No matter how many Shadow Pokemon I helped free from their taint, I always watched in awe when the Relic Stone worked its magic. A Togetic I snatched from Fein, my Cipher doppleganger, bathed itself in the holy light of the Stone and freed itself from the corruption around its heart. Togetic spun around and looked at me with open eyes, the long suffering hatred it once knew no longer present. I had expected for it to rush at me, like so many other of the Shadow Pokemon I purified. Instead, it took a long look at me and surprisingly waddled over to Rui and slowly nuzzled her legs.
"Hey now, watcha doing there you big cutie" she giggled out as she affectionately ruffled Togetic's spiky head. Togetic cooed softly as she enjoyed the gesture.
I chuckled softly at the scene. "She seems to like you Rui, its said Togetic are drawn to the kindness in other people and Pokemon's hearts. Why don't you adopt her. I'm not sure there is anyone more suited to raise a Togetic than you."
"Do you think so Wes? Togetic are quite rare, you know. I'm not sure I can do a Pokemon like this Togetic justice."
"I'm being serious Rui, I think you should keep her. Its not like I can keep all the Pokemon we rescued, there are just too many of them. And she clearly likes you given she hasn't moved from your legs. Besides, if you seriously want to be a trainer, you could use a Pokemon with a little more punch than Sparky"
Sparky, the Plusle that formerly belonged to Duking, let out an angry chirp at that comment. From her ever-present location on Rui's shoulder, Sparky directed a small discharge in my general direction.
"Alright, I'm sorry, I get it" I exclaimed as I jumped backwards to avoid the thundershock. Sol and Luna, my ever faithful Espeon and Umbreon sniggered in the background. I shot them a glare.
"Oh be nice Wes, Sparky been with us as long as any Pokemon here. Don't mind Wes now, sweetie, I think he has sand in his boots." Rui cooed to Sparky as she stroked the sweet spot behind her big ear. Sparky beamed. She turned her attention back to the Togetic snuggling her and Rui's face beamed as she saw just how much the Togetic was attached to her.
"Well now girl, do you want to come with us and see the world, eh?"
Togetic jumped up and flapped her wings until she was eye level with Rui, a good sign for the fairy creature. A goofy grin graced its features.
"Alright then, welcome to the team. But you need a name. How does … Zephyr sound?"
Zephyr cried out in joy and lifted one of its stubby arms in celebration. Rui jumped up and fist pumped the air as well, matching Zephyr's celebration. Rui snatched Zephyr down from the air and pulled her new friend into a crushing hug.
"Oh, we will be the bestest friends, you and me and Sparky and all of Wes' friends as well. I can't wait for you to meet them" Rui pulled Zephyr's Pokeball from her pack and held it out for Zephyr. "Well Zephyr, its time to meet the rest of the team, now with a hundred percent less creepy Shadow Pokemon."
Zephyr's eyes grew wide and smashed one of her arms against the capture mechanism and Zephyr was absorbed in a beam of red light. The Happiness Pokemon was happy once more in Rui's loving care.
"Well that was certainly something that happened. I'm not sure I believe what I just saw" I deadpanned to no one in particular.
"Would it kill you to show some emotion every now and then Wes? Being a grump the entire time doesn't suit you, you know. You should be try celebrating a good occasion for once. Hell, this entire thing was your brilliant idea."
"I thought you knew by now my middle name is Humbug." I replied with a smirk. "But you may be right for once. Now where did I stash that bottle…?"
"Wes, you are completely insufferable. But I wonder, what should we do next? According to the data the Kids Grid dragged up, Zephyr was the last Shadow Pokemon. We snagged them all and now have purified them all. We won Wes, we saved all the Pokemon… Did we?" Rui wondered aloud.
"I dunno Rui. It seems like it, but it can't be over. Not yet. There has to be more we can do, something we missed, someplace we overlooked..." I stared to reply before I realized three of my Pokeballs suddenly felt as if they were filled with rocks. And I knew which three Pokemon were contained within
Entei, beast of Fire. Suicuine, beast of the North Wind. Raikou, beast of Thunder. I have no idea how Cipher got their hands on the three great beasts, but the fact that they did was terrifying. These Pokemon were legendary creatures and they possessed incomprehensible power. And they once served Cipher terrifying cause. If I had not come along when I did, who knows how much trouble Cipher could have caused with the Beasts. The beasts were trying to tell me something, that maybe my mission was over after all. That the beasts had played their part in my crusade and now it was time to set them free. And maybe they were right.
How many trainers would kill to have one Legendary Beast under their control, let alone three? And now I'm gonna release all of them? Forget taking on Cipher, this is the most insane thing ever done. I exhaled loudly and gathered the balls of the Beasts in my hand.
I knew it was the right thing to in the end, but I hesitated for a moment longer. I had the power of the three Beasts within my hand, and I wanted to savor that feeling if only for a moment longer. At that moment, I felt like I understood Cipher even just for a microsecond. Such power is intoxicating and its hard to give it up, but I fought Cipher and I would not let their wickedness possess me anymore. I gave up that life when I blew up the Snagem base. I held down the center button of the balls and triggered the release mechanism for the Pokemon within. The center of the ball turned blue and the three great Beasts shot out of their ball and stood before me, in all of their great wonder.
The power of volcanoes, of thunder, of winds. They stood before me looking at me, judging me. And I knew what I had to do.
"You are free now, my friends. The Shadow Pokemon are saved, you are saved. It is time for you to run amongst the wilds once more. Hopefully you will not find yourself enslaved to the evils of man once more. It has been my pleasure, great Beasts. May we meet again, if our fortunes allow it." I croaked out. I didn't realize my voice could crack like a pre-pubescnet kid anymore.
The three Beasts all roared as one and if one listened closely, it was not impossible to hear the distant sound of thunder nor volcanic grumblings from Mt. Battle. I expected the Beasts to scatter and run off to parts unknown, but instead they remained stationary, as if they were waiting for something.
"Look up Wes, its a rainbow!" Rui exclaimed as she suddenly gripped my hand. I felt the blood rush to my face and turned my head upwards to both look for the rainbow and to avoid Rui's gaze.
Indeed, where there was nothing but clear skies a moment ago, a gorgeous rainbow now commandeered the space above us. And as if on cue, a forth creature cried out and we saw a giant bronze bird fly through the rainbow. Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokemon and the master of the Beasts had graced our presence for perhaps the last time. Had the Beasts called out to their master and let him know they were free? That their human trainer had done the honorable action?
"W-wes, why are they glowing?"
I snapped my head back down and my eyes snapped open in a way I didn't know possible. The three Beasts, along with the Relic Stone, glowed with a rainbow aura greater than a thousand suns. The aura grew too bright for my eyes and I had to lower my goggles and turn away. The Beasts roared for one last time and the intense light soon faded away. I opened my eyes back up and saw the Beasts were no longer there. In their place were three gems, each one a color of their respective Beast, as well as a single bronze feather, with a Rainbow glow
"What do you think they are Wes?" asked Rui as she strolled forward to get a better look. She bent over to touch the objects and I felt my loins tighten as I gazed upon her ass. I was attracted to her, no doubt, in both body and soul. She was my everything and I didn't want to leave her, not yet. I couldn't. We still had lots more to accomplish together. And at that moment, I knew what I had to do.
"I don't know for sure, Rui." I coughed out as I mentally kicked myself and forced myself to recollect my thoughts. I'm fairly positive the feather is a Rainbow Wing, a token of Ho-Oh's appreciation. The stories say Ho-Oh will reward the few trainers it deems worthy with a token from itself. As Ho-Oh is the master of the three Beasts, perhaps it deemed us one of the chosen as a gesture for saving Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. I'm less certain what the stones are, but they have to be related to the Beasts, maybe. Perhaps the stones and the Wing are a sign we will meet again one day, when their services are needed one more." I scooped up the Stones and the Feather and stored the objects within one of my inner coat pockets.
"I'd like that, I think. To meet all the legendary Pokemon we did in a journey in a once in a generation event. Think of all the trainers and breeders and everyone associated with Pokemon. The vast majority of them will never a single legendary Pokemon and yet we met five. What are the odds Wes, that the two of us would every have an adventure like us? But I don't think anyone would believe us, its too crazy a story to be true." Rui mention as she spun around and looked me in the face.
I paused for a second and lost myself in her beauty. The way her auburn hair reflected the light of Rainbow was brilliant, I never saw anything quite like it. And then there was the way I saw myself in her shining blue eyes. I saw myself in a way I never saw myself in a mirror or my reflection. I saw what I could be, the man who I wanted to become, not the man I wanted to leave dead and buried. A man Rui and others could be proud of, not just some podunk desert junker who lowered himself to the deepest bases of man.
"You still there Wes? Hello? Orre-to Wes, come in Wes." Rui giggled as she waved a hand in front of my face, disturbing my thoughts.
"I zoned out there Rui, thinking about what you said. What we should do next. And I know what I want to do right now, and its been something I wanted to do for a while actually."
"Oh, what's that -" as Rui's words faded away as her lips met mine. I felt her tongue swirl around mine and heard her moan ever so slightly. She fell into my arms and I pulled her into my embrace. I never quite realized how warm she was until that moment. It was like holding the sun in your hand and feeling the warmth that would always keep you safe, no matter the circumstances. Feeling embolden by her reaction, I moved my hand lower until I could feel her shapely posterior and I gave it a quick squeeze
Rui gave a sharp squeal and broke our embrace. "Woah there Mr. Hero, I do need to have some dignity leftover after all. Though you did end up tasting like how I thought you would." Rui teased me as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, and what do I taste like?"
"Sand. All those years inhaling the desert from your bike has not been good for your breath."
I made a face as Sol and Luna unleashed some unholy noise not unlike covered up laughter. I shot them a glare as I turned back to Rui.
"Since when did the Rui I know become some sort of minx?"
"Probably around the time I saw you come out of the hotel shower barely wearing a towel. You have quite the flattering body you know. It was quite a shock to see how you really looked, wearing almost nothing. That coat doesn't flatter you at all. You have all the money in the world now, you should buy some new clothes"
"My coat is just fine, thank you very much. And if I had know how irresistible I am, perhaps I would have taken more showers after all. Seeing you all flustered would have been worth it"
"I am not flustered. And there was never a good time to tell you when we had Cipher goons breathing down our neck"
"Well Cipher is gone now and we're all alone in a mystical forest. I don't think there's anyone or anything that can stop us now. How would you like to see me a little differently now, eh Rui? I want you Rui, I can't let you go. Not yet." as I stepped forward and cupped her face.
"I definitely can't let you go either Wes, not after what just happened. I quite enjoyed those lips of yours and Arceus damn me if some other harlot gets her hands on you. I want you too Wes, more than ever" Rui whispered in my ear as she moved her hands towards the buttons of my coat.
…
"Oh-hohoho, young love is such a precious moment, isn't it now" an old and wizened, yet familiar voice made itself known behind us. I jumped out of my boots as Rui and I turned around and saw old man Eagun behind us with a curious look on his face. One eyebrow was bursting from his face and his mouth was cocked in a half-grin. Rui's face turned the exact shade of red as her hair and she quickly ducked behind me.
"G-g-grandpa, what are you doing here" Rui sputtered out in disbelief. She looked like she was going to faint.
"I came here to check out the rainbow that appeared from nothing. Its not every day that phenomena occurs. I most certainly did not expect to witness that display of affection." Eagun's voice began to trail off in a mixture of embarrassment and teasing comedy.
"How much of that did you witness, exactly?" I managed to sputter out.
"Oh enough of it, I suppose. I'm surprised that Espeon of yours didn't realize I was coming. Or maybe she did and just wanted to mess with you. You should have seen your faces, they were quite amusing."
I turned around to find Sol and Luna only to see them rolling around on their backs laughing on the tile of the Relic Stone
"Arceus help me, you two are the worst" I muttered under my breath
"Anyway, I wish Rui's father was here right now. Being able to see his reaction would have been priceless hahaha." Eagun snorted out in laughter
"Grandpa, no! Please don't tell my dad. Oh Arceus no, he will ground me forever." I felt Rui holding onto my shoulders, her arms trembling rapidly
"Oh don't worry about that. Your little secret is safe with me. No one has to know if you don't want them to. Now why don't the two of you come back to Beluh with me and we can have a nice, quiet chat about things" Eagun sagely replied before he gave us a wink and wandered off back to his tree home.
I turned back to Rui and she no longer resembled a human tomato. Instead she was as pale as a ghost.
"How are you holding up Rui?"
Oh Wes, I can't do it. I can't believe Grandpa saw me like that, with you, acting like, like a -" she sobbed out, her face on the verge of the tears. I gathered her in my arms and softly ran a finger under her eyes as I collected her tears. My other hand rubbed the small of her back and I rested my head upon hers.
"I'm here Rui, your gallant knight will always be here for you. Don't cry now, it's not a look that fits you. You are one of the bravest, strongest people I have met. Never forget that you stared down a ruthless crime syndicate in their own turf and never blinked once. There aren't many people who can have that claim. And never forget that you are a woman who can make her own choices in love and whatever else she wants to. Though I don't think Eagun was mad or anything, just highly amused."
"Thanks Wes. You always know how to cheer me up."
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't. Now lets go catch up with Eagun"
Rui nodded and wiped away her remaining tears. The smile that I had grown to love soon reappeared as she slipped her hand into mine. And Rui and I strolled through the Agate forest hand-in-hand as we walked the first steps of our new journey as one.
A/N: Well that's that then. I kinda wanted to get this over with so apologies if its rushed at the end. Wes and Rui are a couple now and totally in wuv with each other. There's just a few lose ends in Orre to take care of before the real story can begin, so there will be a few more intro chapters of sorts. Later