Chapter 3: Healing Touch

"Day by day, fade away…all melt into one…you and me perfectly, shine brighter than the sun…the melody that I sing heals all your pain…year by year, like the gears of a clock unchanged…"

The fair and beautiful Gardevoir's soothing voice washes over the wounded pokemon throughout the abandoned city streets. Even the grimer and muk population cannot help but to be mesmerized by the sound. A single Pikachu named Shin watched from a distance.

"Lady Luna…"

The Gardevoir tended to the wounded and sick every day, as if she was a long lost savior or angel. Even the magnemites and voltorbs praised the beauty.

"Hehe I can see you Shin!" Luna playfully giggled. The Pikachu gasped and lost his balance.

"Ouch…hey Luna…" Shin dusted himself off after the short fall.

"How do you feel today cutie?"

"Umm…much much better my lady. I don't even feel sick anymore, you're amazing!" the Pikachu uttered blushingly.

"I don't know about that Shin…I try! If you have the abilities then why not use them?"

"You also have a gorgeous singing voice lady Luna!"

"Hehe…well thank you Shin! I've just had a lot of time to practice." the Gardevoir unleashed a huge sunny smile.

The two continued to walk through the decrepit city, speaking of small things into the evening. Nightfall soon shaded the dreary landscape of the city.

"Hehe I think it's about time we head home Shin." Luna said suppressing a yawn.

"Aww…well maybe we'll talk again tomorrow!" the Pikachu replied.

Something made a subtle sound from the shadows. The two gazed down a dark city street into complete darkness.

"Well well what do we have here?" a figure stepped out of the darkness. A beat up and scarred Hitmonchan appeared.

"Greetings…hehe…" Luna laughed nervously at the situation. Shin hid behind her ivory veil.

"What brings you to my territory? Do you have my tribute? One must pay to walk through my streets…understand?" the Hitmonchan punched his gloves together.

"So pay up!" Hitmonchan charged toward the Gardevoir. "Fire pun-!"

"THUNDERBOLT!" several dozen voices screamed out. Hitmonchan was launched backwards into a building.

"Are you guys alright?!" a magnemite questioned the two pokemon.

"Yes we are just fine…thank you but I must go check on him…" Luna swiftly moved towards the rubble.

"Are you kiddin' me?! He tried to knock your block off Lady Luna!" another magnemite adamantly stated.

"It doesn't matter…no pokemon will die if I have the means to save them." Luna started to tend to the Hitmonchan's burns.

The other pokemon watched from a distance, including Shin. Hitmonchan slowly began to regain his composure. He looked up at the stunning site with hardened eyes.

"Why…in the hell would you help me? I attacked you…"

Gardevoir paused for a moment. "Because I sensed that you are a broken soul…that needed to be healed."

"A broken soul? Don't make me laugh. Out here…it's every pokemon for himself…devour to survive." the Hitmonchan smiled a bitter smile.

"It doesn't have to be that way though, does it? Only if you give in to the darkness of the world, do you have to destroy others. Sometimes all someone needs…is to be healed."

The Hitmonchan absorbed the words, processing every syllable.

"You know…I'm sorry, for attacking you that is. Usually the pokemon that wander into this place are nothing but scum…what brought you here?"

"I was just…having a pleasant walk with a friend…hehe." Gardevoir smiled once again.

"I see…my wounds are almost completely healed…how?" Hitmonchan seemed shocked by Luna's powers.

"It's my…talent. I've had years of experience at this sorta stuff…hehe!"

The Hitmonchan's face started to contort into a genuine smile. The rain started to fall on the two. Hitmonchan hopped to his feet and began to walk away.

"Say…you got a name sweetness? Mine's Lee."

"Umm…yeah mine's Luna! Nice to meet you! Hehe…"

Lee walked back into the shadows from which he came, leaving Luna stuck in the rain. Luckily, a golbat flew over to her.

"Hiya Cutter!"

"Looks like you could use some shelter from the storm my lady! Climb on my back and I'll get ya where you need to go!"

Gardevoir climbed onto the large flying pokemon and sped off to her newfound home.

/

"It looks as if Alpha has already began his recruitment…shall we get started Doze?" a Weavile questions his Gengar ally.

"I suppose that would be a swell idea indeed Dreamer. What IS the game plan?" the Gengar's suave voice replied.

"Hmm…I believe YOUR particular group of pokemon dwells in the ruins of the human cities."

"MY group of pokemon?"

"Yes, the dirty and unpleasant ones, such as gastly, haunter, grimer, muk, ratta-."

"That is quite enough Dreamer…hahaha those just so happen to be my favorite anyway! They tend to get the job done, not matter how…UNPLEASANT." the last word shot out of the gengar's mouth like a bullet.

"And as for myself…I will make my way to Snowpoint. Barring undesirable circumstances…we will meet up with Alpha and the master in twenty-seven days."

"HAHAHA sounds like a plan partner! Saffron City here I come!" Gengar vanished into vapor.

"Eh…overzealous as always." Weavile vanished just as quickly as Gengar. Things were about to get interesting indeed.

/

A single figure balanced one the tip of a jagged mountaintop. Dega's meditation took him to the absolute ends of the earth. Bayne watched from a distance as he practiced his own special training. Dega opened his eyes and leaped from the tip of the mountain.

"Something's…different." Dega stated to himself.

"What was that?" Bayne paused in his training.

"Dark energies…four of them…just made their presence known to the world."

"…Can we handle them?" Bayne asked hopefully.

"Not a full-fledged battle…but maybe one on one. I'm sure Ark will be aware of this situation soon if not already, due to his shadow aura. If he needs help, I'm sure he can find us…but something is troubling me."

"What is it Dega?"

"The trajectories of the energies…the strongest is already located deep within the Hoenn desert. The second strongest energy's power seems to be fluctuating from Mount Coronet. Another seems to be headed straight towards Saffron City in Kanto. The last one…is coming right at us."

"So yet another opportunity to test my new strength!" Bayne raised his fist to his face.

"Maybe so…but didn't Luna say she was going to help the pokemon in Saffron?"

"Yes…does she have the strength to beat the threat?"

"I do not know for certain…we will go to her aid, just in case. I'm sure she misses us anyway."

Bayne seemed to concentrate, as if formulating a plan.

"Dega…you go to Saffron and take care of Luna. I will stay here and face whatever it is that seems to be causing so much damn disturbance in your so-called aura balance."

"Are you sure you can handle the threat yourself Bayne?"

The Blaziken slightly smirked. "I live for fights like these. As I said, I'm in need of a…test."