Trainer Tales
To Love Another
Was it so wrong to have these feelings?
There had been many times like this in Maverick's life when he wondered that question. Right now, as he stood on route 217, heading toward Snowpoint, that thought re-entered his mind. His Lucario, Courage stood before him, with her cool and composed personality. The red hat he bought her not to long ago laid on her head, as she stood tall against the oncoming snow. Before them, their foe, a Stountland owned by a fellow trainer.
"Courage, Aura Sphere!" he commanded, causing his Pokémon's eyes to gleam.
Quickly, she cupped her paws together, and began charging a magnificent blue blast.
"Stountland, Double-Edge!" his opponent ordered causing the great canine to charge forward.
It was a fruitless effort, as by the time he arrived to his foe, the aura Pokémon had finished her attack. She stepped back, before leaping up high, whilst sending her blue attack at her foe. Snow flew skyward as a the blast collided with its foe. When the snowy smoke subsided, the only thing left was the unconscious body belonging to the Stoutland. Courage landed safely moments later, as Maverick's opponent looked down in defeated.
"Okay fine..." he said, "You win."
Maverick smiled in victory, before being pelted by a series of heavy snowfall. He gazed up from under his coat's hood, and saw the grey clouds of a dangerous snow.
"Crap, its hailing!" he called out.
He looked out toward his opponent, but the storms fog constricted his view.
"Hello!" he roared, but got no answer, "Courage! Where are you!?"
"Luc...? Lucario!" she called out.
"Use your aura powers and make a light, I'll come to you!"
Poking out through the heavy snow and hail, Maverick could see the blue flames of his Pokémon. He dragged his legs through the already high snow, and finally came to Courage's being.
"Courage!" he announced as he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her close. For some reason... the way she felt against his hands was... it was tender.
"Lucario!" she called, her voice urgent.
"We need to get somewhere safe... but I can't see anything!"
"Lucario!" she yelled, using her aura powers to temporarily clear a pathway for them through the snow.
With the area temporarily visible, Maverick made out a brown wooden building lying on a mountain side.
"Quick Courage!" he yelled jerking his Pokémon forward.
They trudged through the snow forcefully, before finally arriving at the front door. Though it was barricaded off, Courage punched the door open easily and coming in on the other side, she quickly sealed the entryway using the same door. It was silent inside, save for the Pokémon and her trainer's gasping, it was the opposite outside. Maverick gazed through a window, and saw the storm raging outdoors.
"Wow..." he said as he removed his hood, "Aren't we lucky, huh Courage?"
He looked back to his Lucario to see her shivering from the cold. Maverick raised an eyebrow at this. Seeing her shiver from cold was so out of character for her.
"Courage?" he said, "Are you okay?"
She nodded, before standing tall.
"L-L-L-Lu-c-c-c-c-ari-i-i-io..." she said through chattering teeth.
Maverick smiled playfully, before he closed the distance between the two with a loving embrace. Due to his warm touch, or maybe because of it, Courage hugged closer to her master. Maverick didn't protest to this, as he felt his Pokémon's hug to be warm. Gazing over to the shacks indoors, Maverick was surprised to see such a quaint living arrangement. An old rug laid on the ground, along with a dusty and disused couch. Weathered lamps laid attached on the walls, give an air of age to the long since abandoned building. Maverick chuckled as he thought on his predicament.
"It's funny how we run into these moments, huh Courage?" he asked his faithful partner.
Turning to look at her, he found her eyes closing slightly. He smiled sweetly, before lifting the red and white Poké ball that belonged to Courage.
"C'mon Courage," he said, "you've tired yourself out enough today."
She looked at the ball in his hands, before shaking her head in a defiant manner.
"Luc... cario!" she protested.
"Come on Courage, your tired and cold. You could use some rest."
Once more, she shook her head no.
"Lucario!"
Though she presented herself as capable, Maverick could tell she was tired, and as much as he wanted to have company within the shack, he would never put his Pokémon in a dangerous position.
"This isn't negotiable Courage." Maverick said with a stern voice, "Now, return!"
She gave him a regretful look as he pointed the tip of her Poké ball toward her. But then, his Poké ball began to malfunction. Electrical shocks began to emit from the ball rapidly. Maverick and Courage looked at the ball closely, before it suddenly returned to the small standby mode. Maverick tapped the button in the center of the ball, but it refused to return to its 'on' state. He traded looks with his partner, before withdrawing another Poké ball from his satchel. What lied in the palm of his hand, was another small Poké ball. He tapped the center button, but it too refused to go to it's on state. Withdrawing a Quick ball, he tried to open it too, but it staid off. This was followed by an Ultra ball, and then a Great ball, and then a Luxury ball, but unfortunately, all of these balls shared the same thing. They refused to open.
"Courage... what's going on?" he asked.
Her eyes shined a brilliant yellow color, characterizing the use of her aura powers. A blue flame suddenly sprouted from her paws, and she quickly leveled it toward the rest of the house.
"Lucario!" she suddenly barked out.
"What is it Courage!?" Maverick inquired.
A great and brilliant light suddenly began to shine from out of the window. At first it was nothing, but the light constantly grew, becoming blinding to all. Maverick covered his eyes as he stretched out his hand in an effort to grab his Pokémon. He felt nothing.
"Courage!" he called, "Courage, where are you!?"
Removing his hand from his eyes, he found out he was alone on a tropical beach.
"What in the hell?" he said as he stepped forward.
Sea water dragged its way onto the beach as an over arching blue sun hung over head. Coconut trees stood tall behind him, while the sky swirled about in a wonderful, yet surreal color of violet. Maverick dragged his hands through the sand, pulling back a rainbow assortment of sediments and dirt. To say the trainer was confused would be an understatement.
"Okay... once again... what in the hell is this shit?"
Stepping forward toward the sea, Maverick began to question his own sanity.
"Courage where are you?" he called out, but to no avail.
A slight grimace appeared on his face, while he heard a deranged, sadistic chuckle resonate through the air. This torturous laughter sounded eerily familiar to the young trainer. He dragged his hand through his black hair as the chortles grew louder and louder. He quickly looked up the vibrant colored sky, and scoffed.
"I don't believe it." he said, clearly enraged, "I mean, I seriously don't fucking believe it."
"What's wrong Prime? Scared of what you haven't seen in a while?"
"Darkrai!" Maverick exclaimed, raging seethed into his words.
The beach began to distort into wild and vivid illusions. The trees grew faces with wailing expressions, the skys produced clouds in the shape of skulls, while the sand itself twisted into weird demonic symbols. Maverick laid his hand on his face, before speaking out in an annoyed manner,
"Are you done showing off yet, Darkrai?"
"You're no fun Maverick." a ghastly voice answered him.
Phazing in from the shadows, a horrific being of evil energies appeared. It had no legs, and its body appeared cloak like in appearance. A white plume laid on its head, reminiscent of smoke, while a red jaw like appendage hung at the bottom of what could be called its head.
With gleaming blue eyes, the Pitch-Black Pokémon looked at Maverick with playful eyes.
"Long time no see Pokémon master."
"I wish I could say the same, Darkrai." Maverick replied as he crossed his arms.
In all of Maverick's time on this planet, he had run into Darkrai only once. That one time though, was so deeply embedded in Maverick's mind though, he would never forget it. It happened years ago. Maverick had got his last badge of the Sinnoh league, and was preparing for his eventual battle with the Elite Four. His quest took a side track when he decided to visit Canalave City for some well deserved R & R. Upon arrival, Maverick was surprised to find a sickly looking old man. This old man gave him a member card, saying it was a gift for all of his hard work. Maverick couldn't honestly remember what happened next, but he did remember wild and vivid nightmares, as well as a face off on Newmoon island.
"So... I see those scars of yours have healed." Maverick said, a noticable smirk appearing on his lips, "Oh yeah, Misty did a number on you that day."
The nightmare Pokémon crossed his arms as his blue eyes peered deeply into Maverick's soul.
"Yes well... Dragon's have that effect on me..."
"Well... let me quit beating around the bush, where the hell am I?"
Darkrai's sadistic chuckle returned as those words entered his head.
"Where's Courage Maverick?" he suddenly asked.
Maverick raised an eyebrow, as his eyesight sharpened.
"What are you getting at?" he questioned, his voice sounding venomous.
"I just wanted to know, ya'know?"
"I don't know where she's at... but I know she had better be okay, or else your nightmare giving days are over!"
"Such threatening vigor!"
Suddenly Maverick's strong hands wrapped their way around Darkrai's neck.
"Where the hell is she Darkrai!?" Maverick roared.
The Pitch-Black Pokémon remained adamant as he stared long and hard into Maverick's eyes.
"Oh Maverick, I'm just trying to have a little fun here! It's only once in a new moon I ever leave that cursed island."
"I'm not going to play your shit today Darkrai! Tell me where Courage is!?"
"Sigh... look who's angry today. You know, your only proving those stereotypes black people get."
"What the fuck is wrong with your head!? Tell me where Courage is or so help me God, I will blow your brains out!"
"Really? With your what?"
"With my," reaching toward his Poké belt, Maverick withdrew a banana, "gun?"
"Hah! Can't you see Maverick, you're in my world now."
"So what? I'm dreaming?"
"Maybe... maybe not... It seems I can morph the world to my will, trainer."
"That's bullshit."
"Maybe, but look where you're at... in my world."
"Just tell me where Courage is, and I won't have to crack your head open with my fist."
"Temper, temper, Maverick. Fine, since you're in such a bad mood, here..."
Clapping his ghostly appendages together, the wailing trees moved to the side, creating a walkway for the trainer. Where said walkway lead to, Maverick did not know.
"This had better not be a trick Darkrai!" Maverick said. But as he turned to face said Pokémon, he found out he was gone. So with a sigh and a mumble, he trekked off down the walkway.
...
Cold water rushed down through her blue and black fur. The Aura Pokémon couldn't believe what she was feeling.
"Master Maverick!?" she called out, but there was no answer.
Bringing her head above the water, she was surprised to see she was in a great oasis. Her eyes began to shine a brilliant yellow as she scanned the area with her aura powers, but much to her ire she found that the land returned nothing. No aura whatsoever resonated from the grounds around her. She stood tall above the oasis waters as she came to terms with her predicament.
"Master Maverick?" she called out again, but lower this time.
It was at this moment of time that a pink bar of soap brushed up against her leg. It splashed around in the waters near Courage's leg, as if begging to be lifted. She picked it up slowly as suds and bubbles dripped onto her fur. This caused her to twitch her nose uneasily.
"Jeeze Courage, you got real dirty today..." Maverick's voice echoed into her ear.
The aura Pokémon quickly jerked her head left and right. To her dismay, her master was not in the vicinity. Strangely, she could feel his presence. Using her aura powers, she discovered the bar of soap held the same aura signature as her master.
"Courage!" she could hear him say.
"Master?" she answered.
"I'm here Courage!"
Quickly she straightened up. Gazing off to the treetop canopies of the oasis, she used her powerful steel legs to clear the distance of the water.