AN: Welcome back! Here is the next chapter of Peace in Darkness! I've had some kind of a writer's block along with health problems that left me exhausted so it was hard to write. Sorry about that. Anyway, hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything except the characters, plot, and bad guys.

Chapter 4

Blake and Maura were going to Geosenge Town. Known to only Blake some of their parent's research had taken place there. Blake hoped someone would be around to tell her about them or at least look into what they researched. Blake figured the only way to find out about her parents was to follow in their footsteps or at least follow their trail. She didn't want to exactly follow their lead.

"Blake, how long until we get there?" Maura asked.

"Probably not until tomorrow or the day after. We haven't even got to Ambrette Town yet." Blake told her sister. Blake wondered if Maura knew about all the traveling meant walking which they'd be doing a lot of. She hoped she did or it would be a rude awakening once they got into long stretches with no centers in between.

"Are you going to check out Ambrette Town too?" Maura asked.

"Perhaps. Ambrette Town seems so small, but it never hurts to check." Blake replied. Blake told Maura for right now they were going to scope out places that could in the future have a gym and try to build a team. She'd worry about the other steps later like the how.

"Awesome!" Maura replied before getting an unsure look on her face. Blake saw it and knew instantly that was Maura's question face. The type of question Maura wasn't sure she wanted to ask because she cared about Blake's feelings.

"What do you want to ask me?" Blake asked.

"Huh? Nothing at all!" Maura replied with a cheesy smile.

"Really?" Blake inquired.

Maura sighed knowing Blake had caught her look and asked, "Why don't you keep Froakie out of his Poké Ball?"

Blake had an answer for her; she just didn't want to give it to her. Blake wondered if she should lie to her sister again, but that would complicate their relationship even more. Blake already lied to her once and if Maura ever found she'd be furious. Blake didn't need to add to the fire.

"I don't think he likes me." Blake answered honestly.

"What?" Maura questioned. "Of course he must like you, you're his trainer and didn't you tell me that he picked you."

"Not exactly. Remember he sort of picked me after he was sure I was going to get in trouble." Blake reminded her.

Blake really thought her Froakie didn't like her. She didn't know how to connect with him. She never had been around Pokémon. Despite living in a Pokémon world, she barely interacted with them. At least at an age she could remember. Blake knew Froakie was her partner and friend. She wondered if he felt the same. She would treat him the way Pokémon deserved to be treated, with love and respect.

Maura looked at Blake as she went into thought. She understood what Blake was going through. It was what any new Pokémon trainer went through. The start of understanding how to become a trainer, the kind of trainer they wanted to be. Learning how to handle Pokémon, battle, and be independent to look after others. Maura smiled. Blake already knew how to do a third of that. Her older sister was like a beacon of selflessness and caring for others. She would care for Froakie like he was her brother. Maura gave Blake at little more than a third. Blake knew how to fight. Blake would always stand up for her when she was picked on as a child in the orphanage and got into trouble while she was at it.

Maura crept up the stairs during the night. She had to see Blake. She needed to see if her sister was alright. Maura couldn't help but play back today's events in her head. An older boy who was older than Blake by three years had been picking on her while Blake left to get something for them to play together with.

The boy came up, called her names, pulled her hair, and told her she was never going to get adopted especially with her sister around. Maura began to cry and next she knew the boy went down as Blake ran up and shoved him while he wasn't looking. Seconds after, a fight started and that eventually was broken up, but both kids were pretty beat up. Last Maura saw her sister that day was her being dragged away with what she knew was blood on her face.

Blake would be in the older kids' room for about a week because the old hag that ran the place thought she was too dangerous to the others. That was wrong. Blake wouldn't harm anyone unless provoked. Blake would barely physically defend herself, only others. Example by today. If the boy had been messing with Blake then she would have left it and took Maura and herself somewhere else. However, he messed with Maura. Maura thought she had the best sister.

"Brae?" Maura asked as she cracked the door open.

"Mar?" Blake voice answered in the darkness.

"Brae!" Maura ran in to see her sister laying on one of the beds.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked.

"I wanted to see you!" Maura answered. Maura couldn't see Blake smile in the darkness. The moon then moved out from the clouds and Maura could see Blake, especially her face. She had a black eye, bruises, and cuts. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, are you okay?" Blake asked.

"Because of you. Why did you do that?" Maura asked

"He messed with you and no one messes with my little sister."

"Just me?"

"Not just you, anyone I care about."

"You're awesome even though you fight dirty." Maura said hugging her sister.

"I do not!"

The girls laughed, but the despite their laughter died from getting caught, their moment would live forever.

"Look Ambrette Town! Race you!" Maura said shoving Blake some and making a run for it.

"And you say I play dirty!" Blake said starting her chase after her sister. "Cheater!"

The girls arrived at the Pokémon Center moments later. Maura had won the race and claimed she was faster than Blake. It wasn't true. Maura was a slow runner and Blake could have caught up and beat her, if she wanted to. They walked into the center laughing.

"Shh…" they heard. They looked to see Nurse Joy behind the counter. "Come here quick."

Both girls didn't question it and ran toward the nurse and went around the counter with her. The normally kind center nurse looked scared out of her mind like she expected someone else to walk into the door. She was hiding.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked.

"You're a Pokémon trainer right?" she asked.

"Yes she is." Maura asked before Blake could say 'sort of'.

"Oh please, you have to help the research lab here in town. They're being overrun by Team Aggro." Nurse Joy explained.

"Team Aggro?" the girls questioned.

"Yes. They're a villainous team that wants war on the world in order to stop what they claim is the chaos happening. They believe they want justice and peace, but in reality it is destruction. They claim if they can't fix the world then they'll reset it. Please they're not afraid to hurt people and Pokémon to get what they want. Save them." Nurse Joy pleaded.

"Brae?" Maura asked. Blake wouldn't just say no. That wasn't like her.

"Don't worry, I'll help them." Blake said.

"Let me see your Pokémon." Nurse Joy said and took Blake's Poké Ball containing Froakie and put it in a scanner type like machine. It beeped and she took it out handing it back to the trainer. "There I've done a quick heal. He'll be fine."

"Thank you." Blake thanked her. "Go Froakie."

"Kie!" the Bubble Frog cried coming out from his ball.

"I need your help." Blake said straight.

"Froa?" he asked.

"Some people and possible Pokémon are being held captive by some bad people. I can't leave them there, but I can't do it alone. Please, you'll help me right?" Blake asked her starter.

Froakie looked up at Blake. Question answered, of course he was going to help her. Those people needed his help and this way he might get to fight. However, he wasn't sure about Blake's capabilities yet. He wondered should he give her chance. Did she even deserve a chance? On the other hand would she even be able to help him? From the way she said these were bad people, would a novice like her be useful? Only time would tell.

"Kie." He nodded. He would help those people.

"Maura, I want you to stay here." Blake told her sister.

"No, I'm going with you."

"No, it's too dangerous."

"I don't care. You're not going alone."

"I'm not."

"Other than Froakie."

Blake sighed in distress. Maura was sometimes impossible to deal with because she was determined and made sure she got what she wanted. She wasn't the little cry baby or puppy of a sister Blake remembered from their childhood. Maura was a basically a teenager and well, Blake knew she wasn't a child.

"Fine."

Ambrette Town was quiet. Everyone had gone inside because of Team Aggro. Blake, Maura, and Froakie carefully made their way toward the research lab in town. They mainly looked into fossils and stones, but they apparently had to have something of importance to Team Aggro. What it was, Blake didn't know, but apparently it was worth the trouble.

"How are we going to go about this?" Maura asked in a soft voice.

"I hadn't thought of that…" Blake whispered.

"Froakie!" Froakie cried.

"Froakie!" Blake cried out and ran after starter who had gone rushing inside the building.

As Blake ran in she saw her starter using Water Pulse on a Pancham. Pancham fell over and the grunt up roared about how a Pokémon had broken in. Froakie then used Bubble to faint some Zubat. However, his streak didn't last long as he was knocked back by a Chespin using Vine Whip. Blake caught her starter and held him. He forced his way out of her arms and prepared to fight. By then another two grunts had joined the admin that owned the Chespin.

"Froakie!" Blake cried trying to get her starter to listen to her. Froakie didn't even turn to look at her and attacked with a Quick Attack.

"Humph! Wow, a trainer that can't control her Pokémon. That's just wrong. I guess we'll have to make sure that this doesn't happen anymore. Chespin Pin Missile!"

"Ches!" the Pokémon cried and fired green missiles from his spikes that were launched at Froakie. They were a direct hit on the water type that had been coming at them.

Blake watched as her starter was on the floor hurt. This was horrible. Was she a horrible trainer? Was the member of Team Aggro right? Was it wrong for her to even be a trainer? It had to be. Froakie didn't listen to her. Sure, he stayed with her, but didn't stand by her.

"Houndour Bite!"

It didn't matter that Froakie didn't listen to her. She was his friend and trainer and it was her job to protect him. Blake's expression of fear turned to determination as she ran out to reach her starter before the attacking dark type. She would stand by him. He was worth it. Froakie was someone worth fighting for.

"Douuur!" Houndour cried as he went to bite Froakie. Froakie, who had just recovered from the last attack looked up to see the incoming Pokémon. He had no time to dodge. He prepared himself to take the Bite attack.

"Blake!" Froakie heard from Maura that was calculating what her sister was doing.

Blake passed in front of his eyes and placed her hand in the way. Houndour still attacked without hesitation taking her as the target clamped down on her hand sinking his teeth in. Blake face instantly turned painful and she held back tears and crying out loud. Houndour wasn't biting lightly and wasn't letting go from what appeared anytime soon. She cried out a moment and then gritted her teeth. Maura gasped loudly upon what her sister had done and what resulted.

Froakie looked in awe. Blake just protected him. It was all sinking in. The trainer protected her Pokémon. The hurt in her eyes didn't hide what she was thinking or intending to do. She was going to protect him. He was worth protecting and she would protect him. Sure, Blake was just starting out with this new trainer gig, but she wanted to learn with Froakie at her side. No one else but him. Froakie could see the starting of a great trainer in…his. When they fought, they would fight together.

"Kie. Froakie!" Froakie cried as he launched a Water Pulse at Houndour. The pulse of water hit him in the face and he released Blake. Blake fell to her knees and cradled her left hand in her right. Meanwhile Houndour was sent into a bookcase from the power Froakie had put behind the super-effective attack. His 'trainer' didn't look concerned, but instead tossed him and the ball.

"Thanks…" she grunted.

"Kie."

"Are we…going to go at this…together?" Blake asked while trying to swallow her pain.

"Froakie." Froakie nodded.

"Then let's go." Blake said standing up beside Froakie. "Start with Bubble!"

"Froaaa!" Froakie cried and attacked with Bubble. He was able to attack all his opponents at the same time.

"Chespin Vine Whip!" the admin cried ticked off that the trainer had arrived and wasn't as inept as he thought.

"Block them with Pound!" Blake cried.

"Tackle!" That was the command for Chespin.

"Low Kick!" That was the command for Scraggy from the third grunt.

Froakie was surprised with how smart she thought. Blake knew she couldn't do the actually fighting so she commanded Froakie to do what she would have done. This training and battling needed to go as if they were hand in hand. That was what all they were for the other Pokemon there, just commands. Blake gave them too, but hers weren't just commands. They were advised tactics to use in order to fight and win. Essentially extensions to what she would do if she could fight instead in their place.

"Bubble!"

Froakie attacked and their opponents went down. Froakie looked proud as he had defeated his opponents with the help of his trainer. He admitted to himself he couldn't have done it without her. The grunt and admin cried out in frustration and glared at the victor.

"Get out." Blake growled.

"Doesn't matter. We got what we came for. Watch yourself girl or you'll be first to go." The admin said before returning his Pokémon and smashing the window out and escaping through there. The other two grunts followed him out leaving the lab trashed and quiet.

"Ow." Blake cried as she took a knee and back to cradling her hand.

"Kie?" Froakie questioned. Blake put out her right hand and touched his hand and petted it. She smiled as she finally connected with him.

"Blake, are you okay?" Maura ran to her sister from the back rooms. Behind her came out the researchers that were trapped in the back. After Blake had gained control of the battle Maura left to find the others. She noticed that no one was around so they had to be hidden. She found them in the fossil recovery lab. Luckily they had been just locked in and no one was guarding the door. She let them out and quickly returned to front to see how Blake was fairing.

"I'm…oh my." Blake said as her eyes looked in front of her.

"Blake?"

Blake didn't answer her sister, but instead got up and ran over to the broken bookshelf. Using her good hand she moved the books away and found what caught her eyes. Houndour. The dark and fire type looked badly hurt from both the attack and the crash. He needed help and fast. She couldn't leave him there. She scooped him up in her arms and turned toward the others.

"We need to get back to the center." Blake told them in a serious voice before she took off running toward the center. Maura nodded and followed her sister agreeing with that they needed help. They all did, well, except her. Froakie couldn't believe that Blake's positive outlook toward Pokémon extended to those not her own as he followed them out.

AN: There is Chapter 4! Next time you find out more and some left out parts will be answered like Blake's hand. I hope you've enjoyed it and will come back for 5 when I have it up. Again, sorry for the unexpected delay and hope you'll all continue to read! Thanks and please review! See you next time!