Chapter 4

Pikachu and the other pokémon tried to explain to the group of trainers what had happened. But they were all talking at once so their trainers couldn't get a chance to understand or pickup on anything they were saying. Even Zea, who could understand whatever the pokémon said, couldn't really get anything, and with Cele crying, that didn't help either. The pokémon finally stopped, as it was apparent that they were done explaining. The four trainers, Ash, May, Max and Brock, looked to the pokémon slightly confused and then turned to face Zea, who was also looking towards the pokémon a tad confused.

"Zea… Did you get any of that?" Ash asked.

"Kinda," Zea replied, scratching the side of her head in thought. "I picked up on some things like; net, capture, Cele and Eve; and that's about it."

"Hmm," Brock thought, folding one arm over his stomach and the other with his hand under his chin. "Capture, would most probably sound like a trainer or a Ranger. But…"

"But the word 'net' put in together with 'capture' would be…" Max continued.

"A POACHER!!" they all exclaimed.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Zea said. "It's one thing if it's a trainer, but another when it's a poacher,"

"So what do we do now?" Ash asked.

Before Zea could answer, the group heard some rustling coming from the nearby bushes, but it didn't come from the direction the pokémon had come from moments ago. The group turned towards the forest at which they heard the rustling and prepared themselves for whatever it may be. The moment whatever it was had stepped out of the bushes, the group relaxed; well all except one. The pokémon that had stepped out and revealed themselves were none other than Zea's evolution squad.

The pokémon immediately ran up to their trainer and started talking all at once, like Pikachu and the others did earlier.

"I know, I know. And you guys came just in time." Zea said to her pokémon. Espeon practically started to scold her trainer for having herself separated from Eve.

"Now's not the time for this Espeon! And good job on finding Ux and Dos."

"You two are ok right?" Zea asked the two young legendary. They nodded in response. "Good."

Lil Ux and Baby Dos saw Cele injured and crying in Zea's arms and a worried expression immediately came over their features.

"She'll be ok. Don't worry," She said to the two concerned pokémon.

Zea turned to face her friends again. "This is bad. The poacher saw Rai, Tei and Cele, so he's bound to figure out that the others are walking around somewhere. It's no mystery when you see two of a group of legendaries together that the third is somewhere nearby."

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"I mean the legendary groups of three," Zea replied. May still didn't understand.

"You mean the legendary dogs, birds and beings?" Brock asked.

Zea nodded. "Exactly. And since he's seen Baby Rai and Tei, he's most likely expecting to see Baby Sui with them once he finds then again."

At that moment, Eve jumped out of the bushes Pikachu and the others had earlier and ran frantically towards her trainer.

"(I stalled him for as long as I could! He's not far! We have to hide them quick!)" Eve exclaimed, panting heavily.

"Right!" Zea nodded in response. She turned to her friends again.

"Guys, this is where that cave comes in use." She said pointing at the cave she showed them earlier. "I want you guys to go in there with the baby legendaries. Guard them at all costs."

"What?!" the trainers exclaimed.

"We're not letting you take on this guy all by yourself! No way! I won't allow it!" Ash exclaimed in his protective and determined tone. The others nodded in agreement.

Zea looked down at the ground with her eyes closed, a shadow casting over them. "It wasn't a request Chosen One. It was a demand." She said. Her voice and features had a mix of calm and seriousness.

Ash was taken aback by her statement and formality, as were the others.

"I'm sorry Chosen One. As much as my status is below yours and the Prince Keeper, my mission to protect the legendary offspring comes first." Zea brought her head up and looked toward the trainers, her friends. "And I know you know how important that is. So please…"

Ash nodded in agreement with no further arguments. The pokémon had watched the minor squabble amongst the humans and were hoping it would come to an end soon and it did.

"Return," Zea said as she turned to her pokémon and returned them all, except Eve, to their pokéballs. This took them by surprise, so they had no chance to comply or argue. She turned to the young legendaries and told them to go with the group of trainers into the cave.

"Except you Ux." Zea said to the young Uxie. He turned to face her with a confused expression. "I need you for what I have in mind to get rid of the poacher." Ux nodded in reply.

Zea called out to Brock just as they were about to enter the cave. Ash, May and Max along with the pokémon entered the cave, while Brock stayed behind for a while. Zea finally approached him and handed Cele, who was now sleeping, to him. "Take care of her injury and look after her for me please Brock." Brock nodded and took the sleeping young Celebi from her and entered the cave to join the others.

Zea turned and walked back to the clearing, Eve now perched on her shoulder and Ux floating close behind. She turned to look in the direction of the cave to make sure the occupants could not be seen and turned and continued walking again until she reached where the group had been seated for lunch. She sat down on one side of the burnt out campfire they had set up to cook, so she was facing the direction at which Eve had come from, which would most likely be where the poacher would come out as well when he showed up.

Eve hopped off her trainer's shoulder and sat next to her on the right while Ux levitated on her left. She released the rest of her team and they sat around the campfire making a small circle. Zea started to explain everything to them before they could start an argument with her and they all nodded in agreement and understanding.

--

"I hope Zea knows what she's doing." May whispered a bit worried

"She must be if she spoke with a tone like that to Ash." Max whispered in reply. He, May and Brock turned to Ash.

"Ash?" May whispered to him worriedly. His head was down, most likely in deep thought and he immediately brought it up when May called him.

"Hm?" Ash replied.

"You ok Ash?" May asked again, still worried as she placed her right hand on his left thigh.

"I thought… I felt something… when Zea spoke to me like that," Ash replied, still trying to figure out what he felt.

"You mean the tone she used to talk to you?" Brock asked while still tending to Cele and her injury.

"Well… yea, that, and… the way she addressed me… Us." Ash said and corrected himself to refer to him and May.

May thought for a while until she realized what he meant.

"What are you -"

"He's right." May said, cutting Brock off.

"What do you mean May." Max asked his sister, as he was very confused about what was happening.

"Zea was formal when she addressed us." May replied with her eyes closed and head tilted slightly downward.

"Formal?" Max asked again. Ash and May nodded.

"She addressed them by their title in connection with the legends, instead of their actual name." Brock replied Max's question, understanding what Ash and May were talking about.

"Oooh… I get it," Max said understandingly.

"But Ash, what was it that you felt when she spoke like that?" May asked, turning her attention to him once again.

"I'm not sure," Ash replied in thought, "But it didn't feel good. It felt like… something bad was going to happen and she was somehow… either trying to warn me or protect me."

"Well, that is her duty as the Chosen Helper." Brock stated the obvious. "She said it herself, that it's her duty to serve and protect the legendaries as well as you two."

"Hmm. Yea I guess you're right." Ash replied. "I just wish I knew what she's trying to protect me from."

"From me…" said a dark and evil voice, but no-one heard it. No-one really could… yet.

Everyone soon fell silent. The young legendaries were a little further in the cave and were being watched by Pikachu and Eevee; making sure nothing happened to them. The trainers were seated closer to the cave entrance, but far enough to avoid being seen from outside. Pikachu and Eevee heard what their trainers had said and asked the young legendaries about it. They shook their head letting the two know that they had no idea what was going on.

But unbeknownst to the group of trainers and pokémon, a pair of menacing angry red eyes watched them carefully from deep within the cave. It kept silent to avoid being noticed by the group of pokémon.

--

"Poochy!"

The group looked up and noticed a Poochyena had jump from the bushes Eve had earlier. They looked to the pokémon with confused expressions. Not too long after, a human figure dressed in black came out of the same bush. Lil Ux was hiding behind Zea's back. Since he was kind of small, he could be hidden easily to avoid being seen by the other human.

"Alright kid! Where are they?!" he demanded.

"Talk about rude." Zea thought her face giving a slight scowl and pout. She then put on a confused expression.

"They who? And who are you?" she asked a bit irritated, pretending she didn't know what he was talking about. Her pokémon also gave a confused expression to hide any suspicion the dark clothed human may have had.

"Don't act like you don't know!" the man shot back. "My Poochyena has one of the sharpest senses in tracking down his target. You can't fool me!"

"(How true.)" Poochyena thought sadly in agreement.

Zea's irritation started to show now. "Listen you," she said standing up, Ux staying close and well hidden. "I was here have a nice little conversation with my pokémon and you show up accusing us of something we don't know!!" she exclaim, her pokémon cried out their names in agreement.

"Humph. Whatever brat. I'll find them myself. Poochyena!" Zea growled in annoyance at what he said.

"Poochy!" Poochyena obeyed and began sniffing the ground and then the air. When he was done, he pointed to the direction of the cave. Zea and her pokémon did a silent gasp.

The man snickered. "So they're in there. Should've known, but I didn't realize the cave till now." He turned his attention back to Zea.

"Typical for a goody-goody trainer to protect something so rare instead of trying to capture it." He said again. Zea growled in annoyance. "Oh well. I don't want any witnesses so I'll get rid of you first. Poochyena go!" he said with an evil grin. Poochyena was hesitant at first but obeyed and made a few jumps forward.

Zea stepped to the side so that she was no longer behind the burnt out campfire. Ux still stayed hidden behind her.

"Fine then. But make it quick!" she said irritated.

"Oh, it will be," the man snickered.

"Humph. Everyone return." Zea said, returning her pokémon, except Eve, back to their pokéball once again. They didn't react since it was part of the plan. "Alright Eve, let's go,"

"Eevee," Eve nodded and positioned herself two feet in front of her trainer to face her opponent.

--

"Do you think he saw us?" Max asked in a whisper. They had gone a little further into the cave when the poacher looked in their direction, but they could still see what was happening outside.

"I don't think so," Brock replied also whispering. "But I'll admit, that Poochyena's senses really are sharp."

"Mm hmm." Ash and May nodded in agreement.

"I just hope Zea can get rid off him." May said, a little worried.

"She will, don't worry," Ash replied, putting his arm around May's waist and bringing her closer to him to comfort.

"Pika…" "Eevee…" Pikachu and Eevee said, a bit worried themselves.

Baby Sui suddenly got up and walked toward the cave entrance. Pikachu became alert and followed her to try and stop her. She stopped at the point of where the outside light and shadow of the cave met, keeping herself hidden. Pikachu stopped running and walked to stand next to her, realizing that she kept herself out of view.

--

"I'm gonna finish this quick kid. I don't have time to deal with meddlers like you." The poacher said.

"Eve, we have to get rid of him quick. We can't afford to waste time with him since we have to find the others." Zea said, so only her pokémon could hear. Eve nodded in reply. "Be ready Ux." Ux gave a soft cry in response.

"Poochyena, go in with bite!"

Poochyena once again hesitated but obeyed, and began to make a run toward Eve.

"(What's wrong with this Poochyena?)" Eve thought "(He's hesitated twice to listen to his trainer, but listens anyway. Something's not right.)"

"That Poochyena is hesitant to attack Eve. He hesitated for a spit second to listen to his trainer but obeys anyway. Well…that is Poochyena by nature, once they're captured anyway. And I know Eve has detected his hesitations as well. Hmm… I wonder…" Zea thought.

--

"Cuuuuune…" she whined worriedly, while watching Zea and the darkly dressed human in battle. Out of the group of young legendaries, Baby Sui was one of those most attached to her. Ever since Lil Mew began bringing them on "outings" and every time Zea had to find them, Baby Sui became more and more attached to her on an emotional level, to a point where she felt the same way trained pokémon felt towards their trainer.

Baby Sui tightly shut her eyes and was about to make a run out of the cave, but Pikachu sensed what she was going to do and quickly stopped her before she could make a move, even if she was bigger than him. The other pokémon and the trainers quickly noticed this and took a hold of her and pushed her back into the cave. Although she was the most sensible in the bunch, she didn't cry out because she knew it would only cause more trouble for them. So she stuck to whimpering and sobbing while tears rolled down her face.

"Cuuuunnneee….." she whinned again, now crying as she crouched down on the ground.

"Why is she crying?" Max asked confused.

Pikachu and Eevee tried asking her what was wrong but she wouldn't answer. Pikachu turned to the other legendaries and they explained the reason to him. He nodded and went towards his trainer and explained to him. Ash nodded.

"I see," Ash stated in understanding.

"What is it Ash?" Max asked, curious about the young Suicune's behavior.

"It seems that Sui is somehow emotionally attached to Zea." Ash began to explain. "According to what Pikachu told me, whenever the young legendary are a far distance away from their parents, the closet person they have as a parent figure is Zea, until she gets them back home. But Sui has taken a liking to Zea so much, that she's a second mother to her."

"She's worried Zea will get hurt," May said in sympathy for Sui. Ash nodded.

"I guess it does make sense." Brock added in. "It has happened to you before Ash. With Latias,"

Ash smiled and nodded. They had told May and Max about that adventure so they didn't need to ask.

May got up and approached the young Suicune. She was still crying silently, minus the sudden sobs every couple of minutes. May knelt down next to Sui and sat on her legs.

"Baby Sui," May said to her. She looked up at the trainer. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Come, lie here for a while," May said, gesturing to her laps. Sui slowly got up and got onto May's laps and made herself comfortable while May petted her to calm her down. May smiled and turned her attention back outside, as did everyone else.

--

UPDATED 22/01/10

Ok. That's it for this chapter everyone. I know, it was a really long wait, but I've been really busy.

Just to let you guys know I won't be writing out the battle scene because it is not really important. But I will let you know what happens.

Umm… yea. That's it for now. Till next time.

Please review.