Chapter 2: Checkmate.

So something came to my attention with the publication of the first chapter of this story. While I received a lot of Story Alerts, Faves and what not, I didn't get a whole lot of reviews. Now normally I wouldn't complain about this sort of thing, but it's been happen very frequently now and it's kind of depressing. I appreciate the Faves and Alerts, but if you do Fave/Alert, I would really appreciate a review to go along with it. It can be super long and detailed, or something like "OMG, update soon!" It is rewarding for me to get the reviews and you feel good for reviewing. It's a win-win situation. Plus, you wouldn't like it if people did the same thing, right? :)

And to those who do review, I thank you. :)

Sunlight poured through the windows like liquid gold, heating everything it touched with a warm infusion, giving comfort and security from the nightmarish night two nights before before. The courtyard that was once littered with corpses and wounded people and pokemon alike was slowly being cleared away, but traces still lingered on. Murkrows and honchkrows wheeled overhead, waiting to feast upon the dead; however, they would not be so lucky that morning, for many of the castle residents decided to toss the bodies of the invaders into the waters of the moat. Those that were residents and visiting trainers would be given a decent burial or sent back home. Lady Rin wondered how she would explain their deaths to their parents.

Blaidd looked out the window of the bedroom he was staying at, out into the courtyard, practically bathing in the sunlight. Despite the tragedy that had taken place, he was finally free of the confining form that had been his vessel for two years. Fate had a funny way of giving him what he wanted. It came a price though: he was to stay around and continue to train his apprentice, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, until balance was restored once more. His vibrant red eyes flickered away from the window and at the board placed in front of him. He frowned in concentration and thoughtfully stroked the underside of his muzzle, thinking. Then, he reached forward and picked up one of his chess pieces, a white bishop, and moved it. He would have normally used his psychic abilities to move it, but he had to relearn many things, including using his paws and not human fingers and thumbs. Chess was a good way to exercise, both psychically and mentally.

"I believe that that is both check and mate," Blaidd smirked, crossing his arms.

Brock grimaced. "How did that happen? I got beat at chess, by a pokemon! How does a pokemon even play chess?"

"Strategy was very important back when I was training under Sir Aaron. He always told me that war was like chess, except a veil was in the middle, so I couldn't see the other side. So, he taught me chess. I wasn't very good at it though. I guess he expected me to become this great general one day, which I never did."

"Still," Brock sighed and started to arrange the pieces back. "Again?"

"Sure." Blaidd started to set his white pieces back in their places when something on the bed stirred "It would seem that our guest is awake." To reiterate the point, a small yellow, mouse like head popped up, ears still halfway up red cheeks sparking slightly. It yawned mightily and soon the occupant of the bed stirred too.

Brock stood up. "I should get going then. It was fun playing with you Blaidd, even though I got beat. You should teach me some of your moves."

"If I can remember them," Blaidd chuckled. "Good-bye Brock." Brock slowly padded out of te bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Blaidd turned to the bed's occupant. "Good morning Ash, or should I say afternoon?"

Ash slowly propped himself upright, rubbing his eyes and running his fingers through his unruly black hair. "Hey Blaidd. . . What happened?"

"Well, after the battle two nights ago, you came to visit me and see how I was holding up after you talked to your friend, then you collapsed, exhausted. Thankfully your friend Gary and Misty were able to catch you before you hit your head on the stone floor. You've been asleep since."

"I've been asleep for two days?" Ash shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around it. "It doesn't seem like it."

"Of course it doesn't." Blaidd got up and sat in the chair next to him, adjusting the cloak he now wore. The cloak was a very dark blue hue, almost black, and it had a large cowl to obscure most of his face when needed. A gold and turquoise brooch held it all together. "How are you feeling?"

Ash shrugged "Um, fine I guess. I was asleep for a long time so I'm definitely not tired."

"Good because something might have been wrong then." Blaidd leaned closer. "Ash, there is something I must ask you. What happened in the chamber? The one at the top of the staircase. What happened there?"

"Do you want the whole story, or the abridged version?"

"I want to know what you saw."

"Ho-Oh, or whoever claimed to be Ho-Oh came and told me to read the runes on the podium thingy. Then I followed the instructions and then it was like I was on fire, then freezing. There were all these pictures and images that came at me. Somethings stood out, like a desert, this rusty tower and a temple in a cliff. Then it all jumbled together like a picture soup. It was pretty freaky."

Blaidd nodded. "Orre then. Whatever we're seeking is in Orre."

"Orre?"

"It's west of Johto. It only has a handful of towns and cities and is mostly desert. The reason you haven't heard of it is because it essentially isolated from the world, thanks in part to the desert and a mountain range that separates Johto and Kanto. Orre has a very small population too and therefore, no official 'League' or Gyms."

"Oh." Ash flexed the wound on his hand. It had nearly completely healed, in the past two days, with only a thin scar and numerous memories to show for it. Something than came to Ash. "Blaidd?"

"Hmm?"

"Why were those people after us and nearly killed you and everybody else in the process. Did they want something, and what's that prophecy you told me about that night? And don't give me the 'short' story either." Ash crossed his arms and waited.

Blaidd closed his eyes slowly and wrung his paws together, shifting uncomfortably in the chair. It was one chapter in his life he wished to close permanently, but it was not to be, probably never to be. He inhaled deeply, to calm himself, and began. "As I'm sure you know, there are two sides to everything, including Aura. This 'dark side' of Aura has been around since there has been Aura. Aura is like lighting a candle; there will be always be light and there will always be shadows. We call this Aura 'Black Aura' or 'Shadow Aura', because of its black flames. Shadow Aura is a very dangerous art, for it relies on using the Aura of others to fuel your own, often until the point of death for the victim. It can also control minds, break wills and cause unimaginable pain and suffering. That is why I was teaching you to not use the Aura of others, or at the least, without their permission. Shadow Aura does not 'ask' permission; it only takes and takes, like a parasite, until there is nothing left of that person and they die. The people that attacked us are users of Shadow Aura. They do not have an official 'name' like Team Magma or Team Aqua, but I call them the Aura Hunters, nonetheless.

"The Aura Hunters have been around for a very long time, seeking the usurpation of the good Aura. Sir Aaron fought many of these Aura Hunters, as did I when I was apprenticed under him. But, an equilibrium was maintained between for a long time, a perfectly balanced scale. But with the death of Sir Aaron, the balance was tipped and not in our favor either and still hasn't. Since then, the Aura Hunters gained strength and power, forcing the 'good Aura' users into the shadows, lest they get captured and killed. While we seek peace and balance, they desire power and absolute rule. However, what they didn't realize at the time was that their downfall was already in the process.

"You see Ash, the prophecy had been written by an old Aura Guardian named Sir Arrowheart. He had written the prophecy one night while meditating, but it wasn't until the death of Sir Aaron and Lady Eilsa's dream did anybody pay real close attention to it, including the Aura Hunters. They had originally dismissed it as merely the ramblings and ravings of an elder. After the disappearance of Lady Eilsa, they started to study it and soon discovered that the key to true power was in the prophecy, the only problem was was that they didn't not know who the 'Sun of the Night' was. There were other verses, but they only confused them even more.

"So, for decades and generations, the Aura Hunters laid in wait, waiting for the one who fulfilled the prophecy to show up. But in the mean time, they gradually started to consolidate power, their grasp reaching into many enterprises, so when the time came, they could quickly and efficiently take over, with little resistance.

"And the time did come, in the form of me.

"When I was revived, I was completely unaware of what had changed in the world; the only thing I knew was from what I saw journeying to the Tree of Beginning with you and your friends. I was helpless as a cub and because of it, the Hunters found my signature very easily. I was unused to my body, so I couldn't hold them off and they captured me. With such few Aura users in the world, they naturally assumed that I was the 'Sun of the Night' and in the way, they could have been right; Sir Aaron never had any children and as his one-time apprentice, I could have been considered his son." Blaidd paused, looking more and more upset as he went along.

"They tortured me, for a very long time. Soon, they got my name from one of their sessions and managed to make the connection of a "Blaidd" as Sir Aaron's apprentice. Of course, they torture only increased from there. The Aura Hunters, led by a man known as only 'The Master', ordered my torture. They were going to turn me into a living weapon, draining all the Aura inside me until I became nothing more than an empty husk and died. They nearly succeeded too, but one night, I managed to escape their grasp and fled. Their base is on a massive rock in the middle of the ocean and as you can imagine, it was a near literal dead end for me. But then, something arrived, with wings that burned like the sun and its feathers were the hues of the rainbow."

"Ho-Oh," Ash breathed.

Blaidd nodded. "Probably. Ho-Oh then said to me, ' Do not despair, for I am here. My Master still has need of you yet.' Ho-Oh helped me escape from the living nightmare and I continued to train myself, with no teacher to guide me. Eventually, I found my way back to Rota, and I recovered there. Then, I went back out into the world, to find you. That was why Eldrin, the man at the cliff, recognized me because he was one of my torturers. And now, I'm afraid that because of me, they're after you. They were able to find you because you had left your Aura unguarded and the Hunters were able to use it as a beacon. If only. . ." Blaidd trailed off, leaving the thought hanging. He took another shuddering breath, feeling his throat tighten up.

"Now they think that you are the one from the prophecy and I wish I had gotten to you sooner, to train and protect you from them. And now, you're caught in a tug of war and this time, the rope will break, and break the world."

"But how am I part of the prophecy?"

"Because, you have the identical Aura signature of Sir Aaron. While you are not the physical heir to Sir Aaron, you have his spirit and Aura. You are the son of the knight. That phrase is a play on the homophones sun and son, and knight and night. I just wish..."

"So they want me because of you." Ash interjected.

"No, they want you because it wasn't me Now, I wish it was. I'm sorry Ash. I wish that these events never happened, but unfortunately, these were events already in motion that we couldn't change, even if we tried."

Ash reached over and placed a hand on Blaidd's shoulder. "It's okay because I think it will all work out in the end."

"You are rather optimistic, aren't you Ash?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "It's something that you get over time, especially if you have seen the things I have." He hugged his knees suddenly. "I wish that the world wasn't so, evil, though. I mean, why do people do the things they do? Why are they willing to hurt people?"

"There are somethings that even I cannot fathom. Some days, it's much easier to be a pokemon, I think."

There was a soft knock at the door and the thick wooden door slowly creaked open a crack. Dawn peeked inside. "Oh good, you're awake."

"Hey Dawn," Ash waved. Blaidd nodded in acknowledgment. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I have something for you." She came into the room, padding softly as to not to disturb Pikachu, who had fallen back to sleep again during Ash and Blaidd's conversation. Dawn held out a pokeball and placed it in Ash's open hand. "Your charizard really saved the day out there. The doctors patched him up really well and he wants to see you."

Ash gazed at the ball for a few seconds, not saying anything. He finally set the ball down on the night stand next to him. "Thank you Dawn."

"You should be really thanking charizard." Dawn smiled.

"He'll get his rewards later. He gets a huge ego sometimes."

"Sounds like somebody I know," Dawn winked. "Will you be coming down for dinner?"

"Maybe." Ash's stomach growled loudly as he said that. "Okay, looks like I am." Ash flipped the covers off, some of them landing on Pikachu. Pikachu shot Ash a sideways look, then went back to sleep. Ash snatched off his hat from the nightstand, running a few fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it, latching Charizard's pokeball onto his belt. The jacket was next and his shoes shortly after. He started to follow Dawn out, but then turned to Blaidd, who was still seated. "Will you be coming too?"

"In a few minutes."

"Alright, see you around." Ash shut the door behind him, leaving Blaidd alone.

Blaidd slowly got up, stretching and cracking his joints. "I'm getting old," he muttered to himself as he made his way back to the window and to the chess set. Blaidd took a hard long look at the set and brushed a black pawn that had been tipped over. "As they always say, in chess, the pawns go first." He set the piece back up and left the room.