A/N: Say hello to chapter three. Sorry if it seems like I'm going through the Fortune Cup arc so quickly. ^^; It's mainly due to the fact that, other than possibly a few scenes, nothing much changes about it, so there's not much to do except my characters giving their two cents about certain aspects. Actually, in a different Pokémon crossover with this franchise, I originally planned for Ren and the others to be competitors too, but I threw that out quickly. Mostly due to the fact that I have yet to plan out their decks (which is one of the main reasons I'm withholding putting up their main story, aka a non-crossover story). Anyway, let's see what's in store for this chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Pokémon nor Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Both go to their respective owners. I only claim my OCs. Also, a bit of a longer chapter in exchange for the wait.
Chapter 3:
(Ren's POV)
"AJ?" I asked when the name hit me. Could she be...yes, yes this is her. My sister, my thoughts concluded. I'm surprised with the pounding in my head that I could even make a coherent thought.
A step forward turned into a run and she embraced me. "Oh Arceus, it is you. You're alive!" she exclaimed. I was happy, too, but the pain in my head was getting to be too much.
Mazin could sense that, thankfully, and piped in, "Um...guys?"
"Where were you? What happened?" AJ pulled away, noticing Eric finally. "And what are you doing here?"
"Gee, I feel welcome," he replied sarcastically. Wait, what? What's...going on?
"Guys," Mazin put in.
"Well, you are the last person I'd expect to find with him, all things considered."
"Guys?"
"How many times do I have to say it? I tried to help, but there wasn't much I could do!"
"Guys!"
"You had Tori on you at the time! You could have brought him out to fight!"
"I told you, I didn't get a chance to-"
"Timberrr!" was the last thing I heard before blacking out and falling.
(Mazin's POV)
I rushed forward as Ren went unconscious, catching his head before it met concrete. My breath left out in a whoosh when he made contact. "Holy Arceus and Lake Guardians, and you call me heavy!" I gasped.
"Ren!" AJ and Eric yelled, bending down to his side. However, as soon as they bumped shoulders, the glared at each other.
"Would you two at least act civil while he's unconscious?! I really would like to keep from flooding this entire place and facing Yusei's wrath."
"Fine." "All right," came the replies.
"Good." I managed to pull myself enough out from under Ren's head, using my tail to hold his head up off the ground instead. "Now, before you two go at each others' throats, he'll wake up in a few minutes. He's fine."
"How can you call falling unconscious as being 'fine'?" AJ asked with a raised brow.
"Because this has literally been happening for over a year now, and at least he's recalled more than he's had the past three years we've been here."
They looked at me, shocked. "What?" Eric asked.
I sighed. "Look, when Riki and the rest of us rescued him, we somehow ended up in this...dimension, I guess you could call it. Though, Ren had recalled Riki and the rest of us before he got the help he needed, leaving Emily out. We didn't get out of our Poké balls until some weeks later when Ren semi-remembered us. From what Riki and Emily told me, he had run off because he felt like he was being a burden as he couldn't do much with how banged up he was. And thankfully, Riki helped him out of the mess he accidentally got himself and Emily into with a gang whose territory he mistakenly entered. As far as the fainting goes, it's usually because of the stronger memories resurfacing to his mind and it—as I understand—causes an overload and he passes out. The less intense ones usually just have him frozen where he stands for a few minutes before he snaps out of it. Scares the shit out of Yusei and the others, though."
"But what are you talking about, Mazin? You're making it sound like he has amnesia," AJ said.
"He...He does. We don't know how it happened, or why, but he can't remember much of anything. He remembers Pokémon, and all of that, but as far as certain events and even people...nothing. The people who have helped us think it could have been because of some sort of head trauma or the events were traumatic enough to cause his mind to just, well, shut down. We just don't know."
"Wait, back up a bit. You said that Riki and the rest of his partners rescued him, right?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"That must have been before the International Police raided the P2 Labs. That would explain why he wasn't there!"
"P2 Labs? Was that where it was? Well, I guess it was. At least Riki did some remodeling by blasting a hole in the side of it when we got there-"
"What? What are you talking about?" AJ questioned.
"Riki blasted a hole in the side of one of the walls. It was there we managed to get in and-"
"That can't be. Looker said the lab was completely intact. Like it was barely used at all!"
I blinked, looking confused. "Uhh...then that wasn't where Ren and Emily were being held. I specifically recall Riki blasting a giant hole in the side right before that green-haired, funny robed guy looked like he was commanding his Pokémon to attack them." My ears shot up at the sound of the screen behind us. I turned and looked, seeing who won the duel. "Aw man, poor kid."
"Mazin, focus!" I turned back to AJ. "If Riki had blasted a hole in the side of the lab, and Looker claimed it looked like the P2 Labs were barely used, then that means that Ren and Emily were kept at a different lab entirely! The documents there were just planted evidence. They wanted us to think they had had Ren there to throw the authorities off their scent."
"Sounds like something they'd do. After all, the prick ordered his Bisharp to kill Emily before Ren dove in and took the hit for both of us."
"What?!" they both yelled.
"Okay, ow, sensitive hearing, guys! And look, they did a lot more things to Ren than just the large scar on his chest. They were doing experiments on both him and Emily to draw out some sort of power from him."
"Power? What power?" Eric inquired.
"I don't know. Emily never said, and I doubt I can just ask Ren given his condition. I just know that whatever powers or abilities they were wanting to pull out of him, it was not for anything good for our world."
A groan signaled Ren starting to wake back up. "Ow...my head..." he muttered.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Ren!" I greeted. "Now, can I have my tail back?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." He sat up, blinking a bit tiredly. "What all did I miss?"
"Besides my nice little info dump to AJ and Eric here, you also missed the end of the duel."
That got him awake and on his feet. AJ and Eric also stood up, the Lucario still staying a bit ways off (how did I miss her?). "Shit! I forgot! Who won?!"
"Greiger did."
"Damn, poor Leo." He finally seemed to realize who was here with us. "AJ! Eric! You're both here!" He threw an arm around both their necks. "Man, does it feel good to see you both outside of my memories, finally!"
"Yeah," both said. Before they could even react to the other, I glared at them with a look that said, 'Be civil, you two.' I didn't want them to even reveal they weren't on friendly terms anymore.
When Ren pulled away, I decided to ask. "Hey, Ren. Quick question. What was the memory you had this time?"
"Oh, right! I actually somewhat remember when Em and I got captured."
Eric was shocked. "You did..?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you...blame me?" I tilted my head curiously. Okay, what the hell happened and why would Eric of all people feel guilty?
"No, of course not! They had that weird equipment that canceled out your psychic abilities. And also they weren't exactly being fair since they had guys in the shadows without us knowing about 'em."
This time, AJ was the one who looked shocked only it was different than when Eric had the look. It seemed like she heard the most disturbing piece of news imaginable. "W-What?" she stuttered.
"Yeah yeah. Eric tried, you know, shoving them away only to see that his powers weren't working and later when he tried to bring out Tori to replace Eliana who was out cold, they—AJ? Where are you going?"
She was already part of the way out. "I...I forgot I had someone I had to meet before the next round. See ya," she replied quickly and left.
Ren looked confused and a bit hurt that his sister left. "What was that about?" he asked.
"I'll...tell you later, Ren," Eric replied. "Now, uh, how about you explain what you've been up to in this world the last three years?"
"Oh, okay then."
Even I had to be a bit worried myself. What's going on between AJ and Eric, anyway? Was there some falling out that we missed? And why did AJ have that look on her face when Ren talked about when he and Emily got kidnapped? I hope we can figure this out and soon, I thought.
(Scene Shift-AJ's POV)
I kept walking, not really having a set destination. I just knew I had to get out and away from there. The moment Ren revealed what had happened...the realization came crashing down. Back then, when Eric had come to us, scuffed up and holding a fainted Eliana in his arms, I knew something bad had happened to him and Ren. However, when he tried to explain what went down...I blamed him. I blamed him for not doing enough to help Ren, for letting him get captured, for failing as a friend. And even after three years, I still felt like he was at fault for it.
Now, I learned the truth. There really was nothing much he could have done. He couldn't use his psychic powers to send the kidnappers flying, he didn't even have time to let out his Blastoise Tori to fight, and here I was putting the blame on him and breaking apart out little circle of friends. Oh Arceus, what have I done?
(Scene Shift- Eric's POV)
"So, let me get this straight. All the monsters in this world are holograms?" I asked.
"Yep. The holograms are based on what the cards put on the duel disk are, from how I understand it. They might look intimidating as all hell, but they're not real," Ren replied.
"Huh. That's...interesting. And a bit unsettling."
"Yeah, well, I managed for three years here. You can handle a few days." He shrugged.
"But how did you find a way back? I mean, I heard rumors of you returning in Unova, and also Sinnoh as of late."
"It's...a bit complicated to say. Basically this ring-" He held up his arm to show the golden ring on it. "-allows me to make a portal to and from the Pokémon world when I want or need to go. That's how I've been able to jump between worlds. Probably explains why you and the others couldn't find me a lot of the time."
"Sounds like it." I looked up at the screen when I heard the commotion coming from the crowd. "Uh, hey Ren?"
"Yeah?"
"You said the monsters here are just holograms, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Then how do you explain a sudden wind storm coming about when the other duelist just summoned out her dragon?"
"Eh?!" He turned to the screen too, seeing what I was talking about. "The hell?! But Yusei said-!"
"I think there might be some exceptions to the rule."
"Well this just opened up a whole new can of worms, doesn't it?"
"Yeah." I winced, my hand going to my bandaged right arm. What are you reacting for? I thought.
"Why's your arm bandaged up?" I realized what I was doing and removed my hand.
"Uhh...got into a bad tango with a Toxicroak the other day. Gotta keep the bandages on to prevent infection."
"Ohh, that makes sense." Well, even with the amnesia, he's still as naive and gullible as ever, I thought with a mental groan.
Listening to the rest of what the crowd was saying was making me frown a bit. I don't get it. Why do I get the feeling I've seen something like this before? Come on, Eric, think! This can't be the first time powers like this have been seen. "Okay, but seriously, why is this guy speaking in Old English, anyway?"
"Hell if I know. It's driving me nuts, though."
"Pff, having flashbacks to when we were in elementary, are you?"
"No!" I chuckled while he turned a bit pink. "Grr, it's just that...erm...the grammar is throwing me off. Yeah, that's it!"
"Ren, you and grammar go together like a Seviper and a Zangoose."
"...well, now I'm offended..."
"It's true, though."
He rolled his eyes and turned back to the screen. I followed his example. As the duel progressed, though, I kept getting the same nagging feeling. Agh, this is frustrating! I know I've seen something like this before. Maybe it's just a power that's the same in our world that's used differently here? But just what is it? It's not magic, though, despite what these people are saying. If only I can remember what...
"Okay, but seriously, can this guy seriously shut up? Not 'cause of the Old English dialect, but because he's seriously asking for a world of hurt if he doesn't," Ren's voice piped in. "I mean, that power looks very similar to what some psychic Trainers have in our world, doesn't it?"
I snapped my fingers. "That's it!"
"What is?"
"That's why the power looks familiar. Is there a possibility that there could be psychic duelists in this world?"
Ren shrugged. "Maybe. I wouldn't know too much 'bout it, though. I guess it would make sense for there to be, though, and I guess they can bring cards to life here. So much for them just being holograms."
"Yeah." I felt Jael nudge up against me, and I patted her head. "It's okay."
"By the way, I don't remember you having a Lucario."
"Ah, she's kind of a recent edition. Jael's at most a battle-companion, though, since she wasn't that into it like the others I caught in Sinnoh."
"You were in Sinnoh? How did I not run into you?" He turned back to the screen. "Dude, seriously, can you stop with that?"
"Well, when did you start?"
"Uh, some odd weeks ago, I think? I've only gotten to Eterna City and got the badge there."
"I started at least half a year ago."
He blinked, looking at me wide-eyed. "Seriously?!"
"Yep."
He groaned, tilting his head up to the ceiling. "Uuuuggghhh, I am so far behind!"
"If it helps, Jazz started earlier than me a bit and has only gotten her sixth badge."
"Not helping."
"So, any reason why you're stuck in here, besides the obvious?"
"Yusei said I'm grounded 'cause of the little stunt I pulled. I basically ignored his message to call him first and not to go to the Satellite."
My mind was reeling at this. "You're...grounded?"
"Mm-hmm." I gave him a dumbfounded look. "What's that look for?"
"Well, for one, you never listened to any of us to stay in one place for more than five seconds. Whatever this Yusei guy did, I'll have to ask him how he got you to listen."
"Hey!"
(Mazin's POV)
Yeeeaaah, I'm bored, I though, rolling onto my back. Okay, sure, this duel was getting pretty intense, but I got the unhealthy habit from Ren of not being able to sit still for very long. Something that thankfully Riki didn't pick up with how long he's been by Ren's side. I rolled back onto my stomach and stretched. Okay, I've gotta do something or I'm gonna go stir crazy. Leaving the garage is out of the question. Hmm... An idea came to me. Oh, I know!
"Oh, come on! Don't be calling out the end before it comes," Ren shouted.
"Have to agree there," Eric replied.
While the two were distracted, I walked around and tapped the Lucario on her shoulder. "Psst, hey," I whispered.
She jumped slightly, turning to me. "Y-Yeah?"
"Say, wanna do something a bit fun?"
"Um, like what?"
"I scoped out some hiding spots our Trainers shouldn't see us in, so want to play a little prank on them?"
"A prank? They won't be mad, will they?"
"Pff, please. At most, I think it would make Ren a bit sore about getting jumped so easily. He kind of has a hard time noticing his surroundings. Besides, I'm pretty sure I can see where this duel is going."
"A-All right." She got up and we snuck around. "By the way, who are you?"
"Ah, right, forgot some introductions. I'm Mazin. The brown-haired and scarred guy is my Trainer, Ren. And you are?"
"I'm Jael."
"Nice to meetcha. Now, let's set ourselves up a scare."
(Scene Shift- Ren's POV)
"Well, saw that coming," I said, stretching my arms above my head. "Seriously, though, maybe it's a good thing I wasn't out near the crowd with Akiza winning. I probably would have-"
"-shouted every profanity in the book," Eric finished.
"No! Well, maybe..."
"No 'maybe' to it."
"Grr...I don't recall you being a smartass."
"Then your memory hasn't fully returned. So, when do I get to meet this Yusei?"
"Ah, right. He should be coming down here since he's dueling up next." I stood up from the ground. "Mazin, come on. I know you don't like loud noises, so it's back to the ball." I didn't get an answer. I looked at where he had been laying to find it empty. "Mazin!?"
"Jael? That's odd, she never leaves my side."
"Oh Arceus. Okay, calm down. They couldn't have left the garage, right?"
"Why are you asking me that? I may be psychic, but I don't know everything."
"Shit! What kind of Trainer am I to lose a Pokémon in a parallel world!? Mazin? Mazin?!" I started looking around, trying to find a trace of the Vaporeon and Lucario.
"Booyah!" came a shout and a weight jumped into my back.
"Holy shit!" I yelped, landing on the ground.
"Aha! That was sooo fun," Mazin's voice piped.
"Mazin, what the hell?!" I growled, getting ready to push myself up. "You scared the living daylights outta me! I expect this kind of thing out of Loki or Keyne, but you?!"
"What can I say? I got a bit bored and I knew the outcome of the duel anyway."
"Did I scare you, Eric?" Jael asked. "Sorry."
"Nah, it's fine. At least I'm not that easy to knock off my feet," Eric replied.
"Yeah, you and everyone else I seem to know," I grumbled, shoving Mazin off and getting back onto my feet. "Seriously, act your age for once."
"You're one to talk. I have yet to see you grow out of the 'profanity' phase teen seem to be going through," Mazin said.
"Why you-!"
"Ren, you still in here?" I heard Yusei call.
Ah, crap. I didn't realize how far we went away, I thought. "Yeah, we're still in here! Mazin's just being an ass right now."
"I am not!"
"We'll be right over." I turned back to Eric. "Ready to meet one of the guys that helped us?"
"Yep. Though, I'm still going to ask how he managed to make you listen to him."
"...you are so asking for me to reach up there and knock that smirk off..."
(Yusei's POV)
Tanner left after giving me some info on my opponent Shira. Since I heard Ren yelp from somewhere, I knew he stayed in here like I told him to. "Ren, you still in here?" I called.
"Yeah, we're still in here!" he called back. "Mazin's just being an ass right now."
"Va Vapor!" came Mazin's retort.
"We'll be right over."
Soon after, he and Mazin came right around the corner followed by two others. The new Pokémon (as at this point, if Ren recognizes it, it's probably from his world anyway) that looked like a bipedal blue and black jackal with spikes on the chest and back of the paws. The other was a guy around our age with mid-length silver hair, pale violet eyes, and a head above Ren's height. "Who's this?"
"Oh, this is Eric. He's been my best bud since forever during our journey!" Ren introduced with a grin.
The guy—Eric—looked at Ren with a raised brow. "Don't you mean your best bud that kept you from accidentally falling off a cliff?" he retorted.
Ren gaped. "My sense of direction was not that bad! At least, from what I recall."
"Says the guy who became very acquainted with every cliff in Kanto and Johto."
He glared. "...I hate you..."
"I hate to cut this short, but I've got to get going," I intervened. "Eric, you think you can keep a hold on Ren?"
"Yeah, sure," he replied.
"Wait, hold up! I thought you said I was grounded and had to stay here?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, about that...I just wanted to make sure you stayed in one place, so you were never actually grounded." I revved up the engine and left before Ren could retort.
(Ren's POV)
I felt my eye twitch in annoyance. "I swear, I'm gonna hit him one of these days," I grumbled.
"Pff," Eric snorted, trying to contain his laughter.
"One word, and that smirk is flying off your face."
"Okay okay, let's just head out of here and watch the duel from the stands."
"Fine. Mazin, return."
"You too, Jael."
We recalled our partners and left.
(Scene Shift- Eric's POV)
Well now that took an unexpected turn, I thought with the reveal that Yusei's opponent was not whoever Shira was but someone else named Hunter Pace. The duel was allowed to continue, however, despite the sudden change in opponents. The different ways of dueling in this world kind of remind me of the different Trainer battle styles in our world, though I don't know if I'd want to try to have a Pokémon battle while on a motorcycle.
We didn't head fully into the stands and stayed in an entryway. Probably for the best considering all the times Ren tensed up and glared outward whenever the audience said anything bad about Yusei. Guess it's a good thing I'm here to watch him. I doubt many people would be able to keep a handle on Ren whenever anyone close to him is being picked on. Then again, he's showing a lot more restraint than years ago, even when we started out. Maybe something he picked up from the people he knows here?
"Soo...anything you want to ask me about your past?" I asked, trying to distract him.
"Oh, uh, not really," he replied, the glare disappearing. Then his face got downcast. "Well, actually, one thing."
"Fire away, then."
"What...What was I like as a Trainer?"
I blinked, confused. "Pardon?"
"I mean, personality-wise, I guess. It's just...when I woke up...I didn't know who I was, just barely remembering Pokémon and my name. And part of me even wonders if I act anything like my past self had. Mind filling me in?"
That threw me for a loop. I took a few minutes to think, the duel continuing on. "Well...you were always exceptional with Pokémon even when we were kids. You just...had a way of understanding Pokémon without at first knowing what they said."
"Wait, what? I wasn't born with this ability?"
"Not...exactly. The professors were confused as the rest of us were, but they guessed it could have been just not activated until we hit a certain age. At any rate, your battle style was always to jump in and hit hard as quickly as possible. And even if your Pokémon weren't faster, you weren't discouraged by that, encouraging them to be their best no matter what."
"Huh."
"You were also a bit reckless, and even then, your heart was in the right place. You hated seeing someone sad and upset, usually going out of your way to make them feel better." At the expense of your own happiness or safety, at times.
"I see..."
I didn't like the tone he said that in. I looked at him with a worried look. "Everything all right, Ren?"
"Yeah yeah, just thinking." He turned his attention back to the duel.
I did the same, my concern growing. Ren, what's going on with you? There must be more than just the amnesia or whatever's blocking your memories.
(Scene Shift- Ren's POV)
Yes! Yusei made it to the semifinals! I thought after he won. Guess after this little special duel, it'll be time to go, but how are we going to get Eric out of here? I mean, Yusei's Duel Runner can't exactly carry three people, much less two. I'm just glad I was small enough to squeeze on. Wait... "Aahh! I made fun of my own stature!" I exclaimed, ruffling through my hair furiously.
"What?" Eric asked, confused.
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
"If you're still insecure about being a bit thinner and all, don't be. Gives you an edge when your opponent thinks you can't handle yourself at all."
"Mmph, whatever." I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "'Sides, it's not like I haven't gotten a bit more muscle mass. I've regained enough of it despite whatever happened to me."
"Do you recall any of your captors at all?"
"No, not really. Riki and the others did tell me they rescued me from some lab, but that's it. I get flashes every now and then, but I think my brain keeps throwing it back out before I can tell Yusei or anyone else."
"You sure talk about Yusei a lot. Are you two-"
"I know what it sounds like, but we're not dating!" I felt my cheeks flush as I said this.
"You positive? He does seem like your type, after all."
"My type?! How the hell do you know my type anyway?!"
"I'm your 'best bud since forever,' remember? I was also one of the first people you had come out to as being bi. Though, that also caused Jazz to tease us, and she'd say I was going to come out next and tell I wasn't just into girls."
"Jazz...she's...also one of our friends, right?"
"Well, you two were more like rivals, even if her starter choice tended to have the disadvantage. You two were similar in some categories and different in others."
"Okay."
"Going back to this special duel, you getting the feeling it might be a bit rigged as to who was picked?"
"A little. I mean, it could have been random, but there's something fishy going on."
"What do you mean?"
"Yusei's being forced to compete. He has to participate if he wants to protect our friends in the Satellite."
"Wait, what? I know this is a different world and all, but that can't be legal."
"Yeah, well, if I meet the guy pulling the strings, he's gonna wish he hadn't set up that ultimatum." I growled low in my throat after I said that.
(Eric's POV)
When Ren gave a low growl, I could have sworn I saw a flash in his eyes, like they had changed color for a split second. What in the world? Was that a trick of the light? No, I was sure I saw a bright blue color replace his own just a second ago. Could it be related to that strange, Reshiram head mark that appeared on his arm all those years ago? My eyes drifted to my bandaged arm. Can you tell me anything, Ho-Oh?
(Scene Shift- Ren's POV)
The grip my hand on the upper arm to the opposite tightened. What the hell is happening? Was this the intention, and if so, why? I thought. The Professor had hypnotized Luna. Some of the audience members were yelling their worry about the situation as well. I am really disliking this sixth sense at times, especially when there's nothing I can really do to help!
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of ash-brown hair around the corner. AJ? I whirled around, not catching her in time. She was acting so weird earlier, including right after I revealed what had happened in that flashback I had gotten. I've gotta find out what's going on!
"Hey, uh, Eric. I gotta go to the bathroom," I lied.
"Okay. Need me to come with you?" he replied.
"Nah, I think I can find my way back."
"Well, if you get lost, then I better find a hiding spot 'cause I doubt your friend will like that."
"Ah, don't worry. He doesn't get mad that easily." I headed off, hoping to catch AJ before she disappeared again.
I hurried in the direction I thought I had seen her go, and sure enough I was able to catch up with her. "AJ! AJ, hey sis!" I called, rushing up to her.
She paused for a second to wait until I caught up with her. "What is it?" she said in a slightly harsh tone.
Ow, geez. Is she having a bad day? "I, uh, you kind of ran off before we could catch up."
"It's like I said, I had to catch up with someone after the duel is all." She started walking again and I did the same.
"Who did you have to meet up with?"
"Does it really matter?"
Okay, yeah, something's up with her. "Well, I'd like to know who my sister knows. Is that so bad?"
"Suppose not."
"But anyway, why were you acting so prickly around Eric earlier? You acted like he was the worst person on two worlds."
"Just something that happened in the past. Doesn't matter now."
"But you guys were friends, AJ. You guys might have disagreed every now and then, but you guys never acted like this toward each other."
"Yeah, well, sometimes friends split up, bro. People change. It's a part of life, after all."
I stopped in my tracks, letting her leave. What is up with this? AJ...AJ wouldn't act like this, right? This attitude...it doesn't seem like her. Just what happened three years ago? Why are Eric and AJ mad at each other? Was it...did I cause this to happen?
(Scene Shift- Eric's POV)
I rubbed my eyes, trying to keep myself awake. The shift in time was messing with me a bit, making me realize I should have probably gone to sleep in the last few hours. Ah well, I'll fall asleep when it's night time here...even if it'll screw up my sleep cycle a bit, I thought with a sigh. Footsteps behind me told me Ren was coming back. "Hey, Ren. Find the restroom okay?" I asked, not turning around yet.
"Yeah," he said in a dejected tone.
I turned to him, seeing the downcast look in his features. "Everything okay? You're looking a bit down."
"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah, I'm fine." He put on a forced smile. "Just, uh, hit my foot on the door when I opened it on the way out."
"Ow. Try to be careful next time, yeah?"
"I'll try." He gave a chuckle with that.
He's lying, a part of me said. It was easy to tell when Ren was upset. He would avoid eye contact at any cost, and he'd try to brush it off and say it was nothing with the fake smile he wore to throw people off. This is just like three years ago, when he wouldn't tell what happened between him and AJ. Not even Jazz knows, and AJ shares everything with her. My frown deepened. Maybe that's why she blew up at me and refused to listen to anything I said. After all, what hurts worse than having a fight with your loved one and never getting a chance to apologize?
The bracket for tomorrow's lineup was revealed. It was Yusei versus Greiger and Akiza versus Commander Koda (Ren told me who was who as I hadn't reached this world in time to see all the contestants). Two matches, huh? This tournament won't be for much longer, then. Then again, they could go all through the finals tomorrow as well, so that's going to be a bit of a pain. Hope Jazz is...wait, oh shit! I groaned, my head slipping into one of my hands. Crap, if I happen to "disappear" as well, she's going to flip out. And that's the last thing she needs to be doing.
"Well, guess it's about time to get to the others," Ren said, snapping me from my thoughts. "Though, the better question is how to get you moved around." He rubbed the back of his head with the arm that held the ring. That's it!
"Hey, Ren. Mind if I borrow that ring of yours?"
"Huh? What for?"
"Well, for one, you won't have to worry about me needing to find my own way along to wherever you're staying. And there's something I need to check up on anyways in our world."
"Is it that important?"
"Very." As in, I'd rather not have Jazz try to skin me alive for leaving her out of the loop.
"All right." He pulled his arm in front of him, slipping the ring off his wrist. "I have to warn you, I never really used it to see if I could jump to a different place in either world yet. It might work, you know, in theory."
"No time to test it out then. If I find myself here again, I'll just find my way out."
"If you're sure."
I headed off to find a more secluded spot to use the ring. Please let this work. Once I found a spot, I stopped. How is this thing supposed to work, anyway? I looked over the ring. It seemed more like a simple gold bracelet. Nothing out of the ordinary, it seemed to be something you'd find in any store. Well, here goes nothing, I suppose. "Hearthome City, Sinnoh!" I shouted while throwing the ring in the air.
Right after it left my hand, the ring stopped in mid-air, shaking a bit, and then expanded and formed a portal. I gasped, stepping back a bit in surprise. Okay, I was going off on a limb there, but it worked?! Hold on...is it even the right city? I'd rather not end up all the way in Alola or Kanto by mistake. Cautiously, I poked my head in. It was Hearthome, all right, though in an alleyway (makes sense, I suppose; don't want to be popping out of a giant ring in the middle of the square). That's a relief. I stepped in all the way. The portal vanished from the inside of the ring before shrinking back down to the bracelet size it was prior. I grabbed it out of the air. Definitely going to have to ask Ren where he got this thing.
(Scene Shift- Some Hours Later- Ren's POV)
Where could he be? I thought, skidding to a stop. Yusei, Luna, and I were out looking for Leo who hadn't shown up. I lent Mazin to Luna on this search. If I needed help, I always had a fire-breathing dragon to call out (aka Riki; okay, the dragon part is a lie, but he's dragon-like). And I remember why I don't like big cities so much. I get turned around so much. Maybe Eric was right about me having bad directions. Can't say I have good ones since I end up getting lost like this.
"Okay, Ren. Let's just retrace your steps and-" I started only to be interrupted.
"Ren!"
"Holy Mew and Arceus!" I whirled to the voice, seeing Eric stepping out of the portal. "Can you not do that?! I already have enough heart problems as it is! I'd rather not-" I stopped again when another person stepped out of the portal right behind Eric. She had gold eyes and dark reddish hair tied in a low ponytail. She wore a blue long-sleeved shirt with a gray short-sleeved jacket over it, jeans, and tennis shoes. Upon seeing me, her eyes bugged out. Another person from my past? "Uh, Eric?"
"Ren, this is Jazz. We talked about her earlier, remember?" he said.
"Oh, right right." Right, she's changed quite a bit since we were starting Trainers. Or even three years ago, when I went missing. "Well, it's nice to see you again, Jazz!"
Almost immediately, she ran up and threw her arms around my neck. "Oh my Arceus, You're alive and okay," she said.
"Uh, yeah. Mostly."
"I got her caught up on what you told me," Eric piped in. "Or, at least, what you were able to tell me."
"All right." At least I won't have to go into explaining everything. It ends up being a bad reminder of all that's gone. "Oh wait, did you-"
"Yes, I also explained about the whole 'don't bring out your Pokémon because of how this world is' part as well. Though, I think we can assume we can let out some of our partners around people you've already told."
"You're right about that. After seeing all of my partners, I doubt any of the others will be that surprised to see yours." At that point, it hit me. Oh shit...I hadn't realized it with that small argument, but I never told Yusei about what I saw at the hideout. Some friend I am. I wasn't able to keep that thought for long when I was reminded who was with me.
"Ren? You okay there?" Jazz's voice floated in. I pulled out of my thoughts to see she had pushed herself away with a concerned look on her face. Eric's features matched hers.
"You went quiet after mentioning your friends here. Care to explain?" Eric asked.
"Um...actually, since you guys know me—or rather, knew who I was—I want to level with you about something," I replied.
"Does it have to go with what you asked me back during the tournament?"
"No, it's something else. This might be a bit harder to explain, though."
"Huh?" both said.
I took in a breath and released it. "Well, it's about when I left Sinnoh after getting Yusei's message on my PokéGear. I had gone to the Satellite even when he had warned me not to. I wanted to see what he was talking about. Riki and I went to where the hideout was—well, it's more of a hangout, but I digress. The place was trashed and no signs of everyone. While I was going up the stairs, I got caught in another flashback, less powerful than the one that hit me back at the Kaiba Dome. When I got out of it, Riki alerted me to the danger heading our way. I'd go out on a limb here and say it was probably the same ones who had taken the others."
"So what does this have to do with that downcast look on your face?" Eric questioned.
"Well...I guess it's mainly because I feel like I'm lying to Yusei by not telling him what I had seen. I had gotten so caught up with the fact he was mad at me because I had no clue why he would tell me not to go there that I forgot about everything. I just...feel bad about not telling."
Eric and Jazz were quiet for a few minutes. Then Jazz walked back up to me and flicked me hard on the forehead. "Oooowww! What the hell was that for?!" I growled.
"Geez, amnesia or no, you're still the same," she replied.
"Eh?"
"Ren, no one can fault you for forgetting. You've always had a problem with keeping a good memory of certain aspects when you get upset even the slightest. More than likely, you were still jittery about what you found and almost getting caught. You were always known to get a bit scatterbrained when your emotions got jumbled up."
"That doesn't exactly explain what I should do."
"Should be obvious, right?" Eric said. "You should pull Yusei aside and tell him. If you need some backup for the talk, we can vouch for how you were."
"We've been friends for years, anyway. Hard to argue against that," Jazz added. "We can even give a few examples of you doing the same thing years ago if need be." She gave a wink when she said that last sentence.
I smiled despite the obvious jab thrown at my ego. Something inside of me was feeling a bit more at peace...but not by much. There was still so much bothering me. What was up with AJ's attitude? She was happy to see me, then when I revealed that tidbit concerning the capture she looked so distraught, and finally when I caught up with her again she kept trying to brush me off. And rather harshly at that with her tone. What's going on? Could...Could it have something to do with what I had done in the past? Is there more going on that I obviously can't recall? There's just...some nagging feeling...like I should know but don't. Not to mention...all that I've been told...
"A lost child in an unknown world. You desperately want to get back to your home and be with your loved ones. That's what your eyes tell me. But then again...there's also that lingering darkness in them. Like you don't want to be found."
"Oh yeah, I knew you back in the day, and what I can tell you is that you shouldn't be trying to look for your family. I doubt they'd want you back after everything you've said and done."
Those quotes...something about them unnerved me, and not just by the hints they were giving, either. I'm sure their meanings lie in the memories I've lost. If only I could remember all of what happened in Unova...and perhaps, before it as well. My thoughts halted when my PokéGear started ringing. The present slammed back into my face once more. Shit, I forgot the reason I was out here! I really am as scatterbrained as Eric and Jazz said!
I scrambled to pull it up from the string around my neck, answering it. "Yusei? What is it? Did something happen?" I asked frantically.
"Okay, wow, calm down," Jazz whispered.
"Really, Jazz?" Eric sighed.
"Calm down, Ren. We found Leo," Yusei's voice said. Though, the words were a bit hard to hear clearly as the speakers crackled.
"You did?"
"Well, more like someone else found him. I'll explain more when you catch up. Where are you, anyway?"
"Um...well...good question. I'm kind of lost."
I heard him sigh. "All right. I'm temporarily lifting the ban on letting Riki out. Just be careful with him flying about."
"Got it. I'll meet you back at the Tops."
"See you then." With that, he hung up.
I sighed, dropping the device back onto my chest. "Well, guess its now or never to face the music."
"You make it sound like you're going to trial, Ren," Jazz teased.
"By the way, you never mentioned how Yusei was able to contact you from our world," Eric pointed out.
"Ah, right. Well, as you probably heard from the speakers, the PokéGear can be used sort of. As far as when I'm in our world, it's kind of like getting messages coming in after being out of range. It's a bit hard to explain entirely as I'm not sure how it works, to be honest."
"Huh. Interesting to note."
"Anyway, we better get going." I pulled out Riki's Poké ball. "Don't wanna keep him waiting, and it's getting late. Judging from the way you were looking back at the Dome, I'm guessing it was pretty late when you got to this world."
Eric looked away sheepishly while Jazz giggled. "Yeah, you can imagine I wasn't too happy about being woken up so early in the morning," she added.
"Yes, blame me for the time difference," Eric muttered.
(Scene Shift- Eric's POV)
We had gotten to the place a bit later than we had liked. Ren didn't have a good sense of direction even in the air. Thankfully, we hadn't been caught. At least, I hope we weren't. Ren went to go talk with Yusei while Jazz and I hung back a bit. My arm started throbbing again, so we ducked away to check on it.
"It's been hurting that much?" Jazz asked, unraveling the bandages.
"Yeah. It's usually only when Ho-Oh's trying to get a message across. I got tired of people asking about where I got the 'tattoo,' so I covered it up," I replied.
"Why do ya think I went to long-sleeves? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a tattoo one day. Just rather it be of my choosing. Not the whole...whatever we have."
"Figured as much."
"All right. Now let's see—whoa."
I was just as shocked as she was. My mark—which had been just of a top-down shot of Ho-Oh's head—had changed slightly. An outline of flames decorated the top part of the mark. "Well, that wasn't on there before."
"Should I check mine as well?"
"Wouldn't hurt."
She rolled up her sleeves, showing that even her mark of Xerneas's head had the same flames. "Okay, these things make as much sense as a Wailord being able to float in the air. I could have sworn this looked semi-normal a week ago."
"Same here." Did us coming to this world affect our marks? But why? What's so important about this world that they'd undergo this change? "At any rate, we should-"
"Hey guys, what are you doing?" Ren's voice came in, making both Jazz and I flinch.
"Nothing!" we both shouted, jumping onto our feet. I hid my right arm behind my back while Jazz jut let her sleeve roll back down.
"You sure?"
"Ah, well, I was just having Jazz check out my little injury here since she was there when I got hurt," I replied.
"Right right. Don't want something like that getting infected," Jazz added with a quick nod.
"Huh."
"So, uh, how did that little talk go?" I asked, changing the subject.
"A lot better than I expected. Yusei had already an idea of what had happened if I had taken off with Riki and Mazin, so he reassured that he wasn't upset over that."
"That's good. Erm, anyway, I better let Jazz get back to cleaning up the injury. You can head back on inside."
"Hm? Why? Not like it would bother me, and I saw what a good chunk of my body looked like under the bandages years ago."
"Oh, but this is some reeeaaallly nasty shit going on with his arm. Like, stuff you'd see in the horror films," Jazz said.
"Can't be that-"
"Oh, but it is!" I joined in. "Trust me, you do not want to see the color your skin could turn with this type of poison. Really nasty, looks more like a zombie arm than a human arm." Please buy that!
Ren's eyebrow raised before he sighed, shaking his head. "All right, I get it. I'm wanting to head to bed as early as I can. We'll have to figure some way of getting you guys to the tournament anyhow. 'Night!" He turned around, heading back in.
"Goodnight!" we called back. Once he was out of earshot and sight, Jazz and I let out sighs of relief. "Oh, thank Arceus he's gone..."
Jazz recovered first. "You didn't tell him about your mark?" she asked.
"Kind of hard to when he doesn't remember it, and we had talked a lot about it before Unova," I replied. "Heck, it came up while we traveled Johto."
"Good point. Anyway, let's get that re-bandaged and hidden again."
"Right." But now I have to wonder...if our marks have changed...could Ren and AJ's marks have as well?
A/N: Annnnddddd I'm done! Phew, this was a doozy to get written, and here I thought I could get it out quick enough. Apparently not! At any rate, I've got the next chapter outlined, so be sure to come back around for that. Things are going to be heating up (literally)
PS- Sorry if AJ seems to suddenly change into...well, a b-word mid-chapter, but there's an explanation for that...just not now. 'Cause spoilers.
PPS- Kudos to anyone who spotted the little Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood reference. ^^
