The sun shone down brightly on Alto Mare as Hunter and Umbreon walked down the ferry ramp. Hunter looked around. The city was filled with old stone buildings, though a calm sea breeze and the gentle sound of the water lapping against the canal walls added to the ambience of the place. Hunter looked down at Umbreon. "What do you think?"

Umbreon smiled up at him and gave a positive "Umbre!"

They left the docks. As the two walked through the town, Hunter looked around. The streets were paved with cobblestones, a testament to the city's age. Townspeople walked here and there, going about their business. Hunter smiled. This would make a great place to live.

They came to a large plaza in front of the city's museum. Hunter found himself distracted by a pair of statues perched atop two high pillars. They were both reliefs of Pokémon, similar in the shape of their bodies. They had elegant, streamlined forms that were clearly designed for flight. Going over to the columns, Hunter looked around the bases until he could see a small plaque on each one. They each had a name on them, followed by the words GUARDIAN OF ALTO MARE. The names were Latios and Latias. Hunter brushed his hand over the plaques, then jerked upright as something brushed past him. Whirling, he didn't see anything. Nobody called "Sorry!" over their shoulder as they ran past him.

He looked down at Umbreon. "Can you find anything?"

Umbreon tilted its head into the air and began sniffing. It stopped a short time later, giving a negative, frustrated toss of the head. Hunter smiled and rubbed its ears, making the shadow fox give a small noise of pleasure.

He and Umbreon continued to walk through the town, along the back streets and the sidewalks on the sides of the canals. They went through shops, Hunter buying items and Pokémon food but also looking around for books about the town's history.

Finally finding one, he bought it and went to a small courtyard to sit down on a bench and read.

The book was highly interesting. It was filled with beautiful paintings and drawings of the town's two guardians. They kept popping up over and over again throughout the book. The book wasn't very long, but it mentioned something called the Soul Dew, and how it was said to contain the soul of one of the town's guardians, Latios.

But there are supposed to be two… he thought. He jerked slightly as he again felt something invisible slide past him. Closing his eyes, he searched frantically but found nothing.

Something was stalking him, but for good or ill he didn't know.

He got up, placing the book in his backpack. Umbreon was standing next to a water faucet, looking at him pleadingly. Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He didn't know it was possible for Umbreon to give Teddiursa eyes. But it worked.

With a sigh the boy took hold of the handle and turned it.

Umbreon raised its head under the stream, breathing a relieved sigh as the cold, clear water rushed over its head. Hunter smiled. Turning the faucet off, he and Umbreon left the courtyard, going back to the museum plaza. People sat at the many tables set up around the area, chatting, eating, and relaxing. Hunter and Umbreon went into the museum, looking around at the town's ancient relics.

The museum was massive, and though Hunter wanted to see it all, he didn't have the time. He stuck to the big stuff, first going to a pair of skeletons on the floor. They were of a Kabutops and an Aerodactyl that had, according to the book he'd picked up, terrorized Alto Mare when the town was still in its infancy.

Moving on, Hunter came to a massive machine that made him stop in his tracks.

The machine was beautifully made; though its convoluted form made him skeptical as to how it ran.

A voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hunter turned to find a short, rotund man with a bushy white beard standing next to him. The man looked at him. "Of course, its function doesn't do justice to its beauty."

"What is it?" Hunter asked, looking back up at the machine.

"This is what we call the DMA. The Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare."

"Shouldn't it be called the DMAM then?"

Choosing to ignore the fridge logic of that sentence, the man looked at him. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No. I just came in on a ferry a little while ago."

The man grunted. "How long are you planning on staying?"

"The rest of my life. I'm planning on living here."

The man's eyes suddenly brightened. "Well, I think I've got just the place for you. If you're interested, come talk to me. I'll be in the boat shop. Look in a guidebook, it should tell you where that is."

He turned to go. Hunter called after him. "I never asked; what's your name?"

"Lorenzo," the man replied. "Yours?"

"Hunter. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Lorenzo said, and walked off.

Hunter and Umbreon went outside, though Hunter was ready to start looking for a Pokémon Center pretty soon. He picked a direction and was about to walk off that way when a more familiar voice stopped him.

"Well, well. Look who's here."

FINALLY! IT'S HERE! After months of writing, I present the final story of "The Aura Chronicles"! Hope you all enjoy it! R and R!