Shadows

Chapter One – Awakening

May was bored and very, very angry. She was in a great mood earlier on today. She was still on a high from her victory in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. However, she had been waiting for what seemed like hours for someone to pick up the package that she was delivering and that really sours the mood, especially when you've never been good at waiting. It was given to her by Professor Birch right before she left her home in Petalburg and it was to be given to his son, Brendan. Time continued to slowly pass by, making her more and more angry. She finally had enough.

She got up and stomped her way through the corridors, on a mission to find Brendan Birch. The place was empty. She looked around, peeking in every lab she came across. It took quite a while as the place was huge. She found herself stomping up and down the stairs quite a lot but eventually she found him. He was slumped on his desk, fast asleep. May bursted in and slammed the door behind her, jolting the sleeping scientist awake.

"I have a package for you!" May said, making it clear that she had run out of patience.

"Oh, thank you!" Brendan sleepily replied, taking the parcel, "Sorry if I kept you waiting, I have been up all night looking at a friend's Pokemon"

"Oh! Is it sick?" May asked, her anger suddenly turning into terror.

"Come on. I'll show you!" Brendan replied, taking May into the next room "A few weeks ago, this Linoone started to act really strangely, at first it was ill but a couple of days later, it suddenly turned rather violent..." By then May wasn't listening to Brendan anymore. A horrible feeling of dread overcame her as she saw the Linoone with her own eyes. A strange black aura was engulfing it and it was giving off a sense of pure evil. May's stomach was in knots. She turned and bolted out to the corridor, on the verge of crying.

"What's wrong?" Brendan asked, confused.

"I really don't know." May exclaimed, "When I saw the Linoone, I saw all this Black Smoke and just had the urge to run! It was horrible!"

Brendan had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. He didn't see any black smoke. May, whoever she was, was either a very strange girl or key to something major. He had heard of legends that described similar happenings back when he was a trainer. Now he was curious.

"Do you wanna get something to eat?" he asked.

"Sure!" May replied. Her face lit up. It was a strange reply, sure but she was starving and there was a restaurant on the seafront that she was dying to try out.

"May, I was wondering..." Brendan asked, as he was about to chow down on his Ramen, "...are you familiar with the concept of Aura?"

"Yeah." May replied "The idea that there's an essence in every living being, that can be controlled and sensed by humans."

"Have you had any experiences with it?" he continued to ask, taking in a mouthful.

"Yeah. Five years ago, I was travelling with two friends, Ash and Brock and my brother, Max around the Kanto region. We arrived at this castle. Cameron... Cameran... Something like that. There, we woke up an ancient slumbering Lucario and encountered Mew. Then Ash found out he was an Aura Guardian or something who had the same aura as... Hmm, I don't think we need to go any further. I'm probably boring you with all the details!" May smiled, clearly embarrassed.

Brendan was now more curious, more confused and more frightened than ever. What on earth did May see? And what does it mean? He was also jealous in a way. Back when he travelled around with his Pokemon, he had some success in the conferences. He even won the Indigo Conference, which was when he decided to become a researcher like his father. However, he had always wanted to meet a legendary. He wanted to May to continue on but he felt like he had to focus on what happened in the lab, which was much more important at the moment.

"Tell me more about the smoke."

"Erm. Nothing else to say, really. It was black smoke and it just felt... evil, I guess." May replied.

"Just one more que-"

Someone screamed.

To Brendan, it sounded familiar. He stood up and ran out. May followed, wondering what he was doing. They turned into the nearest alleyway, where two black hooded figures were approaching a terrified girl.

"Naomi!" Brendan shouted, grabbing a Pokeball "Hey!" The two figures turned around, grinning smugly and ready to throw the Pokeballs in their hands. Their dark blue hoodies proudly featured a huge yellow elaborate "N".

"Go! Swampert!" Brendan called, sending out his evolved starter. He hadn't sent it out for a good battle in a long, long time as he never really gets the chance anymore. May sent out her Delcatty, wanting to help out. She had evolved a few years ago when May was given a Moon Stone on her way to Sinnoh, as a token of good luck from her father. The other two both sent out a Zubat. May had absolutely no idea why they were looking so cocky if this was all they could muster.

"Swampert! Hammer Arm!"

"Delcatty! Zen Headbutt!"

Delcatty's head began to glow as she rushed forward. Swampert swung his arm as he rushed alongside her.

"Zubat! Wing Attack!"

Both Zubat attempted to begin their attack, they were hit and knocked out. The battle with Naomi had already worn them out and made all their other Pokemon faint. Annoyed, the figures returned their Pokemon to their balls and fled.

Brendan rushed over to Naomi, who was in pain. She was slumped up against the wall, holding her elbow. She was pushed against the wall when she lost her battle. Brendan helped her get back on her feet.

"Thanks!" She said. Naomi looked roughly the same age as May. Her bright red hair was tied back in a ponytail, which was now messed up thanks to the fall. Her green hoodie was ripped at the right elbow, revealing a bright red scab.

"May, meet Naomi" Brendan said, "Naomi, meet May. She could have the answers as to why your Linoone is acting so strangely."

"Nice to meet you." Naomi said, her accent making it obvious that she wasn't from around anywhere May had been before "So what's up with my Linoone?"

"Well, we don't know." May said, sort of embarrassed "It had some kind of black smoke around it, which apparently only I can see."

"And you believe this?" Naomi asked Brendan. May knew this was coming. She wouldn't have believed it but she had seen many stranger things on her travels.

"Yeah." Brendan said "I think it has something to do with Aura."

"Sounds plausible, I suppose." Naomi said, holding her elbow in her hand.

"Right, it's been fun talking to you guys but it's getting late and I should get to sleep." May said, feeling tired.

"Alright. Night May!" Naomi said as May left to head to the Pokemon Centre.

The next morning, May was woken abruptly by a knock on the door. She answered, still in her pyjamas. It was Brendan and Naomi.

"What do you guys want?" she asked.

"We wanted to ask if we could tag along on your journey!" they asked.

"What? Why?" May asked, confused.

"We've heard that wild Pokemon around the area have been acting like my Linoone." Naomi said. "As you apparently can see them and possibly tie into all this, we need your help!" May was terrified. How far could the effect spread?

"Okay." May said, nodding. "Give me a minute to get my things and dress."

"We'll meet you near the edge of town at the start of Route 401." Brendan said.

"Actually one more thing. Did you find out anything about those guys who attacked you last night?" May asked.

"No." Naomi replied. "An N wasn't really much to go on."

May closed the door as she started to change. Today might just have been one of the strangest days ever and she has had plenty of those. A feeling of dread began to grow in the depths of her belly, nagging her that things were going to get screwed up. Really screwed up.