Pokemon X & Y: Flight of a Legend

by Cottonmouth25

In response to a challenge, Volan aims to scour Kalos with only the help of Flying Pokemon. But as he heads toward the League, the future looks uncertain. A past war, an ultimate weapon, a girl with a dark past, and something ominous lurking inside of him… Volan must team up with his friends and save Kalos from the greatest threat it has ever faced – himself. "ToaL" sequel. HIATUS.

2. A New Story Begins

Chapter 1 – A New Story Begins

Heck yeah it does! Presenting… "Pokemon X & Y: Flight of a Legend"!

-.-.-.-.-.

Present Day

Almost, but not quite, two years had passed since the Battle of Vertress and the attempt by Team Plasma to rise to power.

An entire ocean's distance away from Unova, the Land of the Free and the Braviary, was the illustrious Kalos region, a unique region where technology and tradition melded perfectly together to create a modern yet historic atmosphere. Was it any wonder this place was one of the most popular tourist destinations on the entire planet? Kalos was a land of kings and queens, upholding an atmosphere of beauty and regality even in the time of the present.

There were other fun facts about Kalos. It was where the first settlers to colonize Unova had originated. It was where Dragon-type Pokemon could be found in greatest diversity and where Fairy-types had first evolved to protect themselves from such frightening and powerful predators. And it was the site of one of the most tragic disasters in the history of mankind, perhaps the only one that could be considered on par with the great extinction events of prehistoric times.

But anyway… enough history.

In the southernmost part of Kalos, there was a town called Vaniville. As the innocent name suggested, it wasn't a very large settlement – one of the smallest in the region, in fact. Surrounded by forest and supporting only a small population, all of that land had to be put to use somehow, and that use was for farming. The people of Kalos had to eat, of course, and most of that food was grown right there in Vaniville. From fruits to vegetables, from Pidgeotto eggs to Tauros steaks, the diversity of food that could be found there was simply incredible. There was scarcely any market in the entirety of Kalos where you couldn't get a Vaniville product.

Those few people that didn't own an actual farm contented themselves, oftentimes, with simple gardens. While many of them supported luscious flowers and delicious produce in their healthy soils, few were more exotic than that of one particular house, which grew plants that could not be found anywhere in Kalos. If a botanist were to visit this house, they would have immediately concluded that the garden belonged to someone of Unovan descent, and had planted such an array to remind them of their home region. Such a smorgasbord of strange and inviting plants would have normally attracted many wild Pokemon hoping to nab some morsels for themselves… unfortunately for them, though, that the house happened to be guarded by a wide variety of equally strange and much less inviting Pokemon.

This house, naturally, was inhabited by none other than the Gurei family. The plants were grown by the mother, Emily Gurei, who spent her time working at the lab in which she was employed and happily tending to her plants. The Pokemon, on the other hand – which came in many shapes and sizes but were all equally as powerful – belonged to the woman's two children.

Volantes and Thrin had revealed themselves to be incredibly talented Trainers a couple of years ago, when they had journeyed across their home region of Unova in order to compete in the local League. While only Volantes (or Volan as he was more commonly known) had made it to the famous Vertress Conference, both siblings had had a chance to prove their full strength when a notorious group of anti-League cultists called Team Plasma threatened to take over Unova. Thrin had fought alongside her friends against the strongest of Team Plasma's administration, whereas Volan had taken the fight straight to the leader and very nearly lost.

While the Battle of Vertress had been costly in terms of property damage and even in lives, it had ended on a victorious note – thanks in no small part to Volan and Thrin, known across Unova as the "Heroes of White and Black" for their pivotal role in the battle and connection to Unova's duo of Legendary dragons. Reshiram had gone into deep slumber and Zekrom had left the region entirely, so the siblings were technically retired from their 'hero' titles.

Unfortunately, though, Team Plasma had left a lot of destruction in their wake, the entirety of which happened to encompass the Gureis' hometown of Lacunosa Town. With nowhere else to go, and with a job opportunity for Emily beckoning, the family packed what little they still had and fled to Kalos.

For two years, the former heroes had adapted to the quiet life in Vaniville Town. With few Pokemon Trainers existing there, and certainly none on their lofty level, they spent their copious amounts of free time helping out with their neighbors' farms and entering Pokemon battling tournaments in the neighboring town whenever the opportunity arose. They pretty much had to, in fact – their Pokemon required a lot of food to fuel that strength, and the money they got from winning battles and working in the fields was much welcome.

Today was a slow day for them, though. At the beginning of summer, there was no schoolwork, no battles, and no harvests. They were free to relax all day.

For a hot day like today, Volan and Thrin opted to stay inside where they could thrive in their air-conditioned environment. Thrin was downstairs, slumped on the couch in front of the TV. Volan, on the other hand, preferred to barricade himself in his room and play video games with his friends overseas.

Volan himself was a healthy height and weight for an eighteen-year-old, just under six feet and a hundred-fifty pounds. His favorite attire was a thin, dark blue hoodie over top of a T-shirt patterned with alternating stripes of grey and green, as well as silvery-grey athletic pants worn mostly because they didn't strangle his legs (jeans were not high on his list of favorite clothing). His semi-long brownish-blond hair was combed neatly back so it didn't obscure his face, which featured sapphire eyes framed by glasses and a mouth quirked upwards in a challenging smile.

Directly beside him as he squatted on his bed was an open laptop, its screen displaying an ongoing online chat between him and his online pals. On the opposite wall was a flat-screen TV and Wii U, currently showcasing an epic battle to the finish on Super Slowbros.

A beep from his laptop notified Volan of a new message. The teenager looked away from Bowstoise's brutal beatdown of Metagross Knight, and his ever-observant eyes flashed across the message's contents.

Stephan: lol get flippin rekt m8

"I told you, I'm better with Groudondorf than I am with Metagross Knight," Volan laughed to himself, letting his best friend from Unova know as much in his next message.

Stephan: excuses

Stephan: ur jelly of my mad skillz

A second name flashed onto the discussion box.

Bianca: It's like I'm not even here

Stephan: u were before I pwned u 5 mins ago

Bianca: Your so competitive stuven

A laugh rang throughout the room as Volan read his other friend's reply. "Oh no she didn't!"

Stephan: get my name right

"She just does it to irritate you," Volan said aloud, somewhat affectionately. Stephan and Bianca's playful bantering never got old. "No-one mispronounces your name by accident anymore, so that gives her the excuse to just screw with you about it."

The two people he was currently playing and chatting with were his good friends and fellow Trainers from Unova, Stephan and Bianca. Stephan had almost won the Unova League before Team Plasma ruined it, and was now working part-time in the Driftveil City Gym. Bianca had also participated in the League, and had been employed by the famous Professor Juniper as an assistant in her lab.

Before things could get too heated between the two, Volan typed out a response to change the subject.

Volan: I never got to ask you how the last day of school went for you guys.

Bianca: Great!~

Stephan: sucked

Volan: How so? Exam wasn't that bad, was it?

Stephan: Arceus damn geography

Bianca: It was fine for me~

Stephan: couldnt remember anythin

Stephan: anything*

Volan: Did you even study?

Stephan: yea, no good tho, everything left my head

Bianca: Poor Stephan :(

Stephan: even the little things like the area of the specific ocean

Laughing again, Volan's fingers swiftly flew across the keyboard as he fired back a witty reply.

Volan: Could you be more Pacific?

A moment later, Stephan sent him a picture. It was one Volan had seen before – a zoomed-in image of a grumpy Bug-type Pokemon's face and the caption "Swadloon is not amused" written underneath.

Stephan: dont even

Bianca: Lol! That was good Volan :P

Suddenly, a sharp knock came at the door, startling Volan into jerking his head away from the laptop screen in alarm. "Yes?" he called out. "Door's unlocked."

It opened, and Thrin stuck her head in. With her eyes and long ponytailed hair the exact same shade as his, it was easy to see that they were related.

"We've got a welcoming committee at the door," she reported to her older brother. "Remember, we're supposed to meet them at the usual spot in Aquacorde Town?"

Only now did Volan remember that. Several years ago, he would've scoffed at anyone that told him he'd be making a bunch of new friends in a foreign region, but he wasn't the same person anymore. He had been polite and accepting of the people that had first reached out to him and Thrin to welcome them to Kalos, and before he knew it, they were spending time together regularly – whether it was studying or just hanging out.

But Aquacorde Town? They only went there for special occasions.

"Be there in a second," Volan said to Thrin. She nodded and left, her footsteps audible as she hurried back downstairs to the main foyer.

Volan: Gotta fly. Something just came up.

Bianca: Awwww no fair

Stephan: catch u latr man

Bianca: Byeeeeeee

Volan: I'll be on again tomorrow if you want to continue our game. Bye.

With that done, the Gurei boy slammed the laptop closed and jumped out of bed, making sure to turn off his television before he left the room entirely. He flew down the stairs in his rush to catch up with Thrin, and in his haste, he ended up almost tripping over one of his Pokemon that lay at the bottom of the stairs.

The Unfezant, his beloved Starter and closest companion Bernice, stretched out her wings with a yawn and woke up from her nap, glaring at him for his stupidity.

"Yes, I should've been more careful," sighed Volan, deferring to her. "But we're heading off to Aquacorde Town now, if you want to tag along."

"Unfez, fezant Unfeeeezant!" Bernice squawked, unimpressed. At least, that was how it would've sounded to anyone else, but not Volan. Instead of an unintelligible series of squawks, he heard a perfectly audible voice snap, "That's the emergency? I'd hate to think of how you'd wake me up if an angry Groudon was banging on the door."

Rolling his eyes, Volan shot back, "I'm pretty sure that'd wake you up just fine."

Oh yes, that was another thing. Volan could, indeed, talk to Pokemon. It was an ability accidentally granted to him by Reshiram, who had given up a portion of her life energy to heal his injuries after the Battle of Vertress. It had resulted in a loss of power significant enough to revert her to a lesser form, as well as give Volan a brand-new perspective of the world of Pokemon. The catch was that he could only understand Pokemon that he had formed enough of a bond with – at this point, this category included both his and Thrin's entire teams.

In particular, there was Bernice the Unfezant. She had been attached at the hip with Volan since practically the day he was born, and even before he could interpret her every word, they had developed an understanding that allowed them to operate in sync. They connected on a level that most Trainers could only dream of reaching with their own Pokemon. Bernice was there for Volan in his darkest hours, and Volan was there for her in hers. Whenever they had lost a challenging battle and Bernice felt as though she had let him down, Volan would tell her that she was not to blame and that they would train harder to make up for it. During moments when Volan had lost all hope of moving forward, or when fighting a battle that they could not afford to lose, Bernice would come through for him.

Volan owed his success as a Trainer largely to Bernice. Back when he was too young to be an official Trainer, and when she was but a humble Pidove, they'd engage in unofficial battles with their peers to test out what they knew and practice their tactics for the day they'd be old enough to compete in the Unova region's Pokemon League. Eventually, their teamwork was nigh unbeatable. It was only a particularly devastating loss that managed to break the confidence the pair had built up over the years. Even to this day, neither of them could look back on that loss without feeling a stab of pain – Bernice had been forcefully knocked out and severely injured, something that was fine in official battles but strictly forbidden amongst non-Trainers – and Volan had been ridiculed by the assailant as well as, to a lesser extent, the spectators.

Ultimately, despite what it did to their self-esteem at the time – and in the longer term, Volan's ability to trust others, which had only recently begun to flourish again – the terrible ordeal only served to bring the two closer together. It was like a symbol of their devotion to one another.

"I guess I'll come," Bernice decided now, stretching out her wings with a slight yawn. "There's nothing better to do, anyway."

Thrin suddenly appeared again, in full view this time as she came running up to the staircase from the neighboring hall. Similar to Volan, she wore a hoodie and T-shirt, only they were colored pink and blue respectively. Instead of pants, she had a comfortable pair of khaki shorts on, and unlike her brother she did not wear glasses.

"Oh good, you're here!" she exclaimed. "Trevor's here to pick us up."

The boy to which she was referring poked his head around the corner, obviously nervous with his position as the guest in a foreign home. His short, scrawny frame, timid expression, and the orange bowl of hair that framed his face always reminded Volan of a Ralts.

"H-Hello Volan," Trevor greeted in his native language, Kalosian. "A-Are you coming with me to Aquacorde?"

"Yes, just give me a second," Volan confirmed, changing his speech to Kalosian as well and thanking Arceus that he was bilingual. "Bernice is coming with us too. What about you, Thrin? Are you bringing anyone?"

She shook her head. "No, I already asked them," she replied. "And Oliver's out on an errand for Mom, remember?"

They headed out to Aquacorde Town only a minute or so later. It was only a thirty-minute walk due north through the large gates on the only edge of town that wasn't bordered by forest, down a paved road that wound through a grove of trees and bushes that was more like a community garden than anything. The likely reason for the two neighboring towns to have been built closely together was for the farmers' convenience – they could easily drive their goods into town and drop them off at the markets without much work. From Aquacorde, the majority of the produce would then be shipped to the various settlements across Kalos, and even beyond.

When Volan, Thrin, Trevor, and Bernice got there, they found that Aquacorde was as lively as ever. While significantly larger and more populous than Vaniville Town, it was still a modest little settlement. In many ways, it reminded Volan of Lacunosa Town. It was a town where you could walk or jog almost anywhere within two hours, and without having to worry about heavy traffic or crowds of people. Aquacorde was big enough to support itself, yet small enough to feel welcoming. There were no skyscrapers or public transport – just nice paved sidewalks and brick houses.

The journey ended outside a large café, one that Volan and his companions were very familiar with. The tables outside were situated right next to a short brick wall that allowed guests to eat and socialize with a perfect view of the town square below them. The table closest to the edge was already occupied by a collection of familiar faces. The Gurei siblings were friends with all of these people, who attended the same school as they did and had made the Unovans feel welcome in their new environment. It had actually been Trevor that befriended them first, then gradually introduced them to his other friends. Now, they were a tight-knit group that did almost everything together.

"Hey, it's Trevs!" cried the largest of the gang, Tierno. He reminded Volan of Stephan, with his enthusiasm and his… ah, body type. The difference was that Tierno wasn't as easily fired up as Stephan was, and he was surprisingly nimble and light on his feet, with a great feel for rhythm.

"S-Sorry I couldn't make it here earlier," Trevor apologized, slipping into his seat next to Tierno. The two were best pals, that much was obvious. It was an ironic duo – the tiny, timid Trevor and the big, bombastic Tierno.

"Don't worry about it, Trevor," smiled Calem. He was calm and collected, which seemed to balance out Trevor's nervousness and Tierno's spontaneity. Volan had not been surprised to learn that Calem was quite popular in school, with such a likeable personality combined with his good looks.

"You brought Volan and Thrin, too!" Tierno enthused, waving to them.

"It's nice to hang out with you guys again now that school's all done," sighed Thrin, helping herself to a chair on the large boy's other side.

"What's this all about?" Volan asked, looking from one person to the next questioningly. He sat down directly across from Thrin.

Said girl pulled her chair up a little closer with an audible scrape of steel. "Yeah, what'd you call us here for?" she essentially repeated her brother's question. "All you mentioned was that it was something big."

"Oh, you'll see," Calem chuckled, greatly enjoying the suspense.

The only one of the group that had not yet spoken was Serena, who Volan vaguely remembered being related to some famous athlete (but he had never been big on sports). She was sweet and optimistic, like Bianca back home in Unova, only not to a degree that bordered on overwhelming. Brushing her long blonde hair out of the way of her eyes and adjusting the pink hat that was perched there on her head, she leaned forward with a concerned frown on her face.

"Still no sign of Shauna?" she asked to the group, who all responded with shakes of the head.

"I'm c-certain she'll show up," offered Trevor, raising a shaky hand. "Y-You know Shauna… always running a little bit late."

All of them agreed unanimously, well aware of the absentee's characteristic antics. She loved fooling around and used Pokemon names as puns, so she wasn't exactly the brightest bulb on the Lanturn.

However, seconds turned into minutes, and after ten of them had passed, it became apparent that something was really holding Shauna up. Trevor fidgeted in his seat, but there was otherwise no movement as they continued to wait.

Eventually, though, someone had to speak up.

"Alright, so will you tell us about why we're here?" questioned Thrin. "I don't think Shauna is coming anytime soon, and the suspense is killing me."

From Volan's left side, he heard Bernice open her beak with an almost excessively loud yawn.

Calem glanced at each of them in turn and saw how intently they were staring at him, and sighed in defeat. "I wanted to wait until my little sis got here, but she either got lost or never got the memo in the first place," he muttered. "If Shauna's still coming, I suppose she'll simply have to be content with arriving late…"

He turned around in his seat, exposing the back of his dark blue jacket as he dug around in his book bag, which was hanging off the back of the chair. Shortly after, he was pulling out a cylindrical container that had a perfectly clear lid and some kind of switch on the side. With an incredibly smug smile, Calem placed the container on the table for everyone to see. The contents were visible with crystal clarity – a total of six red-and-white spheres lined up in a neat row.

At the sight of the capsules, Volan and Thrin slowly grinned with anticipation.

Trevor let out a sharp breath and sat up a little straighter. He gave Calem a wide-eyed, wary look and asked, "A-Are you serious?"

"You're not kidding?" said Tierno, bouncing up and down in his seat. When he got excited, he just had to start moving. "Calem, are these actually Pokemon from Professor Sycamore's lab?"

"Not kidding," the black-haired boy confirmed, grinning at the reactions he was getting. "This is going to be Shauna's and Trevor's first summer as legal Pokemon Trainers. Tierno, Serena, and I agreed to wait to apply for our Starters until they turned fifteen – you all know this – and, well, here we are. My parents ordered them from Professor Sycamore and gave them to me this morning, so now we all get to choose."

In Unova, Volan knew, the minimum legal age for acquiring a Trainer's license was fifteen. Indeed, he had waited a whole year to go on his journey so that he and Thrin could travel together. It appeared that the same rule applied here in Kalos.

"Oh, wow!" Serena marveled. "So this is it, then!"

How come we didn't hear anything about this? Volan wondered, casting an inquisitive look at Thrin and Bernice. They shrugged in reply. Mom works for Sycamore, I wonder why he never told her…

Reaching into his bag again, Calem pulled out something else – a letter. "This came with the Poke Balls," he told the group.

It was Trevor who took the envelope, opened it, and unfolded the paper inside. The letter had been written in neat, elegant handwriting, most likely the professor's own. In nervous, halting tones, the orange-headed boy began to read its contents aloud for everyone to hear…

"Dear Soon-to-be Trainers,

Bonjour! As you may know, I am Professor Sycamore, the Kalos region's leading authority on Pokemon. It has come to my attention that young Trevor and Shauna have turned fifteen earlier this year, and so are eligible to become Pokemon Trainers. Awaiting you in the container I sent with Calem are six Pokemon – Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Each of you will have the opportunity to choose one of these marvelous creatures as your first partner. Also, I have provided you with state-of-the-art Pokedexes, the latest model from Lysandre Labs. They will prove incredibly useful to you on your journeys.

I only ask for you to do me a small favor in return. My specialty in Pokemon research is the study of evolution – how Pokemon change form to the next stage of their life when the correct conditions are met. After two years of endless study, and thanks in no small part to several trusted volunteers, I am on the verge of a breakthrough. However, I still need a little bit more assistance before I can finalize my results. Come to my lab in Lumiose City and I will tell you more.

Good luck, Trainers, and please pass on my regards to the Gureis!

Professor Sycamore"

When Trevor finished reading, there was an awed silence left behind as the others digested the information.

"Trust me, guys, there is nothing better than getting your first Pokemon!" Thrin told them, grinning. "I still remember when I got Oliver. It was the best day of my life!"

"Then what're we waiting for?!" Tierno demanded, although with ecstasy rather than ill intentions. "I'm jumpin' out of my seat! Can't we pick already?"

Nodding, Calem pressed a button on the side of the container, causing its transparent lid to slide away with a quiet yet noticeable whirr. The six Poke Balls were exposed, waiting for their contents to be released.

"Ladies first," Calem said smoothly, flashing Serena a knowing smile.

Being put on the spot like that made her blush a little. "O-Okay!" she stammered, and reached out with a trembling hand for one of Poke Balls.

It took her a while to decide. Her hand hovered over the container as she moved it back and forth to wherever her mind fancied. Each Poke Ball had a small label in front of it, indicating which Pokemon were held inside, but if anything, that small detail was making it even harder for Serena to choose.

"Any day now," said Volan. He folded his arms behind his head as he waited.

Serena was about to fire back a snappy retort when Bernice suddenly exploded into motion. She flapped her wings and trilled loudly, startling everyone present. Continuing to call urgently, she raced around Volan's seat and pointed down a nearby street with her wing.

"Look who's coming!" the Unfezant cried. Of course only Volan could hear the words as they were, but everyone else could get the gist of it, too. "It's your friend! And it looks like something bad has happened!"

Indeed, a blur of pink and brown came barreling into the table, stopping just shy of plowing straight through Trevor's chair. Shauna slammed her hands down on the table and panted heavily to catch her breath, horrified eyes trained straight on Calem.

"Shauna, what's wrong?!" he asked frantically, getting out of his seat. "Come on, tell me. What happened?"

"I-It's an onixpected travesty!" Shauna replied, close to panicking. "Someone's taken three kids into the woods! And they said they're seaking out the monster that lives there!"

-.-.-.-.-.

I get one chance to kick off a supposedly awesome story, and I botch it with video game references, Internet memes, and yes, Shauna speaks in Pokemon puns. Feel free to get the torches and pitchforks.

On the plus side, we meet the XY gang, and Volan and Thrin are back, and Starter Pokemon, so yay!

This story will be like "Tale of a Legend" in that it's mostly based on the games, but also incorporates anime stuff into it. However, I'll be taking a lot more inspiration from the anime than I did for "Tale of a Legend", because the XY series is just that good. This isn't going to be a retelling of Ash's adventure as told from the perspective of Volan and Thrin – but I will say that Ash and his friends are going to play a much greater role in this story, whereas they were just minor supporting characters before.

Bernice: "I know how much you guys liked the previous story, so give us some reviews for this one."

Next chapter: A Foe From the Past