Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or any of its official characters. Virgil Mathison, Mira, and Marus are my characters.

A/N: I could use a good female character or two as she will be pivotal in the plot.

It felt like he had been burning alive. Instead, he had just fallen out of bed. Virgil stood up, his scratching through his greasy hair. His breathing was rigid, almost like he had really been fighting but the feeling was the same as any time had been. He would sleep soundly a couple nights only to wake up in cold sweat, his heart beating out of his chest and the same recurring question.

"Who is he…? Why does he keep appearing to me?" A shudder went up his spine. He was able to picture the dead girl and his Rattata almost as if he were "Marus".

Marus… The name always stuck when he awoke. Virgil had always liked the name and had even considering changing to it. Anything was better than his name. He observed himself in the mirror; a shirtless and average bodied 19-year old stared back at him, his gaze was seemingly tepid. He gave a mocking snort. He would be lying to himself if the expression were real. There was a rap on his bedroom door.

"Virgil! Get up! You have a visitor!" Virgil sighed. He had only wanted to stop by since he had entered the Indigo League. He had figured that he would be able to take a slight break after fighting his way into the top 16, but it seemed as though his mother would never let him take a break. He swung the door open and nearly stepped into her.

"A visitor?" She gave a bubbly nod. That was just like her. She had grown slightly haughty at the small reputation he had built. "We're all the way in Cherrygrove, Johto. Why would anyone want to come find me?"

"I don't know but he says he knows you." Her voice dropped to a hush. "Maybe it's someone you beat and he wants to rematch." Virgil slammed the door in her face.

"You'll have to be more modest mom."

"Oh, come now! Can't a mother have some pride in her son?" Virgil gave another sardonic snicker. Pride would be an understatement. He sighed, realizing that he had been rude. He looked around for a shirt, settling for a plain T-shirt before stepping out into the main room.

A young man not too much older than him stood there in the door way, seemingly awkward for having had shown up so randomly. Virgil raised a brow. Was this what his mother's hysteria all about? Virgil scratched his head, more so out of awkwardness than actual tiredness.

"So, who're you?" The boy's awkward air disintegrated and he made his way to a chair and gave a grin after sitting down.

"I think you should know." Virgil felt a slight trickle of annoyance at that but he was careful to hide it. There was a slight edge in the boy's voice that suggested he have been bragging. Virgil stared at him blankly, hoping he'd get the hint, instead, the boy sat there staring back.

"Does he really expect me to know who he is?" A few moments had passed and the boys grin fell flat.

"You mean you don't know?" Virgil shrugged and gave nervous smile.

"I guess not."

"Oh, come on! There has to be at least something! Weren't you one of the trainers who were in the Indigo conference last year?" Virgil felt his breath hitch.

"I am."

"Then how do you not know about me?"

"I'm sorry, but were you there?" The boy sighed, face to his palm.

"Never mind, but aside from that, I'm here to ask you something in particular. I am here to ask if you'd be a training partner of mine." The proposition had caught Virgil off guard, who nearly fell out of his chair.

"Training partner? Isn't that what wild Pokémon are for?" His guest seemed unfazed at the suggestion.

"Wild Pokemon aren't strong enough for the goal I have in mind. I figured it'd be best to find a trainer who finished in the top 16 in last year's conference." The boy was making him uncomfortable and Virgil's eyes darted to his room. He had left his team on his dresser. "So, what do you say?" Virgil's eyes flicked back to the guest.

"Why couldn't you have found someone else? Unless you haven't noticed, I'm kind of taking a breather." The words had come out more harshly than he had meant them and the trainer's expression shifted a bit in offense.

"I had only come to ask because I saw the way you fought back then and I figured that maybe you could help me sharpen my skills for this year's conference league. Virgil gave a deliberate and mocking yawn.

"I still don't see why you couldn't find someone else." His mother gave him a sharp nudge. Until then, he had forgotten she was even there with them.

"Now is not the time for your immature games," she hissed."

"Why? Do you know him?" Virgil retorted.

"Yes, and it's a wonder how you don't!" They both looked to the trainer whose expression was receding back into awkwardness.

"What do you care? He's somebody I've never fought before! And I'm surprised that you didn't try to push me to fight him!" The two went about in that manner before the trainer cleared his throat.

"If you will excuse me, but I really need an answer." Virgil turned his attention back to him.

"Sorry, but I'm on break." Virgil stood then and went back toward his room. "Besides, some creep that randomly shows up at my house isn't necessarily someone I want to associate with." Virgil's hand had only begun to turn the nob when the trainer spoke his name.

"I had expected Virgil Mathison to actually be a trainer of repute, not some lazy low-life." Virgil froze in place. The trainer continued on. "You battled your way into the top 16, but you can't even hear out a fellow trainer?"

"Other trainers… aren't my concern. I'm just here to be the best." The words were said through strain. The accusation cut deep. He threw it aside in his mind as he turned the doorknob and slammed the door shut behind him.

Virgil sighed. It had been another trainer but it was better than the incessant waves of aspiring trainers that often came his way. He laid there in bed in thought and recounted the scene. The trainer had been some stocky, shaggy-haired mess of a guy but he was nonetheless polite. Virgil grunted sarcastically and threw his blankets over him. He would sleep this whole thing off and be good as new in a couple of hours.

He settled himself but felt a certain chill swirl around him; Virgil brought his blankets higher and closer. He went to settle himself again, but an even stronger chill crept through him then. He rolled onto his side; the chill scantly crept about his arm; Virgil sat up then. It was only a chill but for a slight moment, it felt almost as though someone or something had touched him. He looked over his room thoroughly. His mother was a quirky character; she would think to play some practical joke on him for slamming the door in her face.

"Whatever…" Virgil threw the blankets over himself again and this time, he was asleep almost instantly.

His blade glanced off of the bird's wing and it distorted into a formless flame. In a fleeting second, the fires coned around him, leaving him entrapped in a maelstrom of fire. Even in the face of this Phoenix, Marus had to do something. A blazing arrow spat from the vortex and Marus sidestepped it. Another followed suite and Marus stepped that one also. A presence suddenly appeared next to him. His sword flicked to his flank and he felt it still. The Phoenix's wings were blades in their own right. A burst of wind dispelled the vortex and knock Marus from his feet, but he quickly rebounded. The bird hovered there, blazing as though he were the sun itself.

"Interesting…" Marus's hand gripped his sword tighter. If Bitey were there with him, things would be different but that would never happen. Marus shook it away, opening his eyes to find the Phoenix closer, driving in to impale him. Marus steeled himself.

It was a skirmish. The two matched each other blow upon blow. Wherever the Phoenix's beak sought to lash about, he would only find steel. Likewise, Marus found little success and his swings would skirt harmlessly from the Phoenix's beak or wings. It had surprised him; He was pitted up against a deity and was holding his own.

"But still…I'd better be careful-" It had taken only a moment and a piercing pain sliced into his shoulder. The Phoenix had placed a blow, quicker than what he could follow. "How did he…?" Marus fell back, his open hand holding his shoulder.

"You gave thought." Marus gritted his teeth in frustration but said nothing. He lifted his sword back to the Phoenix. His shoulder stung with pain. From the corner of his eye, he could see his own blood welling from it. It would've been a significant matter had he not already seen enough blood. An image of Bitey came to mind then and Marus gripped his weapon even tighter.

"I don't care if you can read my thoughts or whatever you're talking about!"

"It would appear that you really mean to fight me."

"Of course I mean it!" Marus repressed his shock. It was a wonder how he was able to keep up with him. The Phoenix had only been toying with him, feeling him out and had concluded he was nothing to fear. The thoughts of Bitey returned. "If I only had you…if only…"

"You seek your partner?" Marus's sharp expression gave way to shock, but he reaffirmed control.

"What do you mean? He's gone and I can make just fine without him." The words were knives in themselves. He had wanted them both back but it was something he couldn't allow that bird to know. A look of alarm crossed Marus's face as he saw the bird turn his attention to Mira and Bitey. The bird inhaled; Marus burst into a sprint. "Get away from them!" The Phoenix glanced at him briefly with disinterest before turning back them; the Phoenix doused them in fire.

Marus exploded, rushing at the Phoenix with all of his reason gone. If everyone else was dead, what else did he have to live for? The bird flapped its wing once and again threw Marus from his feet. He stayed down for a moment, his shoulder aching in protest. He stood back up and steadied himself. Marus went in again for another charge but slowed in awe.

An arrow shot out at him and caught him in the shoulder, but it glanced off his armor. It had nearly struck him between the neck and shoulder. The realization he had was far more devastating than his near-death. Mira was the only person he knew that could place a shot so perfectly; it had been her favorite way to shoot down prey. She notched the bow and took aim. He stood still, knowing that she was waiting for him to make his move first.

"Mira!" She let another arrow fly. This time, Marus stepped away. "Mira! " She nocked another one. Marus cursed and rushed in. This was not her. She would have recognized him but instead she fired at him, nearly running him through on a few occasions. He was nearly to her but the Phoenix gave another sweep of his wing. Marus stood strong, pushing his way through. He nearly went down in the face of a sudden pain.

She hit him. He didn't care. He had nothing to live for. Bitey was dead and Mira was somehow back on her feet and against him. He stared at her catching her eyes. He had once looked into soulless eyes. Now, they were back to as they once were. Her brown eyes were fierce and sharp; there was no trace of remembrance in them. Marus could feel the Phoenix's attention on them both and he took to the skies watching as though he were an emperor of some sort.

"Mira-"

"Save it." The words threw him. She had spoken to him in that same stern tone as she always had even if she were only a year older than he was.

"Mira, I thought-" He froze when she yet again took aim.

"If you step any closer, then I will kill you." Her voice was flat and distant. She had acknowledged him, but did not remember him. He made a single step forward and her bow bent back slightly. Marus did as he always did and he stared. Her eyes were the exact same as they before she had died; they pulsed with life and fervor yet she could not remember him.

"I have to do something!" The Phoenix's eyes focused on him.

"You can do nothing. You humans should learn to not be so brash." The words hit somewhere in him and he flinched. He planted his sword in the ground, never taking his eyes from the hilt.

"I'm done." He heard her soft footsteps as she neared him. He felt her bow even closer and shut his eyes awaiting the shot; nothing happened. He picked himself to look at her. Tears- real and true ones- were streaming down her cheeks. The bow was still tensed.

"Marus…"

"Mira…"

"That will be enough." A crushing pressure fell over him and he struggled to keep his eyes open. Her name was hot on his tongue. Almost as quickly as it had appeared, the force disintegrated. He stood shakily but stumbled. The phoenix gave a flap of his wings. Marus went to stand again but fell.

"I can't stand…?" He heard a thump near him. He could see her only inches from him, so he crawled to her. Blood welled from his open shoulder. The pain had grown more intense. "Mira…" There was an abrupt burning drive and he stood to his feet. The Phoenix raised a brow.

"I am impressed… you've withstood Extrasensory. Most would be dead in this case…" The Phoenix had deafened out, and Marus inched his way slowly forward. He felt his foot tap something; she was at his feet. He knelt down and took her into his arms. Her face was streamed with tears, but her eyes had gone again.

"Mira," His voice was shaking. "Mira, answer me!" He gave her a soft nudge, then another. "Mira, you have to get up! Mira!" He was shaking her desperately now, hoping that her eyes would flicker to life, that her body would suddenly become warm, that she would be next to him alive as things should've been. Marus knew she was dead, but he kept about it, shaking her in refusal to believe it, calling her name ceaselessly. The phoenix only watched intrigued.

"They are fickle. Foolishly bold in the most inconvenient of times, then at others, emotionally and mentally weak. They are complex creatures…" He continued to watch as Marus called to her in vain. Ho-oh found it strange that he wasn't able to figure it out yet. True, the girl had been alive but for only mere moments. "Poor fickle creature."

Marus slammed his fist into the earth, his voice small and broken. His throat was sore from screaming after her for so long.

"Don't…die on me…" He looked to her lifeless body, and her name flooded into his mind.

Mira.

Mira.

Mira.

Mira…

He woke up again on the floor and he scratched his head as per usual.

"Again?" Virgil yawned. He hadn't expected to have a dream about "Marus" twice in a row. He sighed. Only this time, the main name had been Mira. He could again remember everything as if he had been there- or like he had been "Marus". There was a slight obnoxious buzzing from his dresser. It was his PokeGear.

Virgil looked in the mirror and chuckled. With messy brown hair, jeans and a grey sleeveless vest and a green undershirt, he figured that he had looked the best he had in ages. He took a breath. The top 16 just wasn't enough. He had been aiming for Champion then he'd move on to the Elite Four.

But he had lost. He frowned at the thought and then chuckled again. The Indigo League was by far one of the toughest conferences he had been in. He left his room and directly into his mother.

"Oh! Are you off again, Virgil?" He gave an annoyed look.

"I didn't say I was staying for very long."

"Well, just go out there and make sure you win! We already have so much media time with you making it to the top 16!" He shot her another annoyed look and she smiled.

"Would it kill you to be a little more modest?"

"Only if you learn when confidence isn't a bad thing." He sighed and gave her a grin.

"That's something I have no shortage of. Have some faith in me will you?"

"I do, I do. But I do worry about you." Virgil rolled his eyes.

"I think I can handle myself quite well."

"I know but…" Her voice trailed off and Virgil figured that she was thinking about his Indigo League loss. She had gotten a bit conceited about it, but he knew that she was only proud of him. It had devastated her when he had lost. He looked away then. It wasn't that his loss had devastated her; it was how he took it. He had been swept by a powerful trainer with an Arcanine. He hadn't even managed to land a single attack even with his Dewott. He had holed himself up in his room, his confidence all but gone. His mother had a reason for why she was being the way she was.

"Virgil, just be careful." He nodded and turned to the door. He took another deep breath before he was out the door.

"So far, so good…" Virgil let out a sigh of relief. He had been holding his breath on his way out. He had been expecting to be trampled or at least mauled by aspiring trainers- especially after his mother had called after him claiming he had forgotten his Pokemon. He laughed to himself. Even experienced Trainer's had their fair share of mistakes. "Well, I think it's about time I get going."

"Hey." Virgil paused and turned to the voice.

"Aren't you-"

"Yeah, I'm your 'guest' from a couple days back. The one you refused up front." Virgil fought off his surprise. He could care less about the trainer, but it was more so that he said he had been over a couple of days ago. It had been the same day when he had locked himself in his room.

"How long was I out?" He thought of the names Marus and Mira. He would always dream of them in the same scenario. Marus would act carefree before he was "knighted" and his village would be razed by a strange Pokemon named Genesect. Mira and his Rattata would die only for him to confront the Legendary Ho-oh and it would always end with "Mira" lying dead in his- Marus's arms.

"Hey! Are you even listening!?" Virgil jumped a bit at that. He looked at the trainer in front of him and he came to memory. He was still relatively the same as a couple days ago, shaggy-haired and stocky or some other muscular build. If anything, this trainer had some level of experience.

"Sorry, but it's just that I'm still on break."

"On break? What do you mean 'on break'!? Even during times of rest, a trainer and his Pokemon should never let their form or bond slip!" Virgil's mouth curled in annoyance. He admired the trainer's spirit, but his overreactions were more than just annoying.

"Alright, I'll tell you what. We'll battle and if you win, I guess I'll be your training partner or whatever. If I win, then I guess you'll have to get lost. Is that a deal?" The other trainer nodded.

"How about we have a one-on-one match? I think that'll be a real test of skill." An excited grin painted his face. Virgil shrugged, his own grin coming into view.

"Fine by me. Why don't you to go first?"

"No, I'll leave that to you; you'll need it." Virgil grabbed a ball from his belt and pressed the button.

"Dewott, let's go!" The otter stood tall with a grin to match Virgil's. The trainer's eyes narrowed.

"Well, if that's the case, this is going to be interesting! Arcanine!" Virgil felt as though his heart stopped. The hound towered over Dewott and like in his dream; Arcanine seemed to blaze as though it were a sun. He had remembered the name of the trainer at the Indigo Plateau then: Jaret King.

"Use your speed to get in close Arcanine!" The Pokemon was only an image of itself then, moving in a zig-zagging pattern.

"Dewott, Focus!" Dewott stood his ground and simply waited. Virgil felt a presence to the side of Dewott. "To your right! Razor Shell!" Dewott struck out briskly, its shell extending out into a blue hydro-blade. A burst of steam rose Dewott's strike and Virgil let out a tightened breath. His opponent grunted.

"They fell for it! Use Flamethrower!"

"Dewott, behind you!" Dewott swung around to find an arrow of fire pressing toward him. Virgil could see that Dewott was fighting his panic.

"Aim for the crest of the fire! Turn it back on them with Razor Shell!" Again, the otter's shell-blade roared to life and it rushed headlong for the fire. He gave a slash of his shell-blade. The fire held firm for a moment before it distorted around the blade and then into a heavy steam. Virgil winced at the steam. It was the same way he had lost at the Indigo Conference.

"No big deal. Dewott couldn't focus that well. Now that we've learned it…" From the steam, Virgil could see a powerful silhouette and even from his distance, he could feel the heat that exuded from it. It had to be Arcanine. "Follow the heat! Aqua Jet!" Dewott gave a stomp and rocketed forward, the water pushing toward Arcanine. Virgil heard an impact but kept focused.

The steamed lifted and Dewott was lying flat on his stomach. Virgil frowned as he found an earthen wall standing before Dewott, who got to his feet, rubbing his head.

"Dewott, can you still fight?" He gave a nod, not even bothering to turn back to look at him. Virgil looked to the wall. What was this trainer planning? He had chosen a Fire-type against Dewott. It wasn't all about typing. It was just that it made it that much easier when they were brought into play. His opponent's voice sounded abruptly.

"Get to the top of the wall and take him down with Flamethrower!" Virgil and Dewott's attention went there to find the dog standing strong; it took a deep breath.

"Dewott! Copycat!" Dewott grinned triumphantly and stomped into the ground. Tremor raced through the earth and into the earth wall; it began to crumble. Dewott gave another stomp and earthen pillar struck out from Arcanine and sent the Pokemon into the air. "Finish him with Aqua Jet!" The otter shot forward with the burst of water, aiming directly for his opponent.

"Arcanine, flip and attack with Flamethrower!" Dewott had been right there but in the next second, was swallowed by flame. Smoldering steam built around them once more. Virgil saw Dewott falling, nearly unconscious from the attack.

"Dewott! You can't give up! We've got them on the ropes! Just a little further!" He saw something change on the otter's face, something almost like a steely determination. Dewott flipped and landed upright in a clumsy stumble only to look up and find Arcanine at point-blank range.

"Thunder Fang!" Arcanine's fangs sank into Dewott, who all but exhausted, collapsed from the attack. Virgil took the otter into his arms.

"Maybe we do need to sharpen up some more…"

"Hey," Virgil glanced back at his opponent. "That fight wasn't bad at all. For a moment, you almost had me. I gotta give you credit, that Dewott of yours has improved a lot." He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "And as for some of the things I've said, I tend to be a little… rash at times. I hope you can understand." It wasn't until then that Virgil was able to get a clear look at his opponent. His broad shoulder made him seemed bigger an slightly older than he actually was. His hair wasn't too far different from his although it was thicker. He was dressed simply and casually, jeans and a simple T-shirt to match in comparison to Virgil's thought out selection. The wave of realization hit him hard.

"You…I think I know you…" The trainer smiled then.

"Well, it's about damn time. Jaret King, winner of the Whirl Cup and aspiring Elite Four at. Your. Service."