mago after saving him, and decided that returning him to his raft would be the best option. Arrow would swear to raise Mago as best he could so that Mago could fit in as best as possible when he would reunite him with the buizel raft.

However, the differing characteristics of a water mammal and a bird proved to be a challenging factor in raising Mago, as well as the fact that Arrow did not have any experience in raising pokemon. It was the reason why Mago didn't know how to swim until three years later. Arrow didn't know how Mago's little blue fins worked, and discovered that Mago's tail could be used for propulsion when he was smacked by both tips.

Arrow came to treat Mago like a little brother; however, Mago treated Arrow as 'Papi'. Arrow knew he would have to let the young pup go, as he had sworn to return Mago to where he came from. Mago didn't have a hint at what his true origins were. He thought he had been raised by Arrow.

He had the talk with Mago when he was five. The tantrum Mago threw was how Arrow taught Mago his first attack, albeit indirectly. Physically, it didn't hurt Arrow. Mentally, it stung, for both Arrow and Mago. Arrow knew that Mago's reaction wasn't going to be a positive one, and Mago felt like he'd just been betrayed by the one pokemon he had trusted most.

Mago and Arrow's relationship took a rocky detour after the talk. Mago wouldn't speak to Arrow, and Arrow would always try to start a conversation with Mago, but to no avail. Mago made it clear that he thought of Arrow as a traitor. Arrow found Mago's raft a month later, and though he tried to milk as much time as he could with Mago, Arrow finally delivered Mago back to his family, and both pokemon went back to what was supposed to be their normal lives.

It proved to be challenging.

Arrow couldn't find it in himself to start a new flock after letting Mago go. Although he knew it was the right thing to return Mago, he couldn't deal with the emotions that went behind releasing the pokemon he would raise. He couldn't help but hide in the trees and watch over Mago.

Mago didn't have it any better. The buizel raft treated him as an outcast. His parents didn't seem to want a stray buizel. All the buizels Mago's age made fun of how he was a stray. Mago didn't feel at home, though he did sneak a few peeks at the buizels who knew how to fend for themselves and took a few lessons from them.

Both Arrow and Mago missed each other. It must have been fate that reunited them; perhaps a little gift that Arceus sent their way. Something that was at the expense of others' lives.

A hunter, a couple gunshots, and a few lives later, Mago and Arrow found themselves together. This was the first time they faced a life or death situation.

And it was here they found themselves backed up against a corner, facing the one hunter that had effectively dispersed Mago's raft.

Mago saw Arrow look at him from the corner of his eyes. "You're going to what?!" he hissed.

"No, listen! He's protected all over," Mago whispered back. "Except for that little space between his legs. Bastard's not going to see it coming." The two pokemon continued taking steps back as the hunter advanced on them.

"What about his neck?!" Arrow motioned to his own neck with a wing.

Mago shrugged. "I don't want to kill the guy, Arrow!"

Arrow cocked his head at him. "You're crazy, pup, you know that? That's disgu-"

"Well, you got any ideas?" Arrow glared at him. "Look, if you don't want to do the pecking, I'll do the biting. Just make sure he keeps his little doohickey on you."

Arrow's glare intensified. "You want me to get shot?!"

"Bite his pecker or get shot at! Take your pick!" Mago glanced at Arrow, making sure to keep the hunter in his sight.

Several buizel ran by, distracting the hunter from Mago and Arrow. Mago flinched at the loud gunshots, covering his ears from the deafening blasts, as well as the cries of pain from some of the unfortunate buizel. "Take your pick! We only have so little time!"

Arrow grabbed Mago's arm with a wing. "Look, pup, let's just go! The hunter's distracted right now, and it's a much safer option!" The both of them flinched when another gunshot rang through the air.

Mago shook Arrow's wing off. "You want the death of all these pokemon on your conscience?"

Mago and Arrow stood staring at each other for a brief moment, with Arrow's beak firmly shut. The sound of rushing footsteps, all terrified pokemon running in a chaotic mess, surrounded both Mago and Arrow. Arrow squinted at Mago, before the two were interrupted by the cocking of the hunter's gun.

"Well?" The hunter looked back at Mago and Arrow. "There's no running now," Mago said. Arrow pushed Mago's arm away.

"You're biting his pecker," he quickly said, before flying towards the hunter and barely avoiding the shot sent his way. "Just make sure you don't get shot!"

Arrow harassed the hunter, flying around in circles and throwing out curse words every now and then. "Now's your time, pup! Make it quick!"

Mago breathed in and exhaled. His heart thumped against his chest. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. "It's go-time," he muttered. He sprang into action, taking large strides toward the hunter. It was the first time Mago felt so alive.

Mago still felt that way when the hunter whipped around and smacked Mago on the side of his head with the rifle. Mago wasn't sure what was happening following the shot that the hunter sent his way. He was sure he was dead. He had been looking straight at the barrel.

"Mago!" Arrow cried. His voice was muffled, as if Mago was underwater. "You get the hell off him right now!" The shot must have just missed Mago by a hair.

His head throbbed. Mago grabbed his temple. It hurt to open his eyes. Mago watched a winged blob wrestle the hunter for his gun.

Mago's vision focused, and now he saw Arrow wrestle the gun out of the hunter's hands and throw it into the woods behind them, following with a Wing Attack to send the hunter on his rear. Arrow rushed back towards Mago.

"Get up, pup. C'mon, we have to go!" Arrow was grabbing his arm. The hunter brandished a knife and was coming after them.

"Arrow, look out," Mago croaked. Arrow wasn't listening. He kept pleading for him to get up. "Arrow, behind you!"

With the strength he could muster, Mago shoved Arrow away, just as the knife was beginning to make its way down. Mago rolled over, feeling the knife's cool touch just skim his back. He retaliated by whipping the hunter's wrist with his tails.

Mago watched Arrow come back at the hunter, knocking the knife out of his hand. The weapon clattered Mago's way, stopping just before his nose.

"Mago, take the knife and go! I'll join you in a second," Arrow grunted. The buizel raft had all escaped, not counting the ones that didn't make it, and Mago and Arrow were the only ones left.

"I- I can't just leave-"

"Just take the knife and go! I can handle him."

Mago nodded, and placed the knife in his mouth. He was about to take off when Mago heard a panicked squawk. He turned and saw the hunter pin Arrow to the ground by his neck.

Mago's heart plummeted. Arrow couldn't handle the hunter. He was trying to keep him safe.

Without thinking, Mago rushed over to the man and leapt onto his back. In turn, the hunter knocked Mago off, and Mago was sent sprawling across the grass. The knife fell out of his mouth and on the ground.

The hunter seized the opportunity to grab the knife. Mago watched the man raise the weapon. Arrow closed his eyes in submission, awaiting his fate.

It was Mago's fault.

"No!" Mago yelled. He shot a Water Gun at the knife, knocking it out of the hunter's hands, before rushing and leaping back onto the man. He fought for grip against the man's back, digging his claws into the man's jacket.

"Mago, what the hell are you doing?!" Arrow wheezed, still fighting the man's grip.

Mago ignored the question and buried his teeth into the back of the man's neck. The hunter cried out in pain, letting go of Arrow and now fighting against Mago. He reached for Mago, yanking at his tails. Mago cried in pain as he was swung over to the man's front and was held upside down. Mago shut his eyes and blindly lashed out in front of him, feeling something soft, and then something warm trickling down his paws.

Mago opened an eye. The man grabbed his throat. He was wheezing, choking on his own blood. Mago was dropped and fell on his back.

The man staggered back, his eyes wide open. He fell on his rear, grabbing his throat with both hands in a hopeless effort to stop the river of red pouring down to his chest.

Mago was just as shocked. It all happened so quick. He had just fatally injured, if not killed, a man. Mago frantically moved away from the dying man. He stared at his bloody paws.

"Mago, c'mon. Let's go," Arrow said softly, aware of Mago's shock. He lifted Mago onto his feet. "C'mon, pup, let's go. Don't think about it."

"I just- I ki-"

"No no no, pup. Don't think about it." It was all Mago could think about.

The two pokemon spent the night at Arrow's little tree that he called home. Mago stared blankly at the sky. Arrow perched on a nearby branch, grooming his feathers. The berries that Arrow gathered for Mago sat untouched next to him.

"You have to eat, Mago."

"I'm not hungry," Mago replied. Mago heard Arrow sigh next to him.

"Pup, I know what you're thinking. In your defense, he was trying to kill us," Arrow said.

Mago sighed. "I know," he whispered. "I didn't want to kill him. I just wanted him to stop." Arrow continued grooming his feathers.

"Mago, it's rough out there, you have to realize that. Everyday, everyone's fighting for survival. Every now and then, these random events come out of the blue. Could be a storm. Could be a heat wave. In this case it was a hunter." Arrow scooted across his branch to perch next to Mago. "We just have to keep moving on, no matter how it makes us feel."

Mago didn't reply. He just continued staring off into the distance. Arrow followed his gaze.

"What are you thinking about, pup?" Arrow asked.

"The hun-"

"Other than the hunter."

Mago grabbed his tail, habitually twirling the left end with a finger. "Do you- Do you believe in fate?" Mago asked. Arrow cocked his head at Mago.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just... curious."

Arrow put a wing up to his beak in thought. "I never really thought of it," he replied. "It never bothered me."

Mago sighed once more. "Never mind then."

Arrow scoffed. "C'mon, Mago. It's obviously bothering you. What's going on?"

Mago shifted his paw to twirl the right end of his tail this time. "It's just... the hunter-"

"Mago, stop thinking about the hun-"

"Wait, hold on. Just hear me out for a second." Mago scratched his head. "What you said, about these random events, do you think they could perhaps have a purpose? The hunter brought us back together."

Arrow cocked his head the other way. "What are you saying?"

"There was one thing I took from my time with the other buizel. There was a little saying that the assholes had lived by." Mago cleared his throat. "'Every cloud has a silver lining'." The two pokemon sat in silence for a while. "Do you think that maybe this little reunion is the 'silver lining' to that storm cloud?"

For a while, Arrow said nothing. It was silent, save for the rustling in the trees and the running water of a nearby stream, and then Arrow softly chuckled to himself.

"What?" Mago asked.

"I swear, all you buizel may be different, but you're all so optimistic," he said. He scooted the berries to Mago. "Eat."

"But I'm-"

"Eat. C'mon, pup. I'll force feed you if I have to." Arrow was about to grab a berry before Mago pushed him away.

"Fine." Mago glanced at Arrow from the corner of his vision, watching his smirk. He downed a few berries, before deciding that he didn't like Arrow's smirk.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Your little smirk. It looks stupid on your face."

Arrow was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Excuse what? You or your stupid beak?" Mago ate a few more berries.

Arrow laughed. "Oh, you've got some funny jokes, don't you, pup?" Mago just continued eating the berries.

"You got some of those berries on your chest." Mago was poked on the chest, and he looked down, only for Arrow's wing to come up and softly smack him in the face.

"Asshole."

Arrow scoffed. "Aren't you too young to be saying that kind of language?" Mago waved a paw at Arrow.

"Whatever." He went back to staring off into the stars.

Arrow finished picking off little pieces of debris from his feathers. "Alright. Well, pup, I'm calling it a night, feel free to call it quits up here. Could use a little company." Mago watched Arrow scoot away and fluff his feathers. "But if you are leaving, make sure to clean up before you go."

Mago looked over at Arrow. "Hey, Arrow?"

"Yeah, pup?"

Mago sheepishly scratched his head. "Uh, thanks, I guess."

Arrow waved a wing at him. "I should be thanking you. You saved my life today."

Mago shrugged. "You did too. My head would've been blown off if you weren't there."

"Ah, don't mention it, pup. I don't want to think about it all night. You did good today."

Mago sighed. "Yeah, you too." He scratched his neck. "Uh, good talk, Arrow," Mago said awkwardly. He watched Arrow shake his head and smirk once more.

"Yeah. Good talk, pup. I'll see you in the morning."

Mago stared off at the moon this time. Perhaps it was fate that brought the two back together again.

Hey, how you guys doing? I'd appreciate it if you guys let me know how you feel about this sort of prologue section by leaving some sort of comment or review. It really lets me know how I'm doing in terms of pleasing the readers.

Oh yeah, and how's my French? If there's anyone out there that can point out a few errors in merging some French with English, then I'd appreciate that as well.