I am taking a break from Xenoblade because I don't feel right about not updating this story for a few days. Therefore, I am probably making another 2-3 chapters before taking another break.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Chapter 4: The World Outside the Tunnel

As I keep walking through this ominous tunnel, the entrance is slowly fading away. Fearfully, I look behind for just a moment and think about what I potentially left behind. Perhaps, did I forget something?

On one direction, there is this comforting light. On the other direction, there is a blurry shape, reminiscent of the tunnel entrance. It is getting smaller or is it an illusion? I stop and sit down, deciding that it is the best for me not to move to either side of the tunnel. I want a private moment of self-reflection.

"Wake up, you lazy, irresponsible…" Master Salamence voice echoes through the tunnel. His voice once again interrupts me from my slumber.

"Do I need to wake up this early? Even the Sun is still sleeping." I question his motive in making me waking up this early.

Master hits my head again before making comments about my behavior. "You are my pupil, this means that you will be following my rules. If others see you sleeping like a Snorlax, I would be ashamed to be called your master."

"So what will we be doing?" I eagerly ask about our schedule. Perhaps, he will be teaching me devastating moves like Draco Meteor or something equally as good. Maybe he will past down his secret battle tactics. Maybe he will-

"We will have some simple exercises that will enhance your understanding of your body."

What a boring task. My head drops down in disappointment after he is going to probably force me to do physical labor once again. I am starting to doubt myself that this Salamence is going to help me become any stronger at all.

"Really? Aren't there anything else to do that is more useful like learning new moves?" I ask, hoping that he changes his mind. To my dismay, he hits my head again.

"Is that all there is to battling? Learning new moves? Your body isn't even ready. You just recently evolve, you idiot. It is a miracle that you can even use Dragon Claw at such a young age." Master criticizes me.

"Well, I learn that having new moves is a sign of you getting stronger from books." I try to counter his argument and defend my point.

"Books? Is that your only source of knowledge? This is reality, Aero! Have you ever been trained properly by a move tutor?" Master questions my experience in battling.

I will admit that I didn't really battle at all when I am still a Trapinch. Mahi Mahi Desert is an isolated place. It must be a miracle to meet a tourist let alone a move tutor. It is nearly as barren and lonely to live there as much as Seaside Town. The natives like Diglet and Sandile usually hide in the underground. I am lucky to even meet Mr. Smeargle by chance from my trip to the oasis for water. Therefore, I didn't really interact much with others except my parents. They alongside Mr. Smeargle are my only sources of knowledge. While my parents teach me basic knowledge like how to survive to some degree and how to interact with strangers, they don't take battling with me seriously. I can only rely on books for that. Books that I read include things like move lists and the type chart so everything else I need to improvise.

"Not really." I slowly reply, hoping that he won't be mad at me.

Master face palms as he tries to take it in. "Let us start with the basics. Understand your own body and personal attributes." He doesn't seem too happy after saying that.

Master guides me to a nearby forest in Seaside Town. Apparently, it is so small that they don't really create a name for it.

"Do you know the average Flygon stats?" Master asks me.

"Flygon, they have high Attack and Special Attack right? They also have a decent Speed stat but poor Defense and Special Defense. Still, Flygon overall stats is lower than the other dragons."

Master shakes his head as he reveals the answer. "Flygon is the jack of all trades. The average Flygon would be decent at everything but excel at none, with the exception of their Speed and Attack being a bit higher. Although, you are correct at one thing, most other dragons like Salamence have higher stats than a Flygon."

This is certainly helpful. I nearly lost the battle with Mr. Clyde because of my lack of knowledge. If it isn't for that handicap…

"There is also this thing, we usually called it personal attributes. When you are born, you inherit genes from your parents. This means that if your parents have high Attack, you are likely also to have a high Attack. Hence, this is the reason why I need you to do a simple exercise to check your personal attributes." Master finishes his talk and hits me in the head again, interrupting me from my thoughts.

"Is it necessary to hit my head?" I ask as I rub my own head.

"It will make you become smarter" Master simply replies.

"More like it is going to put me in the hospital. You better be the one to cover the medical bills." I remind him of the side effects.

"You have a thick skull, don't worry." Master reassures as he hits me again.

"Ouch"

"Let us start the exercise already." Master eagerly waits to begin. This is new, I thought he retires already.

"Here, hold this rock. I am going to time how long you can hold it." Master forces a giant rock nearly as big as my entire body into my arms. I need to hug it with tremendous effort to not drop it. I hate physical labor.

"One minute pass by." Master announces the time.

I am starting to sweat.

"Two minutes" Master announces, which put more pressure onto my arms. I don't want to disappoint him.

"Three minutes"

"I am exhausted." I say before dropping the rock.

"You did better in this Defense test than I thought. I nearly bet that you would drop it after two minutes. Holding a giant rock for three minutes. Seems pretty average for a Flygon to me." Master comments on the results.

"Can I have a short break before we move on?" I ask.

"Seems fair to me." Master gives me a short thirty seconds break. I just lay on the ground, storing my energy for the next test.

"The next one will be Speed. You just need to fly from here to my house and back as fast as you possibly can." Master instructs.

The house is about one kilometre away. Doesn't seem that tough to me. I spread my wings and rise up in the air, preparing myself for the take off. I drive myself to the limit, keep on accelerating Aero! I want to impress him. I desire for a good result. The first half is quite easy but I am sweating in the second half. I think, I use too much of my strength in the first half.

"One minute and twenty seconds, average for a teenage Flygon around your age." Master announces the result.

Average, again. I need to perform better in other tests.

"This test will be for Special Attack. Use your Dragon Breath against that rock over there." Master points to an average-sized rock. I think I will do well in this test.

I charge up Dragon Breath. Inhale, Aero. Inhale! I focus and exhale a dragon energy beam which collides with the rock. After the sound of rocks cracking is heard under the mist of smoke, I feel proud of my strength. The smoke disappears and the rock is destroyed.

"Average" Master announces which alarms me. There must be some miscalculation. I destroy that rock.

"But I destroy it." I try to argue.

"It is normal for you to destroy it. A below average Flygon is the one that can't destroy it. Do you see the debris and pieces of rock left undestroyed? You need to obliterate it completely and destroy the surroundings as well for me to call you exceptional." Master explains.

Crawdaunt is right. I am weak, weak and pathetic. I need to be able to do well in the rest of the test.

"The next one will be Special Defense. This is simple, I will use Hyper Beam on you. If you are completely obliterated, below average. If you are knock down, average. If you can still stand up, above average. Finally, survive through two Hyper Beam of mine and you are exceptional." Master explains the grading criteria. This certainly helps a lot. Now, I will know how to achieve what I am aiming for.

"I am going to get seriously injured right?" I ask just in case.

"Probably" Master tentatively answers. This is not very reassuring.

"Don't worry, I am not going to go all out on you but Hyper Beam is generally a powerful move. I also need to ensure that it is going to deal enough damage to knock you down." Master clarifies.

"Never mind, I am confident with my Special Defense anyways." I give him a look of confidence. After all, Pelipper's Water Gun deal no damage to me.

Master charges an intimidating beam, it is glowing with red and orange energy that looks overwhelming. I brace myself for the impact. Master releases it as I shield my body with my arms.

A deafening sound roars throughout the entire forest as I get annihilated by the beam. I am on the ground, groaning with pain. I can't give it yet. I try to stand up but couldn't.

"Aver-" Before Master could finish, I interrupt him.

"Blast me with another Hyper Beam." I request him as I try to get up helplessly again.

"You, reckless fool! Do you think your results will change because you take another Hyper Beam? Personal attributes can't be changed! You inherit it from your parents. Looking at the damage that you receive right now, another Hyper Beam will kill you. If you wish to be stronger, train because that is what matters the most." Master scolds me with a patronizing tone.

I am such a disappointment. I hate it when I am weak. Again and again, I couldn't win battles without a handicap unless it is against weaklings like Pelipper. I just want to show my parents that I can stand up for them, that I… I can get revenge for them. I nearly sob. Fortunately, Master's instruction for the final test stops it.

"As Health test can be calculated with your Defense and Special Defense results, we will move on. The final test is Attack, for this test, just attack me with your physical moves." Master instructs calmly. In his eyes, I see both disappointment and hope. I know that he wants me to impress him. However, due to my futile efforts, he has some doubts for sure.

I still have Dig and I replace Rock Slide with Dragon Claw. Rock Slide is not my natural move anyways. I am a dragon-ground type. It is smarter for me to use dragon-ground type moves.

I rise up with difficulties. Thankfully, Master toss me a Super Potion, which heals me quite well.

This is it, I need to show him what I am capable of with Attack.

I immediately use Dig to get underground and sense his movements. When I realize his presence above me, I spring out of the ground and use Dragon Claw. Combined with the momentum of me using Dig, this Dragon Claw is extraordinary powerful. There is a blast of smoke and I could swear that I heard him yell in pain.

It is astounding, I manage to knock him to a faraway tree. Wait is that…blood?

"Good job, your Attack is exceptional." Master mutters as he clutches his belly so that no more blood is bleeding out.

"Wait! I will get you a potion from your house."

"Don't touch anything important in my room!" Master shouts as I fly over to his house.

I franticly search for potions in his room. Luckily, I find a Hyper Potion next to a beautiful treasure chest. It is carved with gold. It is so luring. My curiosity gets the better of me as I try to open it. Hopefully, it is nothing too personal. Inside, there is a picture of him and another Salamence alongside a little Bagon. Are they a part of his family? I feel guilty immediately and close the chest. If I don't tell him, he won't notice it right?

During my returning trip, I ask myself a few questions. Where are they? Are they still alive? If my assumption is correct, they might have already died. I remove these things from my mind as I hand a Hyper Potion to Master.

"Finally, you're back. Did it really take you that long to search it?" Master asks me as he uses the potion.

"Yes, definitely, I am not that good at finding things." I lie to him.

"Fine. Other than that I must say that your overall results are between average and above average." He announces as he looks at me. "You are around the age of 16, right?" I nod. "At that age, your Attack is clearly unbeatable for a Flygon, you just need to train to make it even better." I smile at his compliment.

"Regardless, you act as if you are going to kill me. During your fight with Mr. Clyde, you are very bloodthirsty. What makes you act this way again? Is it only your desire for revenge because the Water Nation kill your parents?" Master asks me.

This is quite a complicated issue. Therefore, I try to explain it to him properly.

"Not only my parents but my art mentor as well. They also insult me; I hate it when they treat me like a weakling. They are a group of murderers. Until…"

"Until that Cloyster speech stuns you huh?" Master continues for me.

"Yes" I admit. "However, I couldn't leave my parents death unjustified. They will be extremely disappointed that their only son can't get revenge for them." I look down on the ground.

"Snap out of it, Aero! What kind of parents want their son to commit murders to justify their death?" Master reply guilt-trips me. "I am a father as well and if I am to die, I merely want my son to bury me in a nice place where I can rest in peace. I want him to live his own life. I know nothing about Water Nation and if they are a group of murderers, it is none of your business.

"Bury…them in a…nice place? I didn't even do that. How could I… neglect their corpse?!" I fly over at my top speed to Mahi Mahi Desert. During the trip, I cry and weep. I don't care if anyone insults me, I don't care if Master insults me. I need to find their corpses immediately.

"Wait for me Aero." Salamence flies after the heartbroken Flygon.

Barc travels through Tallruin Forest for quite some time now. He is looking for something, perhaps a Pokemon or an object of some sort? The natives of Tallruin Forest don't know and neither they care. Barc puts the death of Mr. Clyde behind his mind now. He still couldn't forgive Aero but he won't take revenge either. Juan told him all of his observations and everything become clear in his eyes. Barc is doing a mission for Juan, he must find Juan's daughter in this abundant, gigantic forest.

I weep over their cold, rotten and stiff corpses. I couldn't even dare to look at their faces. I am ashamed to be their son. Perhaps, they should disown me.

"I am sorry for being so blind. I am so sorry."

"Yes, you better be sorry and atone for your unforgivable mistake because you are blinder than a Deino." Master says to my surprise. I didn't even expect him to follow me. I thought that he would left me in disgust for not burying my parents. He is also a father after all.

"Why would you follow me?" I ask with my eyes still in tears.

"It is because I also commit this unforgivable mistake once." Master admits as he sits down right next to me as I listen to his story.

"Before I retire, I am unbeatable. I am the strongest dragon in Artern. Match after match, I defeat countless opponents. I am also privileged with the gift from the gods, a mega stone called Salamencite. You know what it can do right?" I nod without saying anything so that I don't interrupt his story. "It makes me become more powerful but it also inflates my ego and put me in a tunnel vision as well. There would be some days where I am away from my family for many weeks to show-off my strength and find tough opponents. My family express their concern over me but I neglect them. There is this one day where I try to challenge a legendary Pokemon in Crystalia named Queen Diancie, apparently she is the ruler of that place. With the move Steel Wing, my odds even out a bit but I still lost. Fortunately, I escape safely but once I return… my family, they get killed by a mysterious murderer. I couldn't forgive myself and sell the Salamencite. I use that money to buy items like potions and live like a miserable creature until this very day." Master finishes his story with a sob.

"Your mistake is not as severe as mine though, I still kill many Pokemon that I don't even know if they are innocent or are just bloodthirsty killers." I try to console him.

"We are as blind as that Deino, how pathetic. There is this one pupil of mine, his name is Derek. He is a Deino. Even if his vision isn't very good, which results in him colliding into other Pokemon or walls at times, he still manages to keep his composure. Derek learns to use his other senses to help him in battling like hearing or smelling. I train him until he evolves into a Hydreigon. Until this day, he is still my best pupil. There is this slogan that I really like from him, 'If you only focus on what you can see, you will miss the truly important things'. I believe that he will be the new strongest dragon of Artern even though I don't know where he is now." Master tells me another fascinating story. I feel like I manage to see the truly important things now.

"Tell me your story, how about your name? What is the meaning behind Aero?" Master questions the meaning behind my name which I gladly tell him considering he tells me his story already.

"The name Aero is a combination between the two words, Aeolus and aerial. You probably already know what aerial means. On the other hand, Aeolus means the god of the winds. My parents want me to be as formidable as Aeolus but I don't really thing I deserve to be compared to Aeolus." I tell him as I continue to sob at the thought of my parents.

"Definitely, you are nowhere near the title 'the god of the winds', you couldn't even use a flying type move. I will find you a suitable nickname, how about Moley? You are as blind as a Drillbur and Deino combined. Use this nickname until you think you deserve the name Aero." Master creates a nickname for me, which doesn't suit my taste but I feel like I deserve it.

Upon realization that I didn't even know his name, I look at him questioningly. Perhaps, I should ask him.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Moley?" Master teases me.

"What is your name, Master?" I simply ask him but he seems to blush after I did that.

"Nothing, you don't need to know. Why don't we bury your parents now?" Master tries to change the topic.

"Is it that embarrassing? I tell you mine, so it is right that you tell me yours." I put pressure on him.

"Fine, but don't laugh." I nod at his request.

"Bohie" Master quietly mutters it out.

"Really? That is a very funny name. I thought the name Moley is bad but yours is worse." I comment and mock his name a bit but didn't laugh to respect his request.

"That is very funny Moley, my parents just thought that it would be cute to call me that. Let us bury your parents now." Master once again tries to change the topic but this time I agree with him. My parents' corpses are left disturbed for a long time now. It is the time to make them rest in peace.

Master purchases two simple coffin for 100 P each in Herbicul Town and I carry them inside. In the end, we burry them in the sands at the cave I once live in. It isn't just an ordinary cave but a cave filled with bright colors. There are bookshelves, there are mattresses. I still remember the time when I am just a young Trapinch that plays with my parents but all of that is behind us now. I wish that I could think about it but it will only escalate the pain inside my chest.

"What are you planning to do now, Moley?" Master asks with that annoying nickname.

"I no longer desire for revenge. I want to train with you so that I will become strong and independent. I rely too much on my parents in the past. That will change from now. After I finish training, I just want to leave from Artern and live in Crystalia. For now, why don't we have a trip to Mt. Scorch tomorrow?" I explain him the details of my plan.

"Sounds like a good plan, it is getting dark, we should have a full night rest." Master says before flying off to Seaside Town again. I lift my wings and fly beside him as well but I couldn't resist the temptation to look back at the cave for one final time.

"Mr. Zero, there is an invader in our base." A Shiftry hurriedly warns a Zoroark named Zero. Mr. Zero is the leader of a bandit group in Tallruin Forest called the Zero Defeat. Mr. Zero likes to rob people of their money and resources. He just doesn't really care about others Pokemon other than himself. If they rot and die, all he has for them is apathy.

"Who is this intruder?" Mr. Zero asks the anxious Shiftry.

"It is a psychopathic Crawdaunt. He already kills many of our frontline minions. I think-" Before Shiftry could finish Crawdaunt already finish him with Guillotine.

"Mr. Zero, today is a pleasant day isn't it? I have a proposition for you, work for me and I will spare you as well as giving you this reward." Crawdaunt snaps his pincers and Gelato walks in with a gigantic treasure chest. Mr. Zero eyes shine brightly as he drools over the amount of money. In total, it is 200,000 P. How did Crawdaunt get it? Nobody knows. Mr. Zero doesn't care about anything else other than this treasure chest, he doesn't care about his dead minions or the fact that the invaders are in front of him. All he cares about is the money in front of him.

"What do you need of my services?" Mr. Zero eagerly asks.

"Use your Illusion ability to do many dirty tasks for me." Crawdaunt says to the delight of Mr. Zero.

After the deal is done, Crawdaunt and Gelato step outside back to the realms of nature in Tallruin Forest.

"Gelato, are you ready for the assassination in Mt. Scorch? Remember to do it in front of Aero." Crawdaunt wants to see if Gelato is well prepared.

"As always Master, I prepare a special move for them that you take years to teach me."

"Good, you finally perfect Full Moon Night Slash. Don't fail or else you die, Gelato. That would be a shame because you are my second strongest disciple." Crawdaunt warns him of the consequences of his failure. Gelato merely nods.

Off in the distance, a Pelipper fly over to deliver the two a message.

"Rico, so are Jellifer and Tentacle in their location yet?" Crawdaunt asks.

"Definitely Master, both of them are in Ganchor City and Tentacle seems to get his job as the captain of the boat to Crystalia back by his own means. I also deploy our decoy, Phillips to that Vibrava to aggravate him a few days ago. Last I check, Phillips is dead as you expect." Rico explains all the details.

Perfect, Crawdaunt plan is nearly in motion.

"I think I should give our resident blind dragon a visit soon, his master won't live for long."

A chapter without Aero killing anyone? Surprise! Things are getting interesting aren't they? I hope that all of you review this story a bit more and tell me your opinions or else I might get demotivated and go back to play Xenoblade.