Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Author Notes:

An update at last, well, I won't bore you with my thoughts, let the story begin.

PS: I changed my style a little bit, by suggestion of ARCEUS-master and Mekon. Thanks again guys.

His sister was now lying on the ground, hurt by a barrage of seemingly endless attacks. Their opponent was not one to be underestimated. This was no normal Pokémon. It was much stronger than anything else they have seen before. It managed to single handedly eliminate them both. His sister was badly injured. All he could do was watch as she took the brunt of the assailant's attacks. After what seemed an eternity, she managed to turn around to face him, giving him what could have been her last wish. What she did was her last hope. She gave him a look, the look that could only mean one thing.

Get help.

"All right Gabite, try to use Aerial Ace on that tree." Kyle was training his newly caught Pokémon, a Gabite whom he found in the caves on route 210. Gabite was strong and had great potential. However, it had a certain phobia when it came to speed. This was ironic, seeing as Gabite are one of the fastest Pokémon species. He was training Gabite to overcome that fear. Gabite already had amazing power and defense, once it gained control over his agility, he would be one of Kyle's most powerful addition to his team.

When Kyle found Gabite at first, he was not really a outstanding Pokémon, Gabite were territorial Pokémon, never straying into unfamiliar grounds, and protecting their own till the final breath left their lungs. Kyle's Gabite was one eerie presence in his pack. He was the harbinger of his group, the luminary of his fraternity. Kyle's Gabite led his group well. His group not only survived, but thrived in the arid conditions. A day came when he came face to face with a Garchomp, his evolved form. Kyle only knew that Gabite left his pack, probably because he was defeated by the Garchomp, Kyle took Gabite in when he saw him wandering across the plains, being a nomad. Gabite wouldn't accept Kyle's help at first, but he eventually submitted.

Teaching Gabite Aerial Ace was a risky initiative. Gabite's revulsion to speed was at odds to the swiftness required, and further increased by Aerial Ace. If Gabite learned this move, he would cure his aversion of briskness. Or in a worst case scenario, he would detest the simple mention of quickness.

Kyle's Gabite glanced back at his trainer. His stomach wrenching within, he knew that Kyle wouldn't force him to do anything risky, but all the same, it was best to get confirmation. Kyle was giving the Dragon-type a confident look. Kyle knew that things would go well, Gabite had already managed to keep his eyes open during the fast glides, and he was already able to gain thrust while flying.

"You can do it." Kyle said.

That was all Kyle needed to say, Gabite jumped straight into the air, held its arms wide, and began to soar gracefully in the sky. Kyle had this thing about him, an attribute which seemed to make those around him strive for superiority in whatever they did. Gabite attempted to make the tree his focal point. Once it became his centre of attention, he began to approach the makeshift target at a brisk pace.

Once the downwards glide began, Gabite held his arms in, taking a stance where the wind no longer opposed, but rather aided him. His speed, already fast, was increased to an even greater stage. By then, Gabite was so fast that Kyle had to focus just to see him.

Aerial Ace was a complex move, to say the least. It was easy to learn, but hard to master. While many Pokémon could learn this move, what made Aerial Ace unique was its impeccable accuracy. It never misses, ignoring the adversary's evasiveness.

It took more than just willpower to become proficient with the attack. While accuracy was key, it took more than just mastery of that element to get the maneuver. In most cases, it was not how fast the Pokémon could move, nor how good its aim was; it was how the trainer chose to use the move which decided Aerial Ace's practicality and usefulness.

Kyle taught Quilava the move for subterfuge. However, during the Quilava's training, Kyle saw the Aerial Ace's versatility. It gave the user such a significant speed boost that it practically had immeasurable possibilities. During battles, Kyle saw that the move allowed Quilava to not only dodge, but also augment his speed for a short window of a moment. While using moves like Flamethrower and Eruption which required charging to maximize their damage, Aerial Ace allowed Quilava to siphon seconds off the charge time, allowing him to utilize the attack sooner than otherwise expected by his opponent.

Lyra, on the other hand, used her Pidgeot's Aerial Ace to show grace and finesse in the Flying-type. Pidgeot's variation of Aerial Ace was deliberately slower, meant to show off the bird, rather than to assail. Kyle has seen more variety in Aerial Ace than any other move. Some Pokémon instinctively knew how to use the move. Flying-types simply used their beaks as the weapon. However, when the user had no beak to speak of, it took a bit of imagination to utilize Aerial Ace.

Quilava simply used his snout as the hitting point. Gabite was a harder case, Kyle taught him the move not to improve his speed, but to overcome fear. When it came to hitting the target, Kyle managed to find a suitable way to hit the target.

Gabite glided swiftly towards the target. Once he got in range, Gabite spread his arms wide, decelerating right in front of the tree. Once he got into an apt position, Gabite used his razor sharp fins to slice the tree into pieces.

As Gabite landed on the ground, Kyle looked at his Pokémon. He has definitely improved a lot since they first began practicing. Kyle was pleased by how all his Pokémon gave it their all when it came to workouts.

"Perfect Gabite," Kyle's routine was simple, he gave compliments when deserved, an encouragement where desired. "You did great," Kyle was sincere in his acclaims, however, the fact remained that Gabite was not using his full potential, Gabite was holding back, for better or worse.

"Why are you afraid, Gabite?" Kyle asked, not expecting an answer. Gabite's roars meant nothing to him. Kyle knew that Gabite would conquer his dislike for speed, whether he wanted to or not. Kyle never knew what formed the anxiety which tied up Gabite's guts every time he thought of haste, maybe Kyle would never know. However, what Kyle wanted the most was to help Gabite attain the immunity to fear. But how would he do that?

Perhaps all he needed was to push Gabite further, not by any considerable amount, just by a slight bit, enough to push Gabite beyond his current limits.

Kyle called his Meganium over. Gabite was now going to practice against a moving target.

Meganium was the first Pokémon Kyle ever caught on his five years of journeying. Back then, it was just a Chikorita, a weak one. Her original trainer abandoned her, this made her stubborn. It was feeble when it came to battling, but that didn't keep her from trying to be better. Attempts that seemed futile never looked that way to her. She confronted every passerby, challenging them to a battle. These battles mostly ended in Chikorita's defeat, and what made things worse was the challenged trainer's craving for a rare Pokémon.

Chikorita may have been weak physically, but she more than made up for that mentally. She never gave in when the Pokéball flew towards her. She would hold on until the Pokéball shook thrice, normally indication a successful catch. Only then would the Pokéball explode, overwhelmed by her desire to stay free, never to be held captive.

Chikorita's injuries were never life threatening, but they still hurt. She never ate berries, a natural source of healing. Instead she relied on her own strength. Her Synthesis move managed to heal her. Slowly, but eventually, she would get back on her feet, ready to challenge yet another battler.

When Kyle walked pass her territory that fateful day, Chikorita leaped out, shouting taunts at the unwary trainer. Kyle never even thought about accepting, even without looking he could see that the Chikorita was extremely tired. She was worn out that day, not in the best of conditions. Her previous battle scars have not been fully healed; she was exhausted, close to the point of collapse. Kyle instinctively declined her offer to battle.

She saw Kyle's rejection as exasperation, an aggravation. She didn't care that Kyle didn't want to battle. Her bitterness towards humans caused her to act recklessly. She tackled the only thing which was in her sight, Kyle himself.

Normally, Kyle would have taken the brunt of the attack without falling. However, Chikorita put so much power and hatred into the Tackle attack that it knocked him over. The attack hit Chikorita back with recoil. She was blown back by the kickback caused by the attack. She tried to get back up, but fatigue kicked in, causing her to black out.

Kyle knew that Chikorita was in critical condition. He intended to send her to the nearest Pokémon Centre, which was unfortunately located miles away. Kyle ended up healing her himself. His healing prowess wasn't infallible, he's improved, but back then he was still learning. He barely started off his journey, in fact it was just after his first gym battle.

Chikorita wasn't cooperative; her adamant nature caused her to despise the sheer touch of Kyle's hands. She always refused the Oran Berries which Kyle gave her, choosing to heal through Synthesis. She never managed to get well, the tiredness, combined with the energy required for Synthesis to work, made her predicament even worse.

Any sane trainer would have yielded right there. But Kyle preserved, and eventually attained Chikorita's hard earned trust. In the end, Chikorita became one of Kyle's best Pokémon. She excelled not in offense, but in defense. Even as she evolved, Kyle used her Light Screen and Reflect to bolster his team's defense; rarely using her Solarbeam unless absolutely necessary.

As Meganium came over, Kyle told it to activate its Reflect shield. This would protect it from any residual damage by halving the damage done by Physical attacks, which included Gabite's Aerial Ace. Though that really wasn't entirely necessary, Gabite knew enough to reduce the impact of the attack.

As Meganium bound herself in a white outline, a circular, iridescent shield materialized around her. The shield was anything but fragile, it could hold up against the strongest of attacks. Kyle has seen the shield stop Giga Impact attacks in their tracks. Meganium has grown since the days spent drowning in despair, that's for sure.

Kyle gave the command. "Gabite, use Aerial Ace. Try to hit Meganium."

Gabite gave his trainer a nod. He craved to be one with haste, but it was not as simple as it looked. The event that happened years ago still caused his stomach to knot itself whenever he exceeded a certain speed limit. He wanted badly to tell Kyle, but the language barrier was a large gap which would not be easily crossable.

Gabite launched himself up into the air, just like before. His fear wasn't entirely quelled, but that didn't mean that he was slow. By Gabite standards, he was slightly slower, but he averaged as a fast Pokémon. To Kyle that meant a lot. Gabite may not be able to outrun Flying-types, but he still managed to get the drop on slower Pokémon like Tyranitar and Empoleon. With slight luck, he could even be faster than Pokémon like Fearow and Staraptor, who were considered fast.

Gabite began the descent, quickly converging on Meganium.

Kyle ordered Meganium to begin running. Meganium was not a fast Pokémon; add her large size and she became an easy target. Kyle managed to overcome this shortcoming by doing the same thing soldiers did in battlefields. Running in seemingly random zigzagging patterns made Meganium a hard to hit target. Gabite was having a hard time keeping up with Meganium's movement. He began to dive, gaining a speed boost in the process. Unfortunately, this boost would be counter reactive if the user didn't manage to get a clear, straight flight path towards their mark. Gabite began to tremble while beginning the downwards soar. His slight shivers soon turned into a shudder, causing Gabite to shudder and crash headfirst into the ground.

"Gabite!" Kyle ran towards Gabite, seeing his Pokémon take damage which could have been avoided. He never liked to let his team take damage which could otherwise be averted. Kyle saw Gabite struggle to stand. He almost flinched at seeing this. Kyle took Gabite's arm and helped him up. Gabite gave Kyle an appreciative look, obviously thankful for the help.

"You came close, Gabite." Kyle was undeniably proud that Gabite managed to improve enough to hit stationary targets. He just fell short of perfection, nothing a little training would fail to change. "You did great."

Gabite smiled at the comments, and he saw Meganium giving him an encouraging look, which made him less concerned about the pain in his calf.

Kyle knew that his Pokémon were always helping each other out, and he was glad of that. He returned to the campsite, the stew he was making would boil soon.

Get help.

His sister's words still rung clear in his ears, it was fifteen minutes since he left his sister's side, in the search of help. He could have got to the nearby city, but the extent of his injuries would have made him the target of those obsessed with catching a rare Pokémon, never mind a legendary.

In his invisible form, Latios watched the boy. Could this boy be the one he was searching for, the 'help' he desperately needed? Latias was in grave danger, the mysterious Pokémon managed to take out him and his sister, two strong legendary Pokémon, commonly referred to as deities. They barely had a chance.

Latios knew that he needed to get assistance soon. Latias wouldn't hold up against the dark Pokémon's attacks for long.

Could he trust this boy? He treated his Pokémon as friends, rather than tools. He also wanted to help his Gabite overcome his fear. Normally, he would have run straight up to the boy, begging for help. Today, however, he embraced a certain sense of caution, understandable considering what he'd just been through.

Tentatively, he moved forward.

Kyle just served his stew to the gang. The Pokémon enjoyed eating Kyle's cooking. It just had a natural taste to it, unlike the Pokémon food served in the Pokémon Centres. Once Kyle said that the food was ready, both his and Lyra's Pokémon ran straight to their bowls, which Kyle had set on the ground near the table.

Lyra's training regime was had a slightly more different vibe than Kyle's. Where Kyle trained all his Pokémon every day, Lyra preferred to focus on polishing a single Pokémon's moves. Rather than concretely copying Kyle's style, she carved her own.

Kyle's job was to keep an eye on Lyra's Pokémon. Kyle's had a four year hiatus from Pokémon League conferences. He challenged the gyms from every region he went to, including a full reliving of the Johto path when Lyra wanted to try out the contests on her home turf.

It's been four years since the lost in the finals, Kyle was now fifteen years old. Even after Hoenn, he continued to head to Kanto, and then Sinnoh, which was where he was now. He knew that this was the year, the year he won the Sinnoh League. It was time to put those years of learning and training to good use. He already acquired seven badges, only the Beacon Badge, which he would earn in the Sunnyshore City gym. That was the last obstacle he had to pass before he reached his goal, the Sinnoh Lily of the Valley Conference.

The sun was beginning to set, perhaps it was time to go get Lyra. Kyle ordered Quilava to follow. He always preferred to have a companion around. Being alone wasn't scary, but it sure was better to have a friend nearby. Especially when Lyra hid in the most obscure of places during her training.

Kyle loved helping Lyra out, Lyra perfectly supplemented his personality. Lyra had a habit of making sure her new combinations were kept under the covers during formulation. She liked to keep a 'wow' factor when her performances debuted. Her combinations definitely worked all the time, she had a certain knack for thinking up awesome combinations. Watching her contests, or even her practices, was a treat. There was always something new to see, something fresh which he never witnessed before. That was the best part of travelling with Lyra, it also served as a reminder of the fun of training Pokémon.

Quilava walked over nonchalantly. Kyle grabbed his backpack and began to stride into the forests. Kyle turned back, wanting to remind the Pokémon to stay put. Suddenly, Lyra's Azumarill began to shout out loud. What could have happened?

She heard something, she knew it.

Lyra's Azumarill was savoring Kyle's stew, until she heard a sound come from the bushes. Someone, or something, was watching them. The other Pokémon didn't hear anything. That was one of the perks you get when you have sensitive hearing. Kyle was getting ready to leave. She had to warn him, soon.

"Azu! Azumarill!" Her voice was filled with urgency and distress. Kyle had to hear her, this could be a very dangerous matter.

Kyle looked back. Azumarill was shouting, while pointing the bushes under the tree. Was there something inside the foliage, something watching them?

Kyle rummaged through the shrubbery, hoping to uncover what Azumarill sensed. He found nothing, but Azumarill was still implying that there was something. Perhaps it was invisible, transparent to human eyes.

Kyle looked around to see if his Staraptor was nearby. There he was, resting right on a nearby tree. Kyle gave Staraptor an order, one that would make everything clear. "Staraptor, use Foresight."

Foresight was a move which would increase a Pokémon's accuracy. Apart from that, it also had an added effect which could make Ghost types, which were normally in a semi-gaseous form, immune to Normal type attacks and ethereal, visible and vulnerable.

Staraptor flew upwards, using a form Kyle created which would also intimidate an opponent. Staraptor stretched his wings wide, blocking the sunlight with his entire body. Staraptor's eyes began to glow red, then unleashed a beam of blinding light which would reveal anything that was hiding in plain sight.

As the light shone above the bush, Kyle saw a very slight refraction of light. So slight that he wouldn't have even seen it if he wasn't paying attention.. Something was watching them, but what?

Before Kyle could react, the refracted light disappeared. Nothing could have defined the surprise that Kyle felt as he looked at the obscured Pokémon. He didn't feel fear; rather, he felt respect and awe.

What the thing turned out to be revealed itself.

All Kyle could manage was a "wow." White and blue appeared where there was nothing before. The thing was a Pokémon, and not just any normal Pokémon.

Standing in front of Kyle was a Latios.

Latias took on her transparent form. This might have been her only chance of survival. This enemy, what was it? If it was a Pokémon, it was one she never seen before. She was sure of one thing, this Pokémon was well trained. No, that's not right, it was just strong. There was a difference between fighting a captured Pokémon and battling a wild one. Each situation had their share of pros and cons. A Pokémon with a trainer would have ability and skill directly proportional to their master's aptitude and dedication. Through a trainer's guidance even the most paltry Pokémon could become a force to be reckoned with. Having a trainer did have a certain catch though. When a Pokémon got accustomed to a trainer's coaching, it tended to over rely on the trainer's orders, rather than their own reflexes to dodge. This had a certain bright side to it though, a trainer had a view of the whole field during a battle. An experienced trainer would make a better call than a Pokémon in most situations.

However, being a wild Pokémon had it's benefits. When it came to battles, wild Pokémon held their own better. They would have a higher self-esteem than a captured Pokémon, therefore trusting their instincts more than anything. Their gut response was often right, and even when it was wrong, they had no one to blame but themselves. When most trainers capture a Pokémon, they find that it has a habit of being disobedient, preferring to rely on it's own intimate choices during a battle. The first barrier a trainer had to break was this one, a higher leveled Pokémon would expect a higher standard from a trainer. While badges are accepted to be a good indicator of skill, it was the trainer's own sophistication that made their Pokémon trust them. Besides, what good does a badge do if the Pokémon doesn't even know what it is?

The Pokémon which attacked the Eon duo was another matter entirely. It managed to dodge every single attack Latios and Latias threw without fail, and even tactics like unpredictability were useless. When Latias shot a ball of Dragon energy towards the Pokémon, hoping to lure it into Latios' line of fire, their foe managed to dodge the right way. Even when Latias' Mist Ball attack was active, causing the opponent to lose sight, it simply hid until it dissipated, making the attack, which was extremely powerful, pointless.

Where was he, where was Latios?

The Pokémon was slowly strafing around the meadow. It was highly intelligent, it knew that its Night Slash attack had incapacitated Latias, having struck her wings. She could risk moving away, but taking that chance might mean detection, especially since she couldn't fly at her ordinarily swift speeds. The Pokémon was definitely acute, capitalizing their every wrong move and exploiting every loophole in their attacks. Who, no, what was this thing, it was nothing short of a monster, armed with a blood lust which would be the end of her. She needed to try something soon, but what? Every move she could use would be counteractive. Attacking was out of the question, the Pokémon had proven to be very slippery when it came to a frontal assault.

She might be able to get away with using Wish, a move that would heal her, but the time needed for Wish to take effect would be catastrophic. Add that with the fact that Wish had a spell like effect which would cause her to shine brightly, temporarily losing her guise, meant that it was inconceivable that she could get away.

But she had to try.

Latias focused her psychic energies on the restorative elements, forcing them to shower her in their rejuvenating glow. As she began to gain a green aura, the Pokémon looked her way. She could swear that there was a smile on its face. Wish took time to take effect, the same amount of time it took to get an attacking chance. Latias knew that both Dragon Pulse and Psychic wouldn't do much, but the Pokemon was accumulating dark energies in its palms. The purple glow already felt familiar, it was a Dark Pulse attack. If the hit landed, Latias would be out of the game. She had two options, attempt to use Psychic and overwhelm the dark energy coursing through the monster's palm, or use Mist Ball to mask her movements, giving Wish time to work its magic.

Psychic type moves were weak against Dark types, she picked option two, the more practical of the two.

She began to assemble a ball of fog right above herself. Her attack took less time than Dark Pulse to gain ample size and power. As Mist Ball was finished, Latias drove the large globe shaped cloud straight down and right into herself. Mist Ball had two uses; one was to hit the opponent with a ball of gas turned solid. It had the added effects of making the hit Pokémon weaker in terms of defense and clouding the battlefield in almost opaque vapor. There was also one less known fact, Mist Ball's smog also increased the potency of any attack that passes through it. The catch was that the opponent could also abuse the damage boost by using its own attacks in the mist against the user.

Latias felt the soothing energy fill her veins. Wish was beginning to take effect, but the Pokémon was silent. Nothing moved in the fog, it was silent.

Too silent.

Just as she completed her strain of thought, dark rings began to hit her, hard.

The Pokemon was very cunning. It knew that Mist Ball would cloud its vision, therefore choosing to wait until Wish took effect. When Wish began to heal the user, it sprinkled shimmering particles all around its target. This was what it was waiting for. The lustrous light was all it needed to get a lock on Latias' location. The short wait also allowed it to procure even more vigor in the Dark Pulse attack. Latias felt sore, worse than she was before Wish took effect. Her vision was beginning to blur, blackness consuming her eyesight. It was getting harder to stay conscious by every passing second.

No. I can't give up. Not after what it did to us.

There was still one thing, a last resort which, with a slight bit of luck, save her. Perhaps she should try it-. No, it was too risky, in all circumstances, it was forbidden. The Pokémon was walking towards her, its claws growing in length, shrouded in darkness. It charging up Night Slash, it must be getting ready to finish her off. Latias knew she had to do something, but just not that. She didn't have much strength left, Latias had to make this move count. She still had one move not yet tested in its mettle, never used in combat. Latios has taught her this move for a long time, but it never seemed to work perfectly. No matter, this was her only trump card, her ace in the hole.

Please work this time, please.

Latias began to float upwards, charging up the Dragon energy within her, concentrating every last spark of life in her to the core. She began to glow orange, illuminating the entire prairie. As the Pokémon approached her, she opened her mouth, where an orb of overwhelming power now resided.

Draco Meteor, the most powerful attack known to a Dragon-type, was an attack that had to be learned through pure dedication, it also required an extreme trust with the mentor, a trust that had to be unrivaled to gain complete control. Latias had been learning this move since three years ago, it never succeeded, choosing to fail just as Latios was getting his hopes up. It always flopped, until now.

Instead of shooting the orb into the sky, where it would burst into a cluster of miniature bombs, dealing hurt to anything in it's range, Latias chose to fire the orb straight into the Pokémon's chest. As her foe noticed the sphere of power in her mouth, it began to sprint towards her. Latias didn't hesitate, she unleashed the energy right into her assailant's center. As the orb crashed into its rib cage, it flew backwards at an alarmingly fast rate. Even as it tried to leave the clutches of the meteor, it blasted apart, showering it in more volatile fragments. That was it, the explosions multiplied, never relenting. Latias felt fatigue kicking in, Draco Meteor took a lot of stamina to perform perfectly, her condition worsened considerably. She used her remaining energy to make another Wish, hoping to salve the wounds she gained throughout the entire event.

Just as she savored the calm, the storm returned, stronger than ever. In the midst of all the smoke, she saw a reddish glow, evilly locking at her. The smoke began to clear, and the silhouette began to stand up.

No, no, no. This can't be.

Where are you Latios?

What was that?

Kyle was still stunned by the sudden appearance of Latios, he was pulled out of the trance by a bright orange light shining through the trees to the west. He knew that light, it was Draco Meteor, but what would it be doing here. Latios was noticeably far more urgent, seemingly telling Kyle about something. There was also something that filled him with uneasiness, something important.

And then it hit him, someone was in there.

Lyra.

He grabbed his backpack, and began a rush into the forest. Latios could wait, Lyra was in big trouble. "Let's go Quilava! Staraptor, fly up high and find Lyra!" Kyle shouted out orders to the two Pokémon he would need to assist him in his search. The others would stay and guard Latios in case whatever was hunting him came close.

Latios wasn't in good shape, he had burn marks and scars all over his body.

Something was not right here, and Kyle was pulled right into the middle of it.

And that concludes this chapter. I loved writing this chapter. The last chapter was all about character development, slightly less rewarding than this one. Battles, elaboration on attacks, all of it was great fun.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please say so. It is always rewarding to have your story read.

I know this update came before the date I stated in the end of the first chapter, I don't really take deadlines seriously, I either make the deadline, or I update sooner. That's just me.

And thanks for all the help ARCEUS-master and Mekon.

Xuan Ying.

Latest next update: 16/10/2011.