A/N: Hey guys! So, this is technically the first chapter of this story, so I hope you guys enjoy. I'm excited to get this started, but first, I need to talk about the upload scheduling. As of now, uploads will be every other week either on Friday or Saturday. Since I'm on Summer break, I have a lot of extra time on my hands. But once school starts, I don't know. Hopefully I can keep up with this and my other Fanfiction, but let's not worry about that for now.

Reviews

Subject 666- Thanks and thank you for the offer, but I think I'll be fine for now.

WingsOfTheYatagarusa- I think my version of rangers might be slightly different than the original ones, but overall, they're pretty much the same. I have a lot planned for all of the characters, but yes there will be a lot discussing the sibling relationship between Cheveyo and Catori. I'm nervous to finally be starting this, but also very excited. I hope you stick around for the whole thing.

Thanks to WingsOfTheYatagarusa for following and adding this story as a favorite, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed.

Without further ado, let's get started

…

"Ninetails, Flamethrower now!"

The rays from the sun high above the sky casted a sheen a light downwards, catching the fox pokemon in the eye and causing its red eyes to glisten as a burst of hot flame shot from its snout. The flame only traveled a short distance before meeting its mark, a weakened Lucario, who had been subdued to their knees. The Lucario let out a growl of pain, landing on its back from the impact of the blow and staying there, indicating that the match was over.

"Lucario has fainted. Ninetails wins!"

The cream-colored fox raised its head almost cockily, a taunting look crossing its features as the trainer of the Lucario returned his fainted Pokemon into its Pokeball.

"That was a close one."

The trainer of the Ninetails walked up to their Pokemon from behind. The girl sent a smile down to the fox, petting its head with a sigh of relief.

"I almost won Catori, you just got lucky!"

Catori looked up from the gaze of her Pokemon to her friend. Her smile only grew, taking on a similar, taunting look that the fox had.

"Almost, but not quite Hinto."

Hinto chuckled, scratching the back of his neck and extending his other hand out to Catori. Hinto was a lot of things, but a sore loser wasn't one of them. He knew how to accept a lost. The two friends shook each the other's hands, walking over to the small audience that had formed to watch their battle. At the front of the small crowd were their friends; Elsu, Cairo, and Jacy in that order. The youngest of the three ran up, bouncing excitedly and causing the Swellow on her shoulder to fly up into the air with an annoyed screech.

"That was amazing you guys!"

Hinto and Catori chuckled, the boy looking down to the ground almost shyly and the girl reaching down to the Ninetails at her side. Cairo stood beside Elsu and gave the two trainers a wide smile. "When is it my turn to beat you, Catori?"

"You mean when is it your turn to lose."

The group laughed and began walking back to the village. Whenever trainers from their village wanted to have a Pokemon battle, they would go to a place outside so they would not destroy anything. Catori walked at the back of her group of friends. Elsu, Cairo, and Hinto walked at the front, talking amicably and laughing in joy. Jacy, noticing her friend falling behind, slowed down beside her.

"What's wrong?"

"What makes you say that there is something wrong with me?"

"Catori, I've known you my whole life, I know when there is something on your mind."

Catori sighed and looked at the trees that surrounded them as they walked. Her gaze was almost distant and her Ninetails kept her from walking into the tree or tripping. Silently, Jacy tried to meet her gaze, but couldn't because she was turned away from her. She knew Catori would tell her when she was ready. It was only a matter of time befor-

"Cheveyo is suppose to come today," Catori spoke up and looked towards her friend. Jacy nodded in understanding, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, offering her silent support. She remembered how their last meeting went and how it ended with an argument and Cheveyo storming off. Catori had told everyone else that he had to leave for an emergency mission with the other rangers, but had told Jacy he left because of their argument.

"Everything will turn out okay."

Catori nodded and put on a smile when they entered the village. A couple of villagers greeted the friends as they walked by, a few playfully challenging Catori along the way. The friends were heading to the spot where they always hung out: in front of the Professor's Office. They picked up some sandwiches along the way and sat at a table outside. Already, other trainers from the village were there, all of them talking excitedly about their Pokemon and a few challenging each other to a battle. Those trainers began heading to the outskirts. Catori and the others watched as the trainers talked, all of them eating silently.

Elsu was playing with her Swellow, the bird diving down and playfully trying to steal her sandwich from her. Cairo took off a Pokeball from his belt, smiling to himself before calling out his Pyroar.

"I think it's best for them to stretch their legs," he chuckled, letting out an oomph when his lion practically tackled him onto his back and knocked the wind out of him. The small group laughed slightly, Catori offering a piece of her sandwich to her Ninetails. Around them, two trainer's Rhyhorn's were butting heads, trying to knock the other down. The Professor's Office was a place where all the trainers of the village, and traveling trainers, stopped by to visit. There, they would exchange information, battle each other, and teach each other. Those with flying types watched as their Pokemon soared high into the sky, diving down and playing with the others. Elsu's Swellow joined some of them, and not long after, the girl let out her Pidgeot to play with them as well.

Catori leaned her back against the table, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as a refreshing breeze blew by. Momentarily, she could forget about all her worries, especially the ones surrounding her brother. She had only told Jacy that Cheveyo and her had an argument, but not what they argued about. That was something she kept to herself. She could still remember every word he said, how his face looked when he yelled them at her, and how he stormed off not long after it.

For so long, Catori was stuck here in the village with her fear of the unknown. All Cheveyo ever told her of his adventures was the dangerous parts, the parts in which he was close to death. Could she do it one day? Leave the village which had been her home her entire life? That is what they had argued about that day. Recently, the thought of leaving her home seemed more promising than scary to the girl. She would dream about the great adventures she could have and wake up everyday with the energy to do it. But that day, when she told Cheveyo that she wanted to leave, he blew up. He had basically treated her like a child, mocking her and scolding her as they fought. Before either of them could say anything that would hurt their relationship even more, her brother ran off and didn't return.

She only heard about him two days after their argument through a letter, saying that he went back to Hamia Island- home of the rangers- and wouldn't return until further notice. Three days ago, Catori received a letter which said he would visit in the days to come. It had been four months since his last visit.

A screech from above brought her out of her thoughts. Catori opened her eyes and looked skyward, the rest of the trainers in the small clearing copying her movements. The flying type Pokemon halted in their play, flying in place. In the distance a figure approached, no doubt another flying type. Sure enough, the activity in the clearing continued when they saw it was simply a Staraptor. The bird flew higher, doing a loop before diving down to the people below. No, not people, a person.

Walking off to the side of all the people was one person. A boy. He was wearing the signature white coat of someone who worked in the building with the Professor. A scientist maybe? The Staraptor let out another screech, letting the person know where it was. The bird dove at a frightening speed before it stretched its wings, catching the wind and slowing down to flutter onto the person's outstretched arm. They were too far off to see the interaction between the Pokemon and the boy, but Catori could see him reaching up to ruffle the feathers of the Pokemon. It must be his.

"He's new around here," Hinto spoke up, making her jump in surprise. Hinto would always do that, surprising her when he suddenly spoke. She wasn't the only one, Elsu slapped his arm playfully with a laugh because he scared her. Cairo chuckled, but nodded along to Hinto's words.

"I've never seen him before, and I know everybody."

"We should talk to him," Elsu said politely, all of them watching as the Staraptor hopped onto the boy's shoulders before he continued walking, putting one of his hands in the pocket of his jacket and heading towards the doors of the building. Just before he entered, he stopped and looked in their direction by looking over his shoulder. Everyone looked away, but Catori tilted her head, holding his gaze. There was something… strange about him. From where he stood, he was close enough for her to see a folded piece of paper in his hand and the blue in his eyes. He moved his gaze from her to the Pokemon on his shoulder, meeting the flying type's gaze. With a screech, the Staraptor shot from his shoulder and flew up towards the top of the building.

"Hey! Are you Catori?"

Catori turned her gaze to the side to see a couple of people standing in front of her. The one who spoke was a tall boy, his arms crossed against his chest and a questioning look in his brown eyes.

"Yes?"

"Word has it that you're the best trainer in the village, I'm looking to claim that title for myself."

"It's been a long day-"

"What? Are you scared you're gonna lose? Or are you scared you're gonna get exposed?"

"Exposed of what?"

"Cheating."

Catori closed her eyes, shaking her head as the people behind the boy agreed with him, some of them yelling. This didn't happen often, but most people claimed that Catori only won because she would cheat or her friends would let her win. This didn't have to happen if they kept quiet. Oftentimes, Cairo and Hinto would boast for her, letting people of the village know that she was the best of the best. They would say that she won mostly out of luck though. Jacy was the only one who knew how hard she trained with her Pokemon.

"If you want to have a Pokemon battle, can't it wait until tomorrow?"

This caused the trainers behind the boy to erupt in yelling, Catori's Ninetails growling at them in warning. The girl placed a hand on her Ninetails shoulder, silently telling the Pokemon to calm down. Cairo and Hinto were defending Catori, yelling nonsense back at the group of people. Elsu had ran inside a while ago to get the Professor. Jacy sat by Catori, sighing along with her friend.

The yelling only stopped when a screech sounded, startling everyone as the producer of the sound flew by. The Staraptor. The Pokemon flew in place in front of her, letting out another screech and causing the boy to back up slightly.

"Can't you be civil just for once Zack?"

The boy looked in the direction of the building and quickly lowered his head with who he saw.

"My apologies Professor Hawthorn."

"I shouldn't be the one you should be apologizing to."

The Staraptor flew off to the side, passing the Professor and landing on the shoulders of the boy from earlier. He stood beside the Professor, one of his hands in his pocket and the other giving the Staraptor a snack.

"Apologize Zack."

"I'm sorry."

"Good, now leave."

Professor Hawthorn shook his head as Zack and the others began to disperse and leave.

"Well, now, are you alright Catori?"

"I'm fine Professor, thank you."

"Don't mind Zack, he's just worried like the rest of us and only knows how to take it out this way. I'm sure you've heard of the sudden events happening, yes?"

Catori and the others nodded. Recently, the wild Pokemon had become more and more dangerous and riled up, attacking trainers and travelers alike. The lake behind the village- Lake of Exousia- was closed off because of the devastatingly strong Pokemon that live there. The village decided it would be best for people not to go there.

"I want to study the Lake of Exousia, see if it would give us any clues on what exactly is going on."

"Wait, wait… you want to go to the lake?" Cairo looked in surprise, his eyes widening slightly and his hand going to his Pyroar's mane, almost as if seeking comfort.

"Correction," the boy beside the Professor finally spoke up, his voice quiet but firm, "he was going to ask for your help."

"I was getting there."

The two shared a smile, the boy's only staying temporarily. Cairo and Hinto had their mouths open, Elsu was too busy trying to make the boy's Staraptor play, and Jacy and Catori simply looked at each other.

"But yes, he is correct. I want you to head out into the lake and try to get a water sample. Hanzo here will be the one to escort you safely," Professor Hawthorn turned to the boy, nodding and extending his hand out to him. Hanzo reached into his other pocket, pulling out a clear, empty bottle. "This is where I need the sample."

"Professor, you realize that it is extremely dangerous out there."

"I'm confident that you are all capable of doing this," he spoke, looking at each of them in turn, "Catori? Am I right to be confident?"

Catori looked down at her Ninetails, following its gaze to where Hanzo stood. The boy was looking at his Staraptor, but he turned his head soon after, as if he could feel their gazes on him. The Ninetails let out a soft growl, turning away from him and laying down, resting her head on Catori's lap. She ran her hand through the fur of the Pokemon before looking back up at the Professor.

"Yes, we can do this."

The Professor nodded, but Jacy stood up from her place beside her.

"Catori, a word," her friend said, motioning for her to follow as she walked off to the side. Catori sighed as she gently moved from her spot, trying not to disturb her Ninetails but failing when the Pokemon stood up to follow her.

"I know you're only agreeing this because you want to avoid your brother."

"He has nothing to do with this-"

"Then why all of a sudden do you want to go to the lake? Especially on the day when he is supposed to come?"

Catori scoffed as she shook her head. "That's purely coincidental. I've always wanted to go to the lake, even before all of this began happening. I just… want to see it, at least once."

"You can see it when it isn't filled with potentially dangerous Pokemon."

"I can't. What if it's destroyed by then?" Jacy opened her mouth to respond, but Catori cut her off. "You don't have to come along, I'll go by myself if I have to."

"Relax. You're even crazier if you think I'm letting you go by yourself," Jacy hooked her arm with Catori's, "we're in this together. I go where you go." This coaxed a small smile from Catori as they made their way back to the Professor and the others.

"Are you guys ready?" Professor Hawthorn asked as he inspected the bottle once more before handing it back to Hanzo. As Hanzo went to take it, he pulled it back and looked the boy in the eye. "You take good care of them, okay? I don't want them to be put into trouble."

"I will be vigilant. Do not worry Professor. I'll take care of them."

"Good," he nodded as he handed Hanzo the bottle, turning back to Catori and the others. "Please be safe and return here as quickly as possible. Do not try to fight any of the wild Pokemon. If it comes down to choosing between running or fighting, please run back."

"Time for another adventure," Cairo smiled his usual wide smile, giving off the impression that he was more excited than nervous. He almost pulled it off.

Almost.

…

"We've entered the forest before the lake," Hanzo spoke up so quietly, Catori wouldn't have been able to hear him if she wasn't walking close behind him. Nobody spoke throughout the small journey, all of them on high alert. Elsu had the idea of sending her Swellow ahead, as well as having her Talonflame on her shoulder. Catori believed she simply did this to make herself feel safer. I know the feeling. More than once, she reached out to touch the head of her Ninetails. Each time, the Pokemon reassured her by giving her hands a gentle lick. Jacy and Hinto also took out their Pokemon; Jacy's Weavile riding on her shoulders and Hinto's Alolan Sandslash in his arms. Cairo decided to return his Pokemon, figuring that there was already too many of them and they would only bring more attention to themselves the bigger the group.

Hanzo's Staraptor was still on his shoulder, but as soon as they entered the forest, it flew off into the sky. Catori could see it flying overhead. The travelers walked on a clear path that had been made years ago when the lake was safe to travel to. On both sides of them, trees traveled on for miles in all directions. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there would be a lake. Catori had never seen the lake with her eyes, but the villagers that have seen it claims that it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

Catori was brought out of her thoughts when Hanzo suddenly stopped in front of her. She bumped into him slightly, mumbling an apology soon after. Hanzo held his hand out, indicating for them to stop walking. Catori stood beside him, glancing sideways at him. He had his eyes closed, his head tilting back slightly. Far up above, his Staraptor let out a screeched.

"We're not too far now, stay alert."

And with that, he continued walking. His posture was almost relaxed, but Catori could see the tension in his shoulders. He mumbled incoherently underneath his breath, glancing occasionally to the sides and into the trees. Her Ninetails below her had its head lifted, mouth slightly parted to taste the air. If anything, their Pokemon would be the first to alert them.

"We've arrived."

Hanzo said that as he parted through a small barrier of low-hanging branches, pushing them aside gently as he made his way through. Once he was on the other side, he held the branches aside so they could pass through. Catori walked through, a smile spreading across her face when she saw the shimmering water of the lake. She stepped aside so those behind her could join them, her eyes never leaving the water. It reflected the sun's rays perfectly, casting an array of color onto the green leaves and grey rocks in the area. She could already imagine how it would be when the moon was up. Hanzo noticed her awed expression and let out a small chuckle.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Catori could only let out a breathless laugh. Despite the thought of wild Pokemon appearing and attacking her, the beauty of the lake put her at ease momentarily. As soon as the others were in the clearing, Hanzo pulled the small bottle from his pocket and sighed. He looked up towards his Staraptor, who was circling the lake.

"Let's go, stay alert."

Hanzo walked slowly, almost hesitantly, towards the lake. On the other side of the lake was the mountainside that opened into a cave. Boulders were placed randomly around the lake shore, some of them making a small cave-like structure. The group stood by the shore, Hanzo crouching down and beginning to scoop some water into the bottle. The others looked around, half expecting something to come out and attack them. As soon as the boy finished getting the water sample, he froze while putting the cap on.

"Get back!" Hanzo yelled at the same time his Staraptor let out a screech from above. Before any of them had time to react, a figure erupted from the center of the lake, spraying water in every direction.

"Gyrados!" Cairo yelled as he began running back towards the forest. Catori helped Hanzo up, who had fallen while trying to get up and back up at the same time. The others ran forward without them, but were stopped short when the sound of another Pokemon came from the forest. Catori could barely see the Pokemon from the lake emerge from the shadows of the forest. All the Pokemon were terrifyingly strong: she could spot a couple of Lucario's charging up individual Aura Sphere's in their palms, flying through the air was a Hydreigon that targeted Hinto's Sandslash.

Catori could see Cairo sending out his Pokemon to fight against an Aggron and Slaking that emerged as well. Jacy sent out her Kommo-o at the same time a Garchomp charged through the trees. Hanzo crouched down beside her, looking behind himself with wide eyes to see the Gyrados beginning to charge a Hyper Beam. With a quick glance at Catori and a single nod, he stood up and called to his Staraptor. The flying type dove at the Gyarados, annoying it more than anything as Hanzo brought out another Pokemon: an Alolan Raichu.

Figuring that he could handle the Gyardos on his own, Catori turned to face a pair of Haxorus' that appeared from behind the boulders. They stood at the top, letting out a bone-chilling cry before joining the battle field. Her Ninetails let out a warning growl, standing in between the two dragons and its trainer. Catori reached to the side of her belt, sending out her Manectric to aid in the battle. The electric type let out a snarl once it appeared, crackles of lightning surrounding it in a factor of intimidation. This didn't faze the two dragons as they ran forward, their claws glowing.

"Ninetails, Dark Pulse! Manectric, Discharge!"

The two snarled as they performed their attacks, both of them connecting to a Haxorus and stopping both of them mid-attack. The battle around raged on, with more and more wild Pokemon appearing. She could even hear Cairo calling out to each of his Pokemon, meaning that he must have sent out all of them. The wild Pokemon that ran away or fainted were quickly replaced with another.

"Watch out!"

Catori only heard this before she was suddenly pulled down. Somehow, she had made her way closer to the cave made out of the boulders. She heard the sound of something hitting the top of the rocks, most likely a Hyper Beam from another Gyrados that appeared or an Aura Sphere from one of the Lucario's. She glanced beside her to meet Hanzo's gaze. He was panting slightly, a wild and terrified look appearing in his eyes. He was the one who had pulled her down, and now he crouched over her as she leaned on her elbows against the ground. Hanzo turned his head to look back out at the battle.

Catori could only catch a glimpse of a Lucario hurling an Aura Sphere in their direction before Hanzo blocked her with his body. Catori closed her eyes, waiting for him to cry out in pain or for the Aura Sphere to somehow hit both of them. Jacy was right, we shouldn't have come!

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

That voice…

Catori opened her eyes, looking over Hanzo's shoulder and letting out a gasp at what she saw.

"Cheveyo…"

Her brother hopped off of his Charizard, his expression furious as he ordered his Charizard to attack the Lucario before sending out both his Blaziken and Darmanitan. The two fire types nodded to each other, almost excitedly, as Cheveyo ordered them to help out the others. The Lucario fainted not long after, succumbing to the fire. Hanzo quickly stood up, helping Catori up.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Catori nodded, still stunned that Cheveyo was able to make it there on time. He was definitely going to be the reason they would be able to get out. I'm almost willing to forgive him for last time.

Almost.

…

A/N: Whoo the first chapter is finally done. I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know how the first chapter is in a review, or follow/favorite this story.

Thank you and peace out!

~Alpha'sAmbition123